Today in the Backyard

Today was one of those comfortable (even for Florida in July), lazy Saturdays when the choice between heading out somewhere or just hanging around the house was an easy one. We stayed put. Worked on the yard a bit --- and kept the D200 nearby with the 150mm macro lens. The D200 give the lens 50% additional reach thanks to the digital crop factor that I don't get in the full-frame (but preferred for most shooting) D700... The one humming bird that I saw was in and out too fast for me to shoot, but I did find the occasional target...

A dragon fly finding nourishment in the spent blossom of a canna lily (taken from above and behind). He was an excellent and patient model...

We have replaced a portion of our water and fertilizer-hungry Saint Augustine lawn with native perennial peanut. Now well established after a month in the ground, these self-sustaining little ground covering plants gift us with tiny bright yellow blossoms every morning...

This clown spider has taken up residence in the side yard, having woven a multi-level condo / insect trap that would make I.M. Pei proud. Even wide open at f/2.8 the breeze was blowing too hard for a perfect hand-held shot... but you get the general idea...

Getting eye-to-eye with the Dragon made him a little nervous -- so he took off, then decided I was probably harmless and came back, keeping those huge eyes on me as I moved around and closed in. The intricacy of the wings is amazing. Click on the image for a full sized view.

Just goes to show you that if you're patient and observant, nature will put on the best show on earth for you...