Author: Mihaela Limberea

Happy Halloween!

Halloween greeting card

Happy Halloween!

Do you like this card I made? There are more on my freebies page for various occasions. Feel free to look around and download FREE photos, greeting cards, and posters. 

Did I mention this stuff is FREE? And it’s always being added to. Come back later for new stuff! 

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New Macro Lens: Canon RF100mm

Macro photo of a pink African daisy (Osteospermum)
African Daisy (Osteospermum)

I finally gave in and replaced my old macro lens (the beloved Canon EF 100mm ƒ2.8 Macro). I was reluctant to let it go because it is a good lens, albeit a bit heavy. It lacks image stabilization, though, and it’s not a problem if you use a tripod. I, on the other hand, seldom use a tripod. I like to move around freely. 

Macro photo of petals of a pink dahlia
Dahlia

Enter Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM. What a difference! It has a new design, is not as bulky and heavy as the old one, and fits much better in your hand. And most important, it has image stabilization. Even if handheld, the combined camera and lens image stabilization let me get sharp images at f/5 – something I couldn’t have dreamt of with the old lens. After checking the first photos I’d taken with the new lens, It was easy to let go of the old.

Macro photo of petals of pink African daisy (Osteospermum
African daisy (Osteospermum)

So, here you go, a few photos taken in my garden with a Canon R5 camera fitted with the new lens. Which one do you like best?

Pssst! The top image is available to purchase as a print or digital download in my online shop, along with other flower photos.


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Damselflies and Dragonflies

Macro photo of mating emerald damselflies (Lestes sponsa)
Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa)

This is one of my favorite photos, mating emerald damselflies (Lestes sponsa). The top one is the male; females lack the bright blue color of the males.

Damselflies are most common in July and August, so I spent the last couple of weeks by the small lake near our house photographing them. Emerald damselflies are found mainly near stagnant water (lakes and ponds, canals, etc.), rarely along flowing water. Aren’t they beautiful?

Macro photo of a common winter damselfly (Sympecma fusca)

A well-camouflaged winter damselfly (Sympecma fusca). They like to perch among reeds, where their muted colors allow them to blend in.

They’re related to the emerald damselflies (Lestes sponsa) and, like them, can be found near stagnant water; but they don’t have their bright red or blue colors.

MAcro photo of a Western Willow Spreadwing (Chalcolestes viridis)

Western Willow Spreadwing (Chalcolestes viridis)

Macro photo of a moustached darter (Sympetrum vulgatum)

Moustached Darter (Sympetrum vulgatum)

Macro photo of a moustached darter (Sympetrum vulgatum)

Another photo of that moustached darter.

Which photo do you like most? My favorite is the top one, the mating emerald damselflies, even though it was hard to choose, I love them all!


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The Bath Habits of Eurasian Jays

Close-up of an Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius)

A beautiful Eurasian jay with bright plumage, maybe due to ant bathing? Jays engage in a curious behavior called ant bathing: they climb an ant hill and let ants climb all over their body while moving around to excite the ants. The theory is that the formic acid secreted by the ants to protect themselves helps keep the bird’s plumage healthy and glossy. Then they’d take a bath to get rid of the poor ants!.


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Did You Know This About Woodpeckers?

Close up of a great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
Great spotted woodpecker

The great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) has exceptionally keen hearing and can hear the larva moving under the bark of the trees. This is why you can often see woodpeckers standing still in a tree and turning its head towards the trunk, clearly listening.


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Talking About Red Squirrels

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

This red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) had such beautiful fur! Darker reddish brown on the back and the tail and lighter on the side, almost orange when the sun hit it.

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)_Ekorre

Isn’t Nature gorgeous? There are so many shades in their fur, from dark orange and red to dark brown, and all nuances in between. Red squirrels change their body fur twice yearly, but their tail hair only once.

A young red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
A young red squirrel

The winter coat of red squirrels is much thicker than the summer coat, and their ear tufts are also longer. This young squirrel hasn’t started growing its the ear tufts yet. And look at that gorgeous orange fur!

Close-up of a red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
Close-up of a red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

You can see how much bushier and longer the ear tufts are in winter in these last two photos.


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Time to Shoot Macro!

Macro photo of a pink bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)
Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

I’d grown so fond of my tele lens (Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM), which works so well for both wildlife and flowers, that I’d completely forgotten my macro lens (Canon EF 100mm ƒ2.8 Macro) that I used so much until a couple of years ago.

Macro photo of a black-veined white butterfly (Aporia crataegi)
Black-veined white butterfly (Aporia crataegi)

I truly loved that macro lens, an old design that still works; poor thing, forgotten in my photo cabinet, at the back with old lens caps, batteries, and what not. Time to take it out and show it some love, I decided. So, here you go, a few photos taken in my garden with Canon R5 fitted with that macro lens.

Macro photo of a ladybug
Ladybug

Which photo do you like best?


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Gorgeous Glory of the Snow

Low angle close-up of blooming glory of the snow

Lovely glory of the snow in the morning light. These photos were pure luck. I did plan to scout the woods for a field of Scilla to photograph, but I didn’t need to in the end. As I was returning from an early seabird photo session, this incredible sea of blue flowers caught my eye while waiting for the traffic light to turn green. It turned out there was such a field next to one of the parking lots of our little shopping center! Since we order most of our stuff online, I rarely go by that lot. So there you have it, as a photographer, you need both preparation and luck 😉.

Low angle close-up of blooming glory of the snow
Lovely glory of the snow in the morning light.

