If Beauty Is In The Eye of the Beholder Then I Invite You To Behold This

This week's PhotoHunt theme of 'beautiful' was perhaps one of the easiest for me. I will admit I cheated just a tiny bit on my normal pattern of trying to use photo's from around the pond. Now it was just a little bit. This particular photo was taken at a nearby outdoor produce market that also sells flowering plants.

I didn't feel too bad about the 'cheating' since I had the camera with me only because I had been out taking pond photo's just before we went to the market. Once there I happened to see a couple of butterflies flitting around the flowers and retrieved the camera to try to capture a few shots. I was lucky this Red-Spotted Purple stayed around just long enough for a few good captures.

Also, I have several photo's of this species around the pond, but almost all of them are from above. This species generally prefers to feed on rotting fruit, decaying plant matter, and such more than flowers so it is seen landing on the ground most frequently and often keeps its wings spread open or partially open. Like many butterflies they have a bad habit of flitting away when one approaches too close.

This particular butterfly moved back and forth between flowers and the ground over and over providing several photo opportunities. Here's a shot of it from above.

Normally around the pond they will land on vegetation near the water or even on bare ground. Some species land on the ground to obtain particular minerals they need in their diet I understand.

It is amazing how butterflies can look so different when viewed from the top or the bottom, yet each side is equally beautiful in its own way.

PhotoHunt

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Did I Hear Someone Say Free Food?

I've posted before about how we feed the fish in the pond using commercial game fish food which consists of small, floating pellets. While the food is primarily meant for the smaller bream type fish, it seems that the grass carp and turtles always get the major portion. Actually the feeding has become a bit of an entertainment for us and a chance to see the big fish and turtles up close.

The fish and turtles have associated my presence along the banks of the pond with a free lunch. When I just walk down to the area where we normally throw out the food the fish start arriving within seconds.

Within a minute or two I can see the turtles approaching from all across the pond. Sometimes there are 10 or more approaching so fast that they often leave a wake. And you can see some of the turtles aren't too shy about easing on in to claim their food when they get there.

Even without throwing out food I can walk along the edge on most days and the smaller fish and carp will follow along just 2-4 feet from the edge of the water. If I stop the bream will stop and line up facing me waiting for their meal.
Turtles evidently have great vision and are notorious for rapidly disappearing under water at the first hint of danger. We have found, however, that some individuals are much braver than others and will approach very close when these evidently delicious food treats are offered.

Often when I sit at the very edge of the water in various places around the pond trying to capture a few shots of dragonflies and damselflies a few specific turtles see me and will come all the way across the pond to wait for a handout. Over time I have lured them closer and closer to the point where now a few will come so close that I could likely reach out and touch them.

You can see this guy is basically walking on the shallow bottom at the edge of the pond. He is probably within 2 feet of me here though he has often come much closer. (This one is named Chip, by the way.)

Having them so close also provides some good video opportunities. I think you can tell by this video that some of these turtles have become regular chow hounds.

Please Note: This video includes audio that can be adjusted on the video. It is not excessively loud, but you may want to adjust the initial volume settings depending on your situation.


Chow Time from BakerWatson on Vimeo.

I find it funny the way they spit when they grab something they don't want. I never knew that turtles could spit. And who knows? Maybe one day I will have some video of them actually eating out of my hand. Now that would be cool.

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