Lesley Smitheringale Fine Art

The First Summer Garden Guests

Well, I think we are having an early summer in Queensland, Australia as the temperatures have been reaching 30 degrees centigrade already and it is hot and sticky.  Whilst this can be uncomfortable for us humans, the hot summer weather brings about gorgeous summer guests such as butterflies, hoverflies, dragonflies, cicadas and a whole lot more which I am still discovering in my garden from year to year.

I boldly trecked around my garden, despite the humidity, in the early morning sun, hoping to discover some garden guests and I was not disappointed.

The first critter I saw sunning himself was a tiny, juvenile Tau Emerald Dragonfly about the size of a matchstick and he clinged to a tiny branch obligingly whilst I snapped away.

I then saw a glut of juvenille bronze orange bugs clinging to and attacking our citrus trees, they turn into a deep greenish-brown colour as adults so I will need to get rid of them now before they completely ruin our growth of lemon and limes.

Juvenile Bronze Orange Bugs

I then stumbled across a much larger Tau Emerald Dragonfly

Then this bug caught my eye next to the citrus trees and a newcomer to me so I had to look him up - he is a  Clanger Cicada

I wandered round to the back garden and discovered a few spider’s webs

and by this time it was late afternoon when the birds were starting to come down for a feed - this is one of our grey butcher birds and they are small, cute and likeable birds so I threw him some mince before going inside to upload the photos I had taken.

I am at my happiest when in my home and garden, surrounded by a myriad of flora and fauna, some who makes themselves known to us and some who hide, providing a challenge for the photographer.  I wouldn’t have it any other way and after living here for six years, I am still meeting new garden guests.

tagged under: Birds.bronze orange bug.butcher bird.clanger cicada.dragonflly.garden guests.Insects.Photography.spider's web.tau emerald dragonfly