(Insects) Once more

I like reading stories and also like to read them again and again. In fact, my liking for stories started before I could read them myself and also enjoyed telling those I just heard if I find an audience - that I used to find in a friend sometime. I however remember once going mad when he insisted I tell him same Akabar-Birbal story 22nd time. Well, in all these years since then, my own track record is not a lot different or probably its even worse. So, now I see need to justify.. I mean, understand the behaviour. I had once googled and found some study saying that children who are exposed to same story repeatedly learn language better than those who listen to different stories. (clarification: I was exposed to English very late in the day so quality of my English has no link with me reading same stories again and again.) - but then, I still read same stories again and again. So, why does repetition sounds useful and enjoyable irrespective of age? I dont know about others, but with me, I guess, its simply because I forget things happily and reading them again gives same first time Aha feeling. and, that's not at all limited to stories. Also, I think in general repetition brings familiarity, which in turn feels like beauty, security etc and also taxes brain less and less wrt to things already understood leaving more resources/building better context to understand things missed out at earlier iteration - so all kinds of minds- those seeking security, seeking beauty, seeking depth or simply lazy or slow ones all are likely to love repetition? of course, of things you enjoy and which support at least one of the benefits that repetition gives.

Its good three or so years that I have been taking lots and lots of pictures but I never enjoyed or tried to learn photography. probably have spent some time learning about equipment but 'photography', never. Which means that I usually learn things that helps me bettering my photographs by random experiments or by chance. Now, one such learning was that high ISO is big problem only if you have underexposed too. I don't remember when I forgot that learning. and then, I had fallen to habit of stopping at ISO 1600. Recently however, when a friend mentioned same thing again, I remembered my old knowledge. and before I forget it again, I was faced with subjects I was looking for, and light conditions I wasn't looking for.

Second and fourth shots above are at ISO 12500, first at 6400. for shots I would not have taken at all, they I think have come out quite well - at least for web size. Noise at this ISOs is pretty bad for out-of-focus areas and even after wasting good amount of time on above, they do appear quite poorly post processed, but then for those who know how to do it, it may not be a big issue. Need to post process makes the high ISO again non useful for me (and probably that was the reason I forgot the earlier learning too), but still, it was good to once again learn something that I had learned previously also.
I had seen that insect last time, again always in low light. I somehow quite like its transparent like dotted appearance and was very happy to see three of them at different age in matter of two days. All ages look equally beautiful to me. Sorry for skipping the ID - I had found it last year but have forgotten now. may be will update later.
ok, between me taking above shots and uploading them here, I saw some other insects. Interestingly, red and black combination with green seems hit this days. Nature too loves repeating whenever she can :-)

Continuing with Monsoon macro

This is more or less continuation of the previous post. I did not manage to spend much time with camera in hand since last post, and even when I did, it was mostly again looking at same subjects as previous post. I have a feeling I am going to repeat same subjects in this post too, but let me resist that temptation while I can.

Saw this spider and watching it for a while, I guess it was either still immature or in a young like playful mood anyway.

Saw this spider few times now - appropriate size to move in and out of Algae world.

If something similar sized looks at it from behind, this is how it appeared - looks like a snake head. isnt it?

Few feet from above spider and what I saw looked like little lumps of gold on a leave just above my eye level. Yes, beautiful sunlight had its contribution to that appearance but these eggs were also quite nice. It was somewhat high for taking shot comfortably still, did manage a shot.

It seemed to me that insects from remaining two eggs might come out soon but when I saw these eggs again after few days, they were still intact.

On another sunny day, saw something was clinging to a grass stem. it appeared like a seed to me but for the seed it was at unlikely place. I look at it and find this. I guess its a leafhopper - though it was bigger than leafhoppers I have seen previously.

and lastly, one more shot of those Springtails I had covered in last post too. I think this is the best possible shot I can manage of them. - below frame is 1/3 crop of a shot taken at max magnification my set-up gives. which is approx 3.65 so the frame below is some 2mm at longer side. and I can see these creatures eyes too!

That's what I have for this mini update. lets see what I find for the next one.

Mitey start of Monsoon

Monsoon start in north India comes in two varieties. Much celebrated variety is grand opening with refreshing downpour that brings temperatures down by 10 – 20 degrees and ends the Summer in an instant. Other one is, mild showers for few minutes and clouds overhead causes humidity jump that more than offsets some reduction in temperature and cause feel-like temperature to worsen. This year happens to be of the second variety. Life other than the humans however doesn't seem to be making much distinction between the two varieties and surroundings has started turning green at usual rapid pace.