Both images are available to purchase as prints or digital downloads in my shop, along with other flower photos.


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Simple Steps to Improved Biodiversity in the Garden

Small tortoiseshell butterfly on echinacea

Every long journey starts with a small step; the easiest way to change is through tiny steps in our daily lives. Earth Day, celebrated today, can seem overwhelming when one browses their site. So much to do! How much would one person’s actions matter?

I feel disheartened sometimes when I look at the plastic debris on beaches or the garbage left behind by people in the woods. When I see how people buy houses and then cut down all trees and bushes, remove the flower beds, and build swimming pools instead. Or when the gardens consist of only perfectly manicured lawns, thoroughly cleaned up of any “weeds” or leaves.

All this has a terrible effect on the wildlife environment. Small animals like squirrels or hedgehogs, insects, and birds cannot find shelter or food in these sterile environments. For instance, dry leaves in the autumn may look unpalatable on that perfect lawn, but they offer shelter to overwintering insects and hedgehogs. Likewise, withered plants with their seed pods provide food for birds during winter.

Red Squirrel Among Flowers

But where to start? What to do? We can start here, where we live. Yes, the devastation in some faraway countries may be terrible, and we give money to organizations that help protect the environment. I won’t argue with that. But there are small things we all can do in our everyday life to make life on Earth better for others than human beings. We’re setting an example by our actions, not by what we are talking about. More people may be inspired and will follow our example. But it all starts with the steps we’re taking at home.

Small tortoiseshell butterfly
Small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae) on aster. Asters bloom in the fall and provide food to insects later in the season.

I love lists, so I’ve compiled one for you, small things you can do in your garden to attract wildlife and improve biodiversity. It’s good for nature and a lot of fun watching animals and birds go about their business. This is how I found myself sitting quietly for hours to photograph squirrels or small birds.

  • To improve biodiversity, try to create various types of environments in your garden: trees, bushes, thicket, sand, rocks, water, flowers for all seasons, berries, old logs, twigs and branches. They all offer shelter and food to various species.
  • Plant flowers and bushes that flower at different times so there’s always something in bloom in all seasons, from early spring to late fall so insects can always find soemthing to eat. Pollinators love yellow, blue and violet flowers.
Roe deer eating seeds from a bird feeder
Well, yeah, this can happen …
Squirrel on a bird feeder
… when you put out bird food.
  • Put out bird food during winter and place the food close to sheltering bushes and tress. Animals and birds are wary of open spaces.
  • Put out water for animals and birds. For insects, use a shallow container with a few colored pebbles on the bottom to attract them.
Bumblebee on Orange Marigold
Bumbleebee on marigold
  • Help the pollinators by planting flowers they love: lavender, thyme, borage, butterfly bushes, coneflowers (also called  Echinacea), daisies, goldenrods, marigolds, snapdragons, heliotrop, and sunflowers.
  • There isn’t a lot of food in early spring for insects and returningsmall birds birds so it’s a good idea to plant flowers and bushes that flower early, for instance crocus, snowdrops, wind-flowers, grape hyacinth,  willow, and hazel.
  • If it’s a cold spring, before the first flowers have appeared, put out some sugar water for insects. Mix 2dl sugar, 2 1/2 dl warm water, some colorful pebbles or glass beads at the bottom to guide them, as the flowers’ color would do.
Small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae) on heliotrope
Small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae) on heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens)
  • Don’t tidy the garden too much. If you prefer a formal garden, have a “wild corner” where dandelions and nestles can bloom. They’re loved by the insects. For instance, the small tortoiseshell butterfly (pictured in the photo above) depends on its host plant (nettles) for feeding their caterpillars. A heap of dry leaves will provide shelter for hedgehogs in winter while some twigs will house insects.
Red squirrel on the trunk of an oak tree
Red squirrel on the trunk of the big oak tree in our garden.
  • Bushes and trees offer shelter to small birds, they attract insects in spring with their flowers and provide fruit and berrie for birds and small animals in fall. Use rowan, oak, hawthorn, privet, and hackberry, or chokeberry. If you have fruit trees, pick them by any means, but leave some for birds and animals.
  • You can also plant sunflowers, the birds will love them.
Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) collecting cat hair
Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) collecting cat hair. It comes from our tabby, Minette.
  • Hang out small bird nests and insect hotels. You can build a hotel of what you have at hand. Include dead wood and bark, bamboo reeds, dry leaves and straws. DIY instructions are everywhere on the web.
  • If you have a dog or a cat, gather the hair in a bal land hang it out. Small birds will use it for their nests. Some bees use the plant “hairs” instead so include lamb’s-ear, geraniums, mullein or any other “hairy” plants in your flowerbeds.
  • Avoid using chemicals in the garden. If really needed, look for natural products.
A bumblebee on its way to a dog rose bush
A bumblebee on its way to a dog rose bush
  • Instead of a wood or iron fence, consider a natural hedge usch as dog rose or privet. I have a dog rose hedge that vibrates with insects during the summer months and its fruit provides food to birds in the fall. Small birds find shelter there, too.
  • Start composting. You’ll get natural mulch for free.

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Spring in Stockholm!

Close-up of  a flowering cherry tree branch

Spring has finally arrived in Stockholm, at last! I have hundreds of photos of the Japanese cherry trees blooming in Kungsträdgården in Stockholm already, yet I go there every spring to take a few more. I can’t help it!

Close-up of  a flowering cherry tree branches

Both images are available to purchase as prints or digital downloads in my shop, along with earlier cherry tree flower photos.


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