wildlife – Page 48 – LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

A Blessed Bee

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Hunger 71420” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

“By His Hand We Are All Fed”

The constent chirping of Cardnials can be heard above the whining of the turbines at Kanawha Falls. The birds are continuous contact with their mate as they forage in the Appalachian Forest. Mottled sunlight filters down through the canopy of Elm, Oaks and Sycamore. Most of the insects become little balls of light as they pass through the rays and I’m learning that the flight patterns can give a clue about what type of insects they are. Some float, some zig-zag and others circle. Bees fly in straight lines most of the time. So when I noticed the straight lines near the St. John’s Wort I knew that the bees were at work. I moved forward a bit and focused on the bright yellow flowers and waited for the next bee. It wasn’t long before the little bumblebee accommodated my efforts. They’re not really aggressive but I have learned to stay back a bit in order to catch them behaving naturally. If I get too close they seem to rush through the tasks and then move on. I snapped several shots before moving to the next subject and when I got home I pulled up the file and spotted the little bumblebee approaching the bloom. The first thing that struck me was the effect of the beating wings made it look like the bee was about to break the sound barrier. Then I saw the face. The bee’s tongue is fully extended. She’s so excited about her meal that she’s licking the air! Her world is one of plenty. This part of the forest is rich with nectar and she’s ready to enjoy every drop. I remembered the verse about “consider the lilies” and how God takes care of his creation. Then I remembered that we are also part of that creation and how much God cares about us. It’s comforting To know that there’s blessings for us everywhere if we can just learn to trust and take the time to find them.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

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Lloyds Lens Photography web link — Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

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Joy On Wings

Forage Friday, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Simple Blessings 80420” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Joy travels on wings of ebony and blue. Nimbly dodging the twigs and thorns she makes her way through the shrubs.

She avoids the silken threads with the greatest skill and with delicate grace rises above her troubles.

Her existence is an aerial dance through the landscape and her ultimate expression of life.

I sometimes wonder what the Lord was thinking at her creation.

It shall be a humble worm.

It shall be regeneration and change.

It shall be rebirth in beautiful living color.

It shall be swift.

It shall be the sweetness on a balmy breeze.

It shall be innocence.

It shall be loved and it shall be an expression of my joy.

Life is meant to be all these things and more. Find your joy and live in it.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

Teamwork

Color Photography, wildlife

Many hands make light work

– Richard Bishop

From the depths of the earth they march towards the light. The scouts guide them through the dimly lit jungle past the traps of predators and up the tree a treasure trove of food for the winter. The tiny Pharaoh ants march single file until they reach the work site. Once there they divide up the tasks. Some will gather grains of pollen while others will collect the sweet nectar at the base of the flowers. They’ll have the flower stripped in no time because of their numbers. Nothing deters their work. They hold no debates about who does which job. They simply handle the task in front of them. Each little ant is capable of carrying many times it’s own weight in food but the grains of pollen are small and ants don’t have the structures on their legs like the bees have for packing their food securely for the return trip. And without the bee’s power of flight they will march back with their payload in their jaws. The daunting task for the individual ant but colony moves as one and within a few hours the harvest is complete.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

Thank you again for your support of my page! ❤

Mr Hawk Comes Calling

Color Photography, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Red Tail Hawk 80620” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Even the wind dare not whisper his name as he sails silently over my mountain. The eyes miss nothing as he scans the forest for a twitch of the tail or the flick of a long ear. His talons are cocked and ready to snatch his prey. Even the most subtle earthbound serpent in the forest is vulnerable to the speed of his silent wings. The only clue I had to his presence was the disappearance of songbirds. As I gazed through my window the smaller birds suddenly vanished into the dense brambles borrowing their thorns for protection. When he took up his perch on my carport I knew that the best chance I had to capture his image was through the dirty window in the back of the house. Still, I had to try. As I lined up my lens with his permission and attempted to focus past the airborne pollen and new cobweb clinging to the glass he cocked his head my direction. I don’t think he actually saw me through the glass but he definitely knew that something moved inside the house. After a few shots I decided to try and ease my why outside for a closer photo. It’s been a while since I’ve practiced my weasel walk but my feet remembered the pattern. Stepping with the balls of my feet and allowing the foot to roll into place before shifting my weight would minimize the sounds of movement in the house. I made it all the way to the side door and he didn’t seem to notice. It was the click of the deadbolt that got his attention. Slowly I allowed the door open but with the sudden creek of the hinge the Hawk turned as if he were spring loaded. The gaze of his piercing eyes struck me with a perceived impact that raised the hair on the back of my neck. The eyes felt like they were attempting to burn through to my very soul as our gazes locked. For a moment I wasn’t really sure if he would flee or charge. Even the largest Red Tail Hawk is no match for a human but he does have razors on his feet and I have enough “cool scar stories” to last for the rest of my life. I slowly shifted the camera in order to raise it to my eye and he drew himself skyward and commanded the wind to carry him over the ridge. Before I could even focus he was just a little dot in the sky.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

Thank you again for your support of my page! ❤

Encounter With A Mydas Fly

Color Photography, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Mydas Fly 80420” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

A the movement of a shadowy predator catches my attention at Kanawha Falls. I’d actually come here looking to see if the mushrooms I’d spotted in July were still around but they were gone. The creature moved again and at first I thought it was a Mud Dauber wasp but something was wrong with the flight pattern. It didn’t move like a wasp should move. It’s was at that point I began to suspect that I was being lied to. Mud Daubers are generally non-aggressive even when I’m close to their nests. Sometimes they’ll hover close and try to intimidate you but I’ve never had one actually land on me. Mud Daubers can fly in a curve but tend to prefer flying in straight lines. The dark insect before me now moves in curves and circles like a fly. Still, getting stung by any wasp isn’t really my idea of a good time. So I took out my long lens and zoomed in for a better look. The first thing that struck me was the club like antennae and an abdomen that wasn’t connected to the body by a slender waist. The insect looks like a robber fly but is huge compared to the robber fly. The distinctive reddish orange spots on the abdomen were also an identifying trait. This is a Mydas Fly.

Image Titled “Mydas Fly 80420b” showing the iridescent blue sheen on the wings.

The Mydas Fly buzzed me a few times and flicked it’s a few times in an effort to convince me that I was about to be stung. I called it’s bluff and moved a closer. It charged me and pulled away st the last second.

Most likely it’s there simply to lay eggs in the rotting log. It needs to do this because it’s babies are predators. The larvae actually resemble the Graboid monster from the movie Tremors. The maggot has an armored head with powerful looking jaws and it hunts beetle larvae. There’s actually over 400 species of Mydas Flies and some lay eggs in the soil instead of wood. Because they hunt destructive grubs they’re being studied as a natural control on pests.

Image Titled “Mydas Fly 80420c” showing the “claws” on the hind legs.

My internet research says that the adult Mydas Fly is also a predator. A closer look at the hind legs shows that they are built like the front legs of a preying mantis. The claw structure is pointed forward suggesting that the a Mydas Fly overtakes it’s pretty in mid flight. There’s actually controversy in the scientific community about the feeding habits of Mydas Flies because they have been seen pollinating and eating nectar. I suppose that nobody has considered that they might be omnivorous.

After a few minutes I decided it was time to leave the Mydas Fly to go do Mydas Fly things in peace. Perhaps at some point I’ll be able to photograph one with prey and put an end to the controversy.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

https://youtu.be/UPXlC0uaXW4

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

Thank you again for your support of my page! ❤