Very few flowers blooming right now, a few sunflowers, some Coreopsis, Meadow Beauty here and there, mostly the tiny lavender flowers you've seen if you've looked at my posts for the past week. About 3/16 inch across, they grow about 5 feet high and in a few places they're just covering the area.

One of those places I've seen a couple of hummingbird moths several days in a row, took about 30 shots one day and not one was usable. They move fast and don't stay in one spot long.

So yesterday I went by one of the spots with these tiny flowers, and what did I see?



A pair of them mating, sitting in one spot not moving. I got several nice shots, just a couple here. That first one is not great, but it does show what the face looks like. They moved later to a small pine tree that died, the red needles didn't make a great background.

Here's a better view.



A third one was there also, I got one quick shot, and it turned out to be a decent one, but nothing to write home about. I figure I was lucky to get it at all... This one left and I never saw it again after this shot was taken.



As usual, remember to click each picture to see the full size version.

[Bud]

Nice shots, Pete! The mating captures are very nice... I've never seen that before... cool!

[Paleo Pete]

Thanks a lot Bud, I've never seen it either, but I've been seeing a lot of things of that nature since I've been out shooting nature shots again. I've gotten pictures of Hover Flies and butterflies mating too, watched a Red Bellied Woodpecker hollow out a nest, watched a dragonfly catch and eat a bug...I've never seen any of that.

[eaglem]

Great shots my friend, focus is razor sharp colours are vibrant and composition is great. Well done.

[ramseybuckeye]

Great shots my friend, focus is razor sharp colours are vibrant and composition is great. Well done.

Wow Pete, these are some great shots! I don't think we have these moths up here. Thanks for sharing these really well done pics.

[dcmsox2004]

great captures pete!! that pentax color is second to none... i'm glad this couple decided to forgo modesty and pose for you........ thanks for this post.... dave m

[Paleo Pete]

Thanks everyone, I enjoyed getting these shots, I'm glad you enjoyed seeing them. It was a first for me, at least for this moth. Shooting nature is constantly showing me new things. I'm just glad I finally got my eye for manual focus back and am starting to get some nice clear shots again, for a while there it was rough going, one keeper in about 50-60 shots, now I get a couple of keepers out of every dozen or so, and one that stands out for every 30 or so, that was about my average with film back in the day too. I was amazed when I first started with the K-x though, digital really shows you if it's a tiny bit out of focus, film was a lot more forgiving...