First monsoon creature I noticed was this. Saw them for the first time since my school days and was happy to see them - even though not many of them and only for a day or two. Didn’t know their name and was surprised to find that they are not only named Giant red velvet mite, they actually are Mites. Now, aren’t mites supposed to be very very small? anyhow, their size was source of disappointment also for the reason that they were too big for my reverse lens macro set up – the one I was carrying then.

I saw one of them trying to dig into ground. Could not understand what it was trying to do and wondered if it was to lay eggs there? Googling however tells me that they actually live mostly under the ground and come up on surface only for few days. I fail to imagine how such a big creature can live inside what looks like solid earth.. but probably its ok as I don’t see myself as very imaginative being. It however reminded me of yet another story. ‘Fires within’ by A C Clarke this time.

When I was taking the first picture above, I didn't think much about some parts of the brick on which the mite was walking being blue. but that small insect on mite’s head was more difficult to miss. I soon found that blue was not just colour of brick but lots and lots of insects. I was taking a shot of green algae just starting to appear and saw these blue things. I thought they were even smaller than Mites I had seen previously (less than 1mm) and certainly not bigger then them.

As if to give me sense of size, a mite actually appeared in frame. While shooting, the mite appeared much bigger than the blue insects – but probably it was optical illusion because of its speed and legs as in the photo it appears smaller – that is, if you can spot the mite in the photo in first place (its already a cropped shot).

Green algae is my current attraction - I had seen it through macro set up only towards end of last monsoon and had got a feeling it could be interesting to watch that world. I was therefore waiting for them to start growing. As I was walking to pick the patch of algae, saw this another subject I didn't photograph last year - not because I didn't notice them. it wasn't an option as there were thousands and thousands of them. I didn't take a shot thinking it could be done any day and then they disappeared. As I was watching some millipedes walking by, one of them stopped, spiraled itself and moved around its own center for a moment, straightened again and continued in same direction it was originally going. That appeared a very strange thing to me and once it was gone, I regretted not being fast enough and shooting the behaviour. just then, another millipede comes, stops at same point, does similar spiraling act, uncoils, starts walking - all I managed was to say 'wow, I missed it again'. before the third one came however, pattern recognition part of my brain started functioning and I had my camera pointed at that place even though no millipede was in frame. and surely, nature is unimaginative at times. a third one walks-in in a moment, spirals, uncoils, walks away.

As I upload above shot here, I google to see if such spiraling is normal or not. It says its their defense mechanism - but that leaves me more confused. what i saw didn't look like one. they appeared under no threat. the spot where they came to get spiraled was more sunlit than area around - but they walked up to there themselves and appeared in no distress while walking under the Sun elsewhere. probably some other problem with the spot that wasn't visible to me..

Coming back to algae, while watching a patch of it, I saw this something feeding happily on it. it was incredible to look at that tiny something through macro lens. I guess, in nature amount of details is not scale independent but as things become smaller, more detailed they become. I know it can be shot in much better way but being first of such a creature for me, I find this also fascinating.

Not all details are so well done however. some do look ugly even with lots of details. plus these below things are not being kind to my Tulsi plants either. (as usual: better shot next time)

and lastly, main sighting of this post. These black-red mites (unless they are something else and not Mites), whatever their name may be. Incredible to watch them running around. and happy with these shots for now. btw, I find that algae also are different at different places. - not unexpected, just an observation.

once in a while two of them would come face to face and in one such encounter, they did what appeared a wonderfully done sword fight. lasted only a second and then I think winner was decided or whatever, but they went in different directions.

as if getting Mites, even if only partially in focus wasn't good enough, I got to see and capture this young one too. for sure it becomes the smallest thing I managed to capture so far.

That's what I have for this update. If temperature/humidity goes down a bit and my computer allows me to work for longer, should be back to my usual posting frequency soon.

Summer update - Three

Finally! it feels no less than an achievement to be able to click on 'New Post' this time. Its not unusual to happen this in Summer given my laptop doesn't enjoy working at high temperatures and not much possibility of photographs too, but this long gap was aided by one of the longest net outage I experienced with only few hours of working net in last three weeks. Coming to the Summer update, my fears in last update indeed came true and those rains in Summers ensured that clouds were not welcomed in time and Summer continues when it should have been Monsoon by now. and that means Birding still is all about looking out of window and talking to regular visitors and not much more. Here are some of them.

