“Butterflies are self propelled flowers”
– Robert A. Heinlein –
“You don’t need to see the sunset to feel the warmth of its color”
– Atticus –
Has a bee ever landed on you, and instead of getting scared, you appreciate the possibility that you got confused for a flower.
A Photo a Week Challenge: Yellow.
Susan’s Flowers on Fridays # 3.
Cee’s Photo Challenge
Close encounters.
Ta Qali National Park, Malta, 20 July 2019.
Today I had a visitor among my flowers. It was very small.
Almost as tiny as a thumbnail.
Click on an image to enlarge.
It’s hard to believe that this creature will transform into a colorful moth. I’ve never seen such a big caterpillar. It’s about 15 cm/6 inches. Could be an Elephant Hawk-moth, Deilephila elpenor but I’m not sure.
Now, that caterpillar was not yet colorful so here’s some sunshine from Ta Qali…
…where the grass was wet with dew.
A spider’s web along with dew create a nice pattern.
Nature is an amazing world to explore and we must all do what we can to preserve it. 
“We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity. We cannot remain looking inwards at ourselves on a small and increasingly polluted and overcrowded planet.”
—Stephen Hawking
Food for thought can be that earth is home to millions of species, but just one dominates it.
Wish you all a lovely weekend!
“If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth,
man would have no more than four years to live.”
—Albert Einstein
Surely it’s surprising to discover what amazing bird species there are around the world. This one looks unique.
When I saw this “sculpture” at a distance in Siracusa, Sicily, I was absolutely sure it was real. 
Until I came close and my dog began to nose around his feet. Then he couldn’t sit still any longer without laughing and he began to talk. I’ve seen many kinds of these players before but nobody as real like this one.
A really fun and unexpected surprise.
Shooting with the macro lens often gives unexpected surprises.
It may be surprising to look at a fly with its amazing faceted eyes…
…or to see a hairy butterfly.
Macro photography is always fun and I guess this is a hornet, Vespa crabro, or Bålgeting as we say in Swedish. I see many of them now among our hibiscus on the terrace. Sadly, with fewer plants the butterflies are gone.
The plant blooms but the leaves are more yellow than green. Perhaps more care and nutrition are needed. 
Finally, there are lots of spiders to find in Ta Qali National Park, this one is about two inches. More to come…
Insects, flowers and pollen. A fantastic combination for reproduction, created by nature.
“If we were to wipe out insects alone on this planet, the rest of life and humanity with it would mostly disappear from land. Within a few months”
-E.O. Wilson-
Lovely butterflies! I’ve not seen so many of them this summer. I used to capture a lot among our plants on our roof terrace, which is now gone. These are from Sicily while those in the circles were taken in Malta.
Thank you! I’ll will reply and I’ll visit your site, as soon as I catch up with my time. You are all precious!! Take care out there. Love from Malta 💕
We went to Sicily for a week, to get away from it all. Here we rented a villa, Villa Cristina, located in a rural area, but not too far from Siracusa. Simple yet cozy accommodation. The garden was huge and there were orange and olive trees, banana plants, grapes, tomatoes, chili peppers, herbs and much more. I love basil!
Sweet tomatoes! I can eat Cherry tomatoes like candies!
These bananas were not edible but the flowering herb was both decorative and exotic.
Did you know that banana plants are the world’s largest herb!
Above you see some images from the garden where we could pick and eat whatever we liked. 
There’s more to find in the garden and we did some trips with our car to a few towns and secluded beaches. More to come from Sicily in Italy!
It was a long time since I felt as relaxed as during our stay in Sicily. Away from it all, away from the outside world. Perhaps something we all need from time to time, completely without any internet access.
It’s very dry now here on the island.
These are seen on many dry plants right now, I’ve no idea why.
A glimpse of Selmun church is seen in the background.
Fortunately, there are some plants that survive the heat.
On a Sunday in mid July, most people here in Malta choose to have fun on the beach, 30 degrees or swim in the sea, 26 degrees. I think I’ll do the same. Wish You a great Sunday, wherever You are on this planet. Splash!!! 
