Category Archives: Insects

Orange is the new theme

A Passion vine butterfly spreads its wings

This month’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Orange and Gold.’ See more responses here. First up is a very orange Passion Vine Butterfly taking a break.

Next, orange is the official color of the island of Lanai, represented here at this year’s Kamehameha Day celebrations.

A rider at the Kamehameha Day parade in Kapaau, Hawaii
A rider at the Kamehameha Day parade in Kapaau, Hawaii
Riders at the Kamehameha Day parade in Kapaau, Hawaii
Fish swim in one of the golden pools at Keawaiki, Hawaii
A spot of gold at Keawaiki.
An orange Bitter Melon fruit in Hawaii
The fruit of a bitter melon.
The orange flowers of a Wiliwili tree in Hawaii
The flowers of an endemic Wiliwili tree.

When I was putting this post together a few days ago, I thought a sunset photo would be a nice way to wrap it up. I trolled through my files before picking a suitable one out, and was on the verge of processing it, when I happened to glance out of the window and saw this developing. Another reminder to live in the present and not the past!

Sunset in North Kohala, Hawaii

Hello, yellow

A full moon rises over Hawaii
A buttery yellow full moon rises over North Kohala.

This month’s Sunday Stills Color Challenge theme is ‘Yellow.’ See more responses here. Once again, I’ve gone for a melange of photos, which sounds edible, but probably isn’t. Captions on the photos.

A rider representing Oahu at the King Kamehameha day parade in Kapaau, Hawaii
Yellow is the official color for Oahu and the island’s Pa’u rider …
A rider representing Oahu at the King Kamehameha day parade in Kapaau, Hawaii
… at this year’s Kamehameha Day parade carried a bounty of it.
A Bee on a wedelia flower in Hawaii
A bee forages on a wedelia flower
A yellow hibiscus in Hawaii
A vibrant yellow hibiscus flower.
Yellow tangs feeding in the waters off Hawaii
The quintessential yellow fish here – Yellow Tangs.
A Saffron Finch in Hawaii
A yellow Saffron Finch on a shrub by the very yellow Hawi Post Office.
A wasp heads for water in Hawaii
Finally a photo from a couple of days ago. A boldly-marked wasp zooms in to collect water.

Feeding time

Ants feed around a blob of fallen jam

I came across this scene at work, where someone had dropped a spot of jam, or something similar, on the floor of the lanai. As per usual, the ants were onto it in a heartbeat. I like how they arrange themselves, as though they’re at the counter of a diner. Of course, there’s always someone who can’t wait and will clamber over everything to get theirs.

All abuzz

A bee approaches a mock orange flower in Hawaii
A bee on a mock orange flower in Hawaii
A bee on a mock orange flower in Hawaii

The mock orange by the house is in full bloom again and the bees have been having a field days with the flowers. It’s a case of getting it while they can because, while the blooms are prolific, they’re short-lived. In the meantime, the flowers’ fragrance fills the air.

A bee on a mock orange flower in Hawaii