I went to Cupsogue this morning in pursuit of Marbled Godwits and was initially greeted by this Doe who looked so beautiful in the early morning light (I think the sun had just broken the horizon). This mornings interaction was a nice compliment to a more intimate wildlife photography experience yesterday at the home of fellow photographer Michael Lotito (images can be seen here) who has an entire ecosystem in his back yard. Frogs, toads, dragonflies, hummingbirds, you name it they're there. I don't know how the guy gets any work done... so, a big thanks to you Mike for lending me your treasure chest of life for the weekend.
A little closer:
Green frogs make easy subjects as they think they blend in and can't be seen among the lily pads. I captured this while laying down along the edge of the man-made pond and extending my camera and macro lens toward the frog using the viewfinder as a magnifying glass (an alternative to this is to utilize the Live View function, but the AF system can be frustrating when Live View is engaged)
Also present at the pond were a handful of dragonflies. This is a female blue dasher that is in the process of depositing eggs - pretty much the only way to get a dragonfly to "stay still" long enough to get a flight shot.
Mike's backyard features quite a few hibiscus plants and this emerging bud caught my eye. I used the surrounding leaves to frame the subject:
Bumble bees and bee flies were all over the place, creating a fun challenge. I came away with one shot that seemed head and shoulders above the others:
A closeup of the previous frame so you can appreciate the detail:
