Eastern Tailed-Blue

[centuryplant]

Last week Pamela and I went to Crow-Hassan Park Reserve, near the City of St. Michael. Odonate activity was minimal -- a few Eastern Forktail damselflies and a patrolling Green Darner or two -- but the lakeside was covered with Eastern Tailed-Blue butterflies sucking up nutrients from the mud. Most of them were too wary to let me get close, but this one was very intent on licking its pebble.

It even let me push the grass seedling out of the frame.

While I was down on the ground taking pictures, a jumping spider -- Phidippus audax, I think -- hopped onto my camera and off again, then disappeared under some dead leaves. A little later it emerged again and examined me upside down from a clump of grass.

Comments

[graydon]

Awe.

[kore]

I nearly didn't click because spiders freak me right the fuck out, but my God that little guy is rather adorable. You have the dubious honour of taking probably the only spider photograph in existence that did not launch me across the room.

[centuryplant]

Jumping spiders are just cute -- even more so in person because they really follow you with those huge eyes.

[holyschist]

Oooh, these are fabulous, especially the spider! What kind of lens set-up are you using, if you don't mind me asking?

[centuryplant]

It's the Canon 100mm image-stabilized macro lens. I don't use any extension with it -- I haven't ventured beyond 1:1 so far.