White Clematis

[Doug T.]

I love all kinds of plants, we have a nice garden and they're my favorite subjects.I took this with a Fuji FinePix S5200.
Doug

[mickeyobe]

Doug,

I have never seen white clematis before. They are beautiful.

Mine are a deep rich purple but for some reason always photograph red.



Clematis are, like peonies, also interesting after their petals drop.

Mickey

[Doug T.]

That's a beatiful shot Mickey! We planted a pink one this year, but it hasn't blossomed yet. We also have quite a few peonies.They're very nice as well, except for the ants.
Doug

[nikonbob]

You fellas and your gardens are making me jealous. Plants and flowers are beautiful to photograph, aren't they. Have you got any butterflies visiting too?

Bob

[daveh]

You might have got a photo of a blueish clematis too, but it's been pouring with rain again.

Doug, glad to see you have got the hang of it.

As I write the rain is abating - but the light is going as well and I can't be bothered to get the flash out. Taken from the bedroom window ISO 1600, 200mm, f6.3, 1/21sec. I'll do a better photo another time.

[Doug T.]

Hi Bob! Yes I do. He was hanging around that plant for a good 10 minutes, but it was very hot and he was pretty lively, so it was hard to get a clear shot.
Thanks for the tips Dave, they were a great help!!!
Doug

[daveh]

Bob, we had an abundance of butterflies the year before last. Last year was not so good and I haven't noticed too many this year as yet. We probably don't get the number of colourful butterflies that some parts of the world have. I must have photos of our common types somewhere - but where? If I find them I shall post them.

[daveh]

Doug, I'm glad to see you have some to hand. Do you know what species it is? The shot looks pretty clear to me.

[John Parry]

Dave

It's a Monarch - lovely examples of a migratory species. You're right - our 'normal' butterflies are scarce this year (Red Admirals, Peacocks, Commas and so on), but I've seen more Skippers and unusual smaller butterflies than ever before. Climate change?

Regards - John

[daveh]

I thought the monarch were a deeper colour, without the scalloping - but there are so many species and sub-species it all gets quite confusing.

I haven't even seen many cabbage whites out and about.

I have just had a look through butterfly mugshots and it looks to be a tiger swallowtail: btgbf.com/images/tiger-swallowtail-butterfly_1_.jpg

[Doug T.]

Hi! He's bright yellow and we weren't sure what it was. It does look like a Monarch though.You're right Dave, he's a dead ringer for the Tiger Swallowtail. I just took that a couple of days ago, he really loved that plant! The lady I got it from called it a Rocket plant, the blossoms look like exploding fireworks I guess.
Doug

[nikonbob]

No expert here but I would have voted Monarch too. My wife claims she saw one in her little garden patch the other day. We do not have a great variety of butterflies here.

Bob

[daveh]

We have 'rocket' that is a salad leaf. I have no idea what its flowers look like - I have never thought to look.

I should be better on identifying plants and animals having done botany and zoology to A-level (which we take at age 18). There was a wonderful book we had at school for identifying plants: as long as you knew you sepals from your petals or whether an ovary was inferior or superior and suchlike it let you establish was any plant was, confirming it with a photo. Most times you got it right, but sometimes the photo would be of something entirely different. Then it was back to clue one.

[olroy2044]

Here in N. California, both types of butterflies are plentiful. For years, I lived in Silicon Valley (while it was still a rural farming area, with real trees!) and we were in the annual migration route of the Monarch. In the Monterey/Carmel area, there is located the Butterfly Trees State Park, where clouds of Monarch Butterflies stop for R&R on their long migration. I haven't been there in years, but the park staff used to conduct night time tours of the park so people could see the trees literally covered with the beautiful insects. Subdued lighting allowed the insects to rest and still be seen. Flash photography and noise were strictly forbidden.

As is quite often the case, I took no photos of them, always thinking that I would get around to it sometime. Now I have moved away from that area and I don't see them as often.

The Monarch is a bright orange color, with lacy black patterns mixed in. The butterfly in Doug's lovely shot is definitely a Tiger Swallowtail. These are now seen more frequently in many areas than the Monarch, whose numbers sadly have been dwindling.

Roy

[daveh]

Roy, my bête noire, in terms of that missed photo opportunity, is usually buildings. When I finally get there to take that shot that is never to be repeated photo, the building has already gone.