'Twas the Night Before.....

.... well, actually the afternoon before, but we won't split hairs.

Blessed relief today - a cool change came through overnight, and it's a much more liveable day today - even a light shower of rain this morning.

So I tottered on down to Hoverfly Central - and not one to be seen. You wouldn't read about it. I think yesterday they were sheltering from the heat, and today they are all out getting in their Christmas supplies ready for the holiday.

I pottered around for a while - got a very ordinary butterfly shot, saw a dragon but missed it through stuffing around, and came back up to the daisy patch. Saw something that looked like an unusual small fly, and took a couple of shots - and guess what! No, you'll never guess - it was a tiny native Bee. Fanblippingtastic as RichieBoo would say.

Along with every single native Australian insect I've come across, identification is a bit of a nightmare, but I think it's a Homalictus sp. Its body is shimmery metallic, but they can be all sorts of colours. They are a solitary species. Even more shimmery.

When I do close-up or macro shots I find I frequently want to show the insect, flower, or whatever in context. So I have started a new BlipFolio series, and you can see another image of this pretty little bee in context so you can see how tiny it is.

Then, last night!

'Twas the night before Christmas
And all round the house,
not a creature was stirring,
Not even a mouse.

All of a sudden I heard a plop.
Was that Father Christmas?
No, I think not.

I looked down at my feet,
and to my surprise
a sweet little mantid
gazed into my eyes.

Raj had decided
Christmas was good,
so he brought me a present,
Just as he should.

We couldn't blip it,
the time wasn't right,
So, goodbye little Mantid,
Go back to the night.

Apologies to Clement Clarke Moore (1779 - 1863)

To see Raj's Christmas Present, look in my BlipFolio (click to the left)