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Feeding Time


Feeding Time
Photo Information
Copyright: Pam Russell (coasties) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3749 W: 483 N: 8155] (28054)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-01-07
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM, Digital RAW 200, Hoya UV 77mm
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-01-15 2:58
Viewed: 3763
Points: 32
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Monarch Migration

Monarch butterflies have one of the world's most fascinating migration paths. Every fall, thousands of the black-and-orange butterflies fly west to their wintering grounds in California and Mexico, covering the trees there with their bright shimmering wings. The remarkable sight attracts scores of tourists: Pacific Grove, CA, has earned the nickname "Butterfly Town, U.S.A." for the host of Monarchs that gather there every year. Come spring, the butterflies fly back to their summer homes, where they will lay eggs and die. A typical butterfly will make just one round trip during its lifetime.

For centuries, people puzzled over exactly where the millions of Monarchs that spend their winters in Mexico and California came from. But in 1937, a researcher named F. A. Urquhart began putting wing tags on the butterflies, allowing him to track some of the travelers. In the 1950s, he expanded the project, enlisting more than 3,000 volunteers across the country in his Insect Migration Association. For more than 20 years, the volunteers helped track the marked insects, contacting Urquhart whenever they found or saw a marked Monarch.

For centuries, people puzzled over exactly where the millions of Monarchs that spend their winters in Mexico and California came from. But in 1937, a researcher named F. A. Urquhart began putting wing tags on the butterflies, allowing him to track some of the travelers. In the 1950s, he expanded the project, enlisting more than 3,000 volunteers across the country in his Insect Migration Association. For more than 20 years, the volunteers helped track the marked insects, contacting Urquhart whenever they found or saw a marked Monarch.

The results of the tracking project astounded many people. One tagged butterfly was tracked along a 1,870-mile route. Originally tagged on September 18, 1957 in Highland Creek, Ontario, it was spotted again in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, four months later. Of course, the butterfly's actual flight distance was even longer than a map suggests, because the insects don't fly in a straight line. They must dodge mountains, fight against winds, and flee predators on their perilous journeys.

The above obtained from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/alienempire/voyagers.html

IMAGE INFORMATION

Camera: Canon 20D
Time of day: 1:45 p.m.
Date: 7th January 2007
Weather conditions: Clear
Lens: Canon 100-400mm L IS USM
Filter: Hoya 77mm UV
Shutter Speed: 1/800
F-Stop: F/5.6
Focal Length: 400mm
Support: Hand Held
ISO: 200
Original file type: Digital Raw
saeedabbasi, lgfoto, fiyo, pilonm, SkyF, gracious, Alan_Kolnik has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Pam,
Nice capture of this guy in the wild. This sort of shot is so much harder when they are flying about in the wind. Nice natural colur and great BG. I think I would have tried to pull a little more DOF to get the wings fully in focus. Looks like you could have gone a couple of clicks up in f-stop given the shutter speed you used.
Cheers
Paul

Hi Pam,

I like this picture. A very good macro shot. Very good DOF as the BG is just perfect. Well done and TFS.

Jan-Hendrik

hi pam,
lovely capture,
well composed,
nice pov, good dof,
lovely natural colours,
blurred bg suits the shot well,
tfs & regards
pankaj

A beautifull shot Pam lovely detail and perfectly composed with good DOF and nice background TFS rgds Necip.

Hi Pam ,
nice shot with excellent colors.
great BG.
well exposed.
thanks for sharing
Saeed

Great shot Pam. I like the composition and exactness of details.

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1053 W: 5 N: 3475] (15161)
  • [2007-01-15 9:19]

Hi Pam,
Excellent macro.
Very good lighting, sharp and detailed image, very nice colours.

Very nice closeup macro of this mariposa, I would agree with pauljk on sqeezing down the aperature a bit more, it looks as though you had plenty of light to work with. :)

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3396 W: 172 N: 3310] (10940)
  • [2007-01-15 10:05]

Hello Pam,
I do love this butterfly, it is so special with all the white spots on the black background and then the range of orange. Your shot is excellent, very sharp, lovely colours and a nice background.
TFS and regards, Ulla

Monarch looks like a close cousin of what we call a Plain Tiger in India, Pam.
This is a lovely capture from a nice point of view.
I enjoyed reading your note on this butterfly's background and history in the USA.
Ram

Hi Pam, wonderful Butterfly, great composition with amazing details, splendid colors, very well done, ciao Silvio
:) tomorrow

  • Great 
  • pilonm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 588 W: 90 N: 975] (3321)
  • [2007-01-16 15:14]

Hello Pam,

Nice picture of the Monarch... Nice bg and pov... It is just a pity that the upper wings were not in focus... I suspect that they were moving because with f-stop of 5.6 with use pov, all the wings should be in focus...

Good shot, anyway and TFS,

Michel

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2234 W: 188 N: 1912] (8073)
  • [2007-01-19 13:50]

Hello Pam,
i realy admire your compositions they are so elegant. The placing of the subject and the crop are excellent, very nice how the photo floates in the frame. I don't think the DOF is to narrow rather that the butterfly was moving ever so slightly. Beauty in every way.
TFS..Sky

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3089 W: 230 N: 6774] (23770)
  • [2007-01-28 23:35]

A beautiful capture of this Monarch, Pam. My favorite butterfly.
I was surprised to see you post one, as I did not think they live in New Zealand.
Do they live in the reserve?
I live a ten-minute walk away from a eucalyptus grove that is a wintering spot for these wonderful butterflies, and I am always awed by the story of their incredible migration whenever I see one of them (See my Monarch posts).
Your shot is perfect on all counts. I love it.
TFS. ; )

Hello Pam,
Good POV with sharpness, good colour, details also the good background
well done
cheers
Tony

I've taken a few butterfly pictures during a visit to the hothouses in Montreal where they have a live butterfly hothouse, and learned how difficult it is to get a crisp, well focused image like this. Even though the back of the wings are not quite in focus, the kee details are very clear and the exposure is excellent. Well done!

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