Buckeye

Yesterday afternoon I sent sometime photographing Common Buckeye Butterflies on the mint in my backyard. As much as I dislike how the mint can try and take over my backyard it is a great draw for butterflies. The Common Buckeye or as it is more simply known just Buckeye, (Junonia coenia) is a butterfly is found in the Canadian provinces of southern Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia and all parts of the United States. It is especially common in the south and throughout Central America down into Colombia.In California where I live it is one of the most common butterflies along the coast.In addition to the Buckeyes I photographed a beautiful skipper butterfly and a very hairy fly species unknown. Have a blessed day, chris All images created with a canon 7d and a 100-400 IS lens with an extension tube for close focusing. Camera settings varied.

The Mint is in Bloom Again

We started many years ago with a simple six pack starter of tiny mint plants.(See where this is heading?) I was skeptical and didn't want to plant it in the backyard. Now over twenty years later even after completely landscaping the backyard a patch of mint still grows. It battles both us and the Jasmine around the garden pond for space. Periodically we have to completely chop it all back or it will take over. Right now it is blooming and the nectar loving creatures and others love it. I plonked my self down in a chair next to it this afternoon and had a wonderful time photographing bees, butterflies and others. One black and yellow wasp landed upon the mint but it wasn't feeding on nectar. It sat waiting patiently until a honey bee landed next to it. In a flash it was on it stinging and biting it to the ground where it then finished the poor bee off and flew off with its prize. Wow, quite the backyard drama. Now for some great drama of another sort. I was very excited this afternoon to receive the advance copy of my book "Secrets of Backyard Bird Photography" from the publisher Rocky Nook. It really turned out fantastic. If you or someone you know wants to learn how to photograph birds in your backyard then this is an invaluable tool for instructing you step by step the process of how to go about it. Please take the time to check it out or buy a copy of it for yourself and a friend. The book is available for preorder on Amazon and other fine book sellers. God bless and enjoy the images, chris All images created with a Canon 7D and a Canon 100-400 IS lens with a 36mm extension tube added for close focusing. http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Backyard-Photography-Chris-Hansen/dp/1937538559