First at bat we have some insect photos taken by reader Mark Sturtevant (his notes are indented):
Here are some more pictures from this summer. Enjoy!
A Meadowhawk dragonfly. This looks to be a male Autumn meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum vicinum), but there are a couple other similar species. Meadowhawks are commonly encountered far from water, and are pretty tolerant of the camera, so I could get in close with my 50mm on an extension tube.
The next two pictures are of bald faced hornets (Dolichovespula maculata). They were constant visitors of our trumpet vines this summer since a large nest was attached to a neighbors’ house. I was somewhat nervous getting close to these rather impressive and very alert wasps, but I found that they are just like any other bee or wasp when foraging. That is, the worst they do (to me) is occasionally buzz by my head a few times as they try to figure out how to get away from this big thing with a camera that is blocking their path.
One of the Flower longhorn beetles, Strangalepta abbreviata.
And finally, spot the Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea)! I have a few favorite pictures from this summer, and this is one of them.
Stephen Barnard got a new toy some time ago—a drone—but he’s using it scrupulously, not going higher than the FAA permits as well as avoiding spooking the wildlife. Here are two shots he just took around his ranch in Idaho. It’s clearly winter there!
I flew the drone straight up as high as it would go (legally) and took this shot looking down toward the Wood River Valley.
The FAA sets the maximum height at 400ft (about 120m), which is the height for this photo. It’s possible to fly the drone to 1640ft (500m), but that’s illegal. Small aircraft frequently fly over the ranch at less than 500m altitude.
The second is photo looking straight down. Deets [the border collie] is the black spot in the snow between the house and the creek.
I could picture Mr. Barnard with a small hangar, a J3 Cub aircraft and a grass field maybe 2000 ft. Imagine the photos and you can fly with one hand and shoot pictures with the other. Skis for winter work.
Yesterday the FAA said that registration of all drones would be required. Just wondering, no registration for guns but already for drones. I guess drones were not covered in the Constitution?
If you were to mount a gun on one would it then be constitutionally protected? 🙂
Excellent point. Then you could fly it anywhere, including right on campus and into the classroom.
I think the Fall Webworm was hoping to appear in a ‘Spot the Nightjar’ type of post but if so it’s a fail!
Great photo though!
I like these bald faced hornets! The amber eye in the second picture looks almost liquid, like a drop of honey.
I wonder – was this region of Idaho a lake during – or just after – the last glacial period ? The contrast between this flat plain and the montains around is striking. And Deets definitively likes to be photographied from above, I did remember he was even on Google map and I checked – yes he is still here!
You’re correct. It was a lake.
Stephan, it’s nice to know you’re observing the rule on drones. As a private pilot I’d hate to encounter one of these things at my normal altitudes – around 800 meters. We fly lower, of course, near an airport.
There is a new rule being unrolled now which requires registration of drones. I’m not sure of the details, but you might want to see if you need to do that.
The appeal of drones can be seen in your excellent images here.
I am hearing $5.00 to register but you can do it on line. And if you do it quickly you can save the 5 bucks. How they intend to enforce any of this??
How does a user comply with the 400 foot maximum height? Is there an altimeter built into each drone with a read out on your hand held control device? 400 ft. above the ground depends on where you are as well. You have to set the altimeter at your height above sea level or you don’t have a good reading.
My drone (a DJI Phantom III Professional) uses a barometer to measure altitude. I assume the altitude baseline is set when the drone is powered up. The drone is controlled by an app on (in my case) an iPad, which is connected to the hand-held controller. The app allows you to set the maximum altitude.
By the way, when I tried to use the drone in Stanley the app wouldn’t let me because I was too close to the airfield.
Interesting – I think the distance from an airfield is suppose to be 5 miles? Has to have some pretty fancy items on board to accomplish all of that for you.
That’s great. I’m afraid not everyone is flying that model with the app.
A topographic map is maintained by my panel mounted GPS so MSL, mean sea level altitude, and AGL, altitude above ground level are known. I assume the app does too.
I don’t really know how it works, but I assume that the barometer reading at power-up represents zero altitude. It’s possible to fly these without GPS. It’s also possible to set the maximum altitude as high as 500m (1640ft). The app requires you to “agree” to a disclaimer informing you that you may be breaking the law and absolving DJI from any liability.
Pressure (barometric) altitude was standard in airplanes until radar altimeters and now GPS came along. I’d be surprised if the system doesn’t reset to the GPS on every use.
Cool hornet photos.
Thank you! I always look forward to your pictures as well.
Yes, Mark, these are particularly nice. Very crisp focus.
And Stephen, we always enjoy yours too.
It’s a DJI Phantom III Professional. It comes with a camera that shoots 4K. I’m impressed with the camera, especially the video. You can save a little money by buying the Advanced, which shoots 1080p. You’ll also need a fairly late model smart phone or tablet to interface with the controller and show you a live view from the camera.
Thanks! Just got my very first i-device in August. (Luddites unite! 🙂 )
Looks like a replied in the wrong thread. 🙂
The meadowhawk does not appear to be an Autumn Meadowhawk, as the one in your nice picture has black legs. Autumn Meadowhawks (Sympetrum vicinum) used to be called the Yellow-legged Meadowhawk and it has, well, yellow legs.
In my neck of the woods, that would be either a White-faced Meadowhawk (S. obtrusum), a Ruby Meadowhawk (S. rubicundulum) or a Cherry-faced Meadowhawk (S. internum). I don’t know where the photo was taken but there might be more species to consider there. Differentiating among these species is not as easy as I would like and requires observing the “naughty bits” using a hand lens and even then can be quite a challenge.
I agree it may not be, but it was the closest match i could find with the time I had to find it.
Hi Stephen,
What kind of drone do you have. And does it come with the camera?
I’m intrigued about getting aerial photos now … 🙂
Nice photos all!
I too was afraid I’d be swarmed to death and killed, my puffy, pink body left to blister in the sun until discovered by my dog who, smelling something dead and stinky, would roll in me. However, when I took pictures of the bald-faced hornets, they weren’t aggressive at all & just went on with their day, foraging for the tasty weigela and snow berry nectar.
So you admit you were mean to your dog.
I note that the recently proposed drone registration requirements only apply to drones weighing a half-pound or more. So with the pace of miniaturization today, if you just wait patiently for a few years til honeybee-sized camera drones are ubiquitous, you’ll be able to take photos from higher altitude without straying afoul!
Great insect shots as always, Mark! Very interesting eating behavior by those hornets. And such a super composition with that webworm! 🙂 Fun to see how the long bristles are so regularly spaced, seeming to indicate the boundaries of body segments perhaps.
Stephen, it’s a treat to see drone shots! I too was struck by the flatness of the non-mountain terrain.