I was out in the garden today, enjoying the sunshine and doing a small amount of tidying… which caused me to disrupt a small colony of ants. Small as they are, they're fascinating social creatures. The small group I uncovered quickly got to work rescuing their larvae and transporting them to safe cover. I had time to set up the camera with a ring flash to help freeze some of the activity.
"I need some help with this one!"
On the on-going (and seemingly hopeless) quest to photograph the foxes, I'm still struggling. The trail cam is doing its job providing short clips (and periodically eating data cards). Now I've again got a PC that is working, I'll sort out a few clips and post a proper update soon.
Camera note: ants photographed with the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG macro lens and EM-140 DG ring flash.
annoushkiss
20 Apr 2009Really fascinating creatures! I was watching them in the forest lately, it was very interesting indeed 😀
Good macros :up:
Flying Red Fox Blog
20 Apr 2009Nice photos, i will have to try and have a go at that is iam patient enough. 😛
Words
20 Apr 2009Anna, thanks. I love the way they cooperate with each other and know exactly what to do. Little wonder they survive so well.
Words
20 Apr 2009Mark, thanks! I get lots of wasted shots, but it's fun trying to cath the little things. The main thing is to use flash to freeze the motion and to allow a slightly faster shutter speed (there's not much light when you get really close up).
cakkleberrylane
21 Apr 2009I was watching the ants today too. Ants are really fascinating. I was reading a book by Richard Feinman once and he started off watching them march along, making their path straighter and straigher. Then he did some very interesting experiments by putting some food where it was only accessable to the ants if they took a small elevator that he made with string and paper. He wanted to know if they could learn to take this alternate route. Well worth reading!
Words
21 Apr 2009Lois, thanks for the heads up on the Feinman book. Insect behaviour is incredibly complex in how it's organized.
SittingFox
21 Apr 2009Those are excellent shots! I haven't seen red ants for years. They have a noteable bite, I seem to recall :eyes:
Hope your trail cam loses its appetite for eating the cards…
SittingFox
21 Apr 2009I'm seeing my foxes reasonably often right now but it's almost impossible to get photos of them :insane: Both the Sandy Dogfox and the Chipped Vixen are strictly nocturnal, it would seem.
Words
21 Apr 2009Thanks Adele. We seem to have plenty of black and red ants in the garden… precious few foxes though. The trail cam is behaving for the moment (famous last words). I must find a cheap source for SD cards.
Ukwildlife
21 Apr 2009Nice macros – I think they might be the same species as the ones I photogrpahed at Thordon last year (and posted about recently)
Words
22 Apr 2009Adele, I've more or less stopped the night watching for a while, at least until the trail cam indicates it might be more fruitful. Longer days, and warm evenings may help though.
Words
22 Apr 2009Neil, thanks! I'll check out your post.