This little cute beetle stayed on the flower for quite some time so I had time enough to photograph at least one of all insects I’ve tried to capture recently, without success.
When I take my camera with me I always have to choose between my macro or zoom lens depending on where and what I plan to photograph. I chose “wrong” lens this time but the pictures became pretty good anyway.
I was going to add at the end, “…as long as you do not enlarge them” but my mind said no. We all try to do as good as we can and must be proud of our efforts to learn, give and share. Gratitude is a valuable gift.
It was on our roof terrace I took my first macro images.
A few years ago we bought seeds in an attempt to grow rhubarb. But it didn’t succeed.
Spiders! Click on an image to enlarge.
It’s early in the spring and my dear man is cleaning while I take a selfie in the window of our office.
I’m not sure how many different kinds of flowers we have had but these are some of them.
One of my husband’s many fun experiments. Can you really fry an egg in the sun? Obviously!!
Our terrace as it once looked and below, what it looks like right now. Yes, added some color. 
Our office, my dear husbands atelier and our dining room that we use every summer are gone after twelve years. Of our flowers and plants there are only a very few left and so are the butterflies and other insects. Looking at the stars in the sky and the moon that shine but this is not my Seventh heaven anymore.
Fanny, Yeah, come on!!! Rock ‘n’ roll!!!
All images in this post have I taken on our roof terrace over the years gone by…
…apart from the last one.
Today I just want to spread some color! My favorite flower and color, the Bougainvillea on top.
A Flower fly is looking for nectar in the flowers of Ta Qali National Park.
Color & flower.
💗With Love from Malta – Anita & Fanny.💗
Macro photography are challenging and exciting. This butterfly was hidden behind tall grass a windy day in Ta Qali Park and rarely stopped for more than a few seconds. I suppose this is a Wood White (Leptidea sinapis).
I didn’t notice that it actually were two butterflies until I came home and downloaded the images to my computer. A happy surprise that often happens when shooting with macro. If these really are Wood White, I can always ask Brian. He knows a lot about different butterfly species and his blog is well worth visiting.
If all insects on Earth disappeared, within 50 years all life on Earth would end.
If all human beings disappeared from the Earth, within 50 years all forms of life would flourish. 
Quote by Jonas Salk
When exploring the nature in Malta you often see cliffs, cliffs, I see cliffs everywhere. And a clear blue sky.
It makes me dizzy and instead of looking up, I take a look down, to find a busy bee.
When I look up again, I see someone sitting on top of one of the high cliffs.
Must be a great view up there while I got an amazing view from down here.
Finally, for those who wondered if there aren’t any restrictions in Majjistral Nature Park. Here you are…
Walpurgis Night is the last day of April and a traditional non-religious holiday in Sweden. Especially in the City of Uppsala where there are huge student gatherings to celebrate the arrival of the spring.
Here in Malta April 30th is an ordinary day and my images have no connection with Walpurgis Night, or Valborgsmässoafton, as this evening is called in Swedish.
But I like to wish you all a wonderful evening wherever you are on this planet, no matter if you celebrate or not. Remember, even a small fly is part of our nature. Take care out there and enjoy every moment!!
Nature’s miracle, an amazing world to explore.
Everything happens for a reason, take care out there…
I think this is a Vinbärssnäcka. That´s what it called in Swedish but I´m not sure about the English name.
Here I let the pictures speak for themselves.
This is the first butterfly I managed to capture so far this year. It flew among the flowers in Majjistral National Park. This one was not easy to catch with the camera, but I’m very happy that I found it.
Is it really possible to feel joy when watching small insects while most people try to wave them away.
Yes, if you have a camera and if you are really eager to learn more about macro shooting and the amazing world that you can explore through your camera. Just wish I started to learn this earlier in my life.
Maybe too close, but I really had fun!!
In my next life I´ll be a photographer specialized in macro, a botanist and entomologist.
Until then, I continue to practice, learn and have fun…
…and a sweet little visitor.
Happy Friday from Malta!
….and a cute little visitor.
Click on an image to enlarge.
Photographing insects with macro often means waiting for the perfect moment.
Click on a circle to enlarge if you like to see the whole image.
Most waves them away while I chase them with my camera, waiting…
Worth waiting for.