Highlight of this summer I would say are two Magpie Robin Juvs. Absolutely lovely and very playful, watching them is reward enough to not complain about the Summer.

Despite delayed monsoon, this summer fortunately wasn't too bad for us at least. One, heat was moderate and even better, it wasn't very humid - which meant we could use this time evaporative cooler to some degree. Interestingly, it wasn't just us. Being inquisitive most creature around, this squirrel also discovered its benefits. Actually cooler is not perfectly fitted and there is some leakage of cool air outside. Squirrel found that out and it regularly enjoyed cool air by positioning itself on the window appropriately.

Meanwhile, Not all directions appeared hot dry and colourless as in shots above. There were opportunities to find beauty in both shades of green and more flashy colours.

Usually its Golden Oriole that gives us company and it was around this season too. but what gave better photo opportunity was this black hooded that is not seen so regularly.

Let me conclude this collection of 'outside my window' shots and hopefully Summer has also ended with few minutes of rain today evening.

Summer update - Two

Okay, these shots are not about Summer update related. Its just that I wanted to start with some colourful shots. 

I actually find it difficult to include bright coloured shots of different subjects in a post even when I like each shot individually, if colours arent in very much harmony, when together they create lot of visual conflict. I am trying a work around of separating them by some text so that both doesn't occupy screen at once and brain also doesn't jump from one colour to another straight away. that is why text in previous post was between two Sunrise shots and so is this text.

In below shot, actually I was attracted to this bright thorn (Spine actually as it was part of leaf, wikipedia tells me) and that mite is just at the right place purely by chance. as with my all shots with mites, I saw it only after it was in frame. 

Coming to the Summer update, correct title should have been an update of Summer that isn't. for almost last one week, reality felt like no less than a dream. Dark clouds, some rain followed by cool and refreshing breeze for a week was amazing but at the same time, I hope this relief now isn't indication of problems with monsoon ahead.

Keeping with the season, damselflies of all different colours and sizes are back. yet to take a good shot though.

Also around are those jumping spiders I never get tired of shooting. I see them in less numbers though compared to last year.

On birds front, saw this happy lapwing pair. at first I thought one of them, who was making large circle in front of other and then landing in a way that other had to save itself by ducking was a manner of fight but later their happy dance made it clear that it was some courtship ritual and not fight.

Photo is not good as is taken from a distance but I did not have much option as going nearer might have meant they going away and more importantly, standing under the Sun wasn't an option even if they didn't mind me standing at 10ft.

Then, I had an encounter with this completely unexpected and never seen before visitor. As I came out of front door when it was already dark outside, I sensed some movement just two three feet away on ground. Couldnt see properly but it appeared like thick short snake. I was almost sure it wont be a snake as all my previous encounters with them were of the individuals that moved very swiftly and wary of humans while this something, if there was anything at all in first place was there unmoving as I tried to see what shape it was. I then got a small torch and it was indeed a snake. When after another minute or two I finally remembered that I can take a shot with flash and came back with camera, snake was still there, but moving slowly now.

Eryx johnii

Eryx johnii - Red Sand Boa

Naming this snake was yet again an experience that makes me realise that what probably I don't lack so much in intelligence is made up by lack of presence of mind. Basically my Identification effort progressed like this. Before I start: "wow, this is a new snake. how it looks like having heads at both ends! let me try to find its ID." -- spend unreasonably long time looking at snake pictures where this species is also present but cant make up my mind -- taking a break from trying to find ID, I google after all what does that snake which is called a two headed snake (Do-muha in Hindi) looks like.

I would have concluded this post with red sand boa positioned as high point of this summer update but.. two days back, looking out of window, mom calls me and claims something is running around out there. As I see, there indeed was a tiny ball so well camouflaged over ground, running around. I could only think of it as francolin baby - except that if it was one, I expected it to be running along with its five six siblings behind their parents and not alone like this. a better look with 400mm quickly made it clear that its body language was that of a confident adult and not any juv plus, it looked like a quail! Now okay, I have never seen a quail, but aren't they much bigger? turning some pages of book gives the ID. its a buttonquail - a small bird that looks like quail but isn't.

Cloudy low-light day and restless bird meant shots weren't as good, but it didn't matter that much.

Barred Buttonquail (Female)

as a bonus, I got to see this big rat snake that was passing by. Buttonquail was not afraid of him and walked to reach as close as few inches of it's tail.