First, thank you for all the well wished for Rupert. Everything went well and we picked him up late in the afternoon.

As you can see, it looks quite grizzly, but it should heal nicely. We have lots of good pain killers and some antibiotics to keep him nice and comfy while he recuperates. As you can imagine, he’s not speaking to me. And I imagine he’ll find some way to pay me back… but in the end he will be more comfortable.

Now… onto business…

Summer is quickly passing, and I have to admit, having the long lens on my camera has been a game changer for my daily “bug hunts”

I’m still using my phone for the majority of my photos, just for the convenience factor. But the long lens makes chasing butterflies soooooo much easier!

Normally, I’d have to sneak up on the butterflies, get as close as I can with the phone, and just hope they stay there. Then, when looking at the photos on the computer, I’d zoom in as much as possible, hoping there were enough pixels for a decent photo.

For butterflies like the Monarchs and Red Admirals, that was fairly easy. They seem to be much more brave than other butterflies. Especially those Red Admirals – they seem to really like to land ON me almost as much as the flowers.

But for the Red Spotted Purples…

Getting close enough was always a bit of a challenge. Side views were always a little easier, but full open back shots – much harder.

And then there’s the Meadow Fritillary.. Nearly impossible to get with the phone, because they just don’t let you close.

But with the long lens, I can stand back 10 feet and just snap away

Even the Cabbage Whites, which are so common, are hard to capture because they rarely sit still long enough.

But with the long, lens I can capture a little butterfly fore-play!

And of course, the long lens means I can get shots that would be impossible with my phone

Like this Monarch well above my head in the maple tree.

Of course, it’s not just butterflies it helps me capture.

These big ass Carpenter Bees are pretty easier to photo, but the long lens get me much more detail!

Same with this Bumbler, and honeybee incoming.

Or the face of a moth only a mother could love!

Or the magical clear wings and fuzzy body of a Snowberry Clearwing Moth. It’s related to the Hummingbird Clearwing (who visits our butterfly bushes as well), just a little smaller with slightly different colours. I’m hoping I’ll be able to capture an actual Hummingbird with the camera soon… they visit regularly – just never when I have the camera handy!

And I saved the best for last…

This wee baby bun was far too wary to get close to with the phone, but the long lens let him stay safe under the holly bush while I snapped away!

This camera and lens was definitely worth the price of admission!