This is the first in a series of shots showcasing the butterflies, flowers, and reptiles of the wonderful Butterfly Gardens Conservatory. It is a large glass domed facility filled with tropical foliage and winding trails. This photo shows a pair of great mormons in a tight embrace hanging from a tree. Native to the Philippines, the males are black with red elements and the females are black with white elements (obscured by the male). The photo was taken in August 2017, with my trusty Olympus digital camera. Enjoy.
Tags: Great Mormons Mating butterfly butterflies insects flying insects nature mating black foliage Philippines Butterfly Gardens Victoria Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada leaf conservatory Great Mormon Butterfly Olympus Olympus E - M1 ISO 800 Lens 300 mm f/5.6 1/100
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In addition to a wide array of beautiful butterflies, the Butterfly Garden also has reptiles including iguanas and turtles. Usually, the iguana spends most of its time in the foliage. However, sometimes it comes down to ground level to visit and annoy the turtles. For some twenty minutes, the iguana made itself a pain in the neck by climbing on top of the turtles and bothering them. I can only imagine that the iguana had visions of being a major predator bringing down its prey. The turtles responded by pulling in their heads or attempting to crawl away. Since the iguana had not teeth, it could do little but gum the turtles until it became bored of the game. The shot was taken in August 2017, with my trusty Olympus digital camera. Enjoy.
Tags: animals reptiles You're a Pain in the Neck iguana turtle fighting biting annoying bothersome nature wildlife Butterfly garden predator Victoria Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada Olympus Olympus E - M1 ISO 800 Lens 300 mm f/5.6 @ 1/640
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Here is another shot of a male Mormon butterfly. This butterfly is difficult to photograph because it is always flapping its wings and never seems to stop except when it is mating. In the above shot, I managed to get it as it at the right moment as it was flapping away. This butterfly is native to the Philippines but resides in Victoria's Butterfly Gardens. The shot was taken in August, with my trusty Olympus digital camera. Enjoy.
P.S. I am slowly catching up.
Tags: butterfly Great Mormon Butterfly black red nature wildlife insect Philippines flower foliage tropical Victoria Butterfly Garden Victoria Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada Olympus Olympus EM-1 Lens 300mm ISO 800 f/5.6 @ 1/160
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Actually, this is a photo of an iguana that I came across during a visit to Victoria's Butterfly Garden. However, to anything smaller than the fellow above, it is very much a dragon. The photo was taken in August 2017, with my trusty Olympus digital camera. See large. Enjoy.
Tags: Eyeballing a Dragon eyeballing closeup reptile scales iguana nature wildlife green eye dragon Victoria Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada Olympus Olympus E - M1 Lens 300 mm ISO 800 f/5.6 @ 1/800
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From this angle, I am not entirely sure of this butterfly's species. I think it is a brown clipper, native of South East Asia. I came upon this butterfly resting on a leaf in Victoria's Butterfly Garden. The photo was taken in August 2017, with my trusty Olympus digital camera. Enjoy.
Tags: Hi There brown clipper butterfly closeup eyes nature insect flying insect South East Asia foliage leaf Victoria's Butterfly Garden Victoria Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada Olympus Olympus E - M1 ISO 800 Lens 300 mm f/5.6 @ 1/320
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