Som så ofta några blombilder och en insekt. Klicka för att förstora, till varje bild finns en kort text.
Fann den här bilden i arkivet från Sandhamn i Stockholms skärgård. Vilken idyll! Sverige när det är som bäst!
Med huvudstaden Valletta i bakgrunden, en idyll i sig med värmen och medelhavet så tätt inpå. Mer än så blev det inte idag. Har badat, det är fortfarande 30+ på dagarna och livet går sin gilla gång här på Malta..
Avslutningsvis, Lek i tvättstugan. Nej, jag har inte sysselsättningsproblem eller brist på motiv, det är värmen.. 😉
Failure is success in progress! Ooh, Shiny 😅
Even a colorless can appear as shiny through a delightful detour. 
Colors among our flowers and a welcome little visitor gives delight and diversion.
A fly can distract in two different ways. Choose the positive one…
Click on an image to enlarge.
Weekly Photo Challenge Diversions, Distractions, and Delightful detours
Ooh, Shiny!
These flowers got a shower and belongs to one of my favorite colors.
So cute and a bit shaggy.
Simple art on a bottle of wine can also be an art in itself.
Another watercolor, this time with reflections from a house in Spinola Bay, San Ġiljan.
Watercolor in the Mediterranean Sea.
A diligent visitor among our flowers.
This flower doesn’t grow on our terrace and I don’t know what it’s called.
If everything goes as planned, we will go to Sweden in September to pick up our little puppy. Here you see our new family member born 13th July. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this will be reality, I´m so happy.
All pictures are taken by me except those on the puppy, taken by Marianne Gustavsson.
A mix of pics from our roof terrace…
Six floors up…
Closer to the sky…
Neither more or less, from everyday life, for our plants and insects.
When I take my macro lens out to the terrace and look for small insects among our flowers after I’ve watered. Then I feel satisfied, as are our plants and the sweet little insects.
Click on one of the circles to enlarge
I found this sweet little Dragonfly when we were at Piscopo Garden in Burmarrad to buy some new plants. 
There were lots of colorful flowers, but the Dragonfly seemed to prefer to hang on a stick.
The wings were angled as if it tried to protect the body. I don´t know why but so it sat when I left…
Det här lilla biet flög runt bland våra Pelargoner en bra stund medan jag försökte fånga den med kameran. 
Ofta stannade den till i ett svävande tillstånd men bara för ett väldigt ett kort ögonblick.
Slutligen valde den ut en blomma och kalasade en stund för att strax flyga vidare till nästa.
På sista bilden syns frömjöl som fastnat på ena benet. Tror det är pollen medan den samtidigt suger nektar. Kan inte låta bli att förundras över hur naturen skapat en sån fantastisk harmoni mellan växter och insekter, insekter som ofta anses vara anspråkslösa men ändå är så viktiga för att den naturliga processen ska fungera.
On the last picture, you can see pollen on the leg while the bee sucks nectar. Can`t stop wondering how nature created such an amazing harmony between plants and insects, Insects that are often considered unpretentious but still, so important for the natural process to work.
Bättre macrobilder har jag tagit men visst ser huvudet lite underligt ut, som om biet bär öronlappar.
I`ve taken better macro photos than this one, but it looks as if the head is a little weird, as if the bee is wearing ear flaps.
Tror det är ett Honungsbi tillhörande en art som troligtvis utvecklades i Medelhavsområdet för nära en miljon år sedan. Ränderna går aldrig ur denna enträgna lilla insekt som återigen ivrigt kalasar bland våra växter.
Stannar bara till en liten stund för ett mellanmål men söker mig snart till en annan blomma, för nästa måltid.
Nu blommar det ordentligt ute på terrassen vilket betyder mer liv och rörelse bland alla små fina insekter. Som så ofta vänder de sin bak mot kameran men sommaren är lång och tillfällen för fler försök lär bli många.
Knappt synlig, då den höll sig på marknivå, synlig ändå. Hade kunnat klappa den men avstod. Den flög inte.
Inte heller här hade jag mitt macroobjektiv, annars hade jag valt temat spröt, men de är knappt synliga alls.
