This is the last edition of the WordPress photo challenge with a theme of ‘All time favorites.’ Since I don’t want to rerun photos I’ve used previously, I’ve decided to interpret this challenge as favorites among photos I haven’t yet used. I’m also throwing in a touch of favorite subject matters or, basically, whatever strikes my fancy.
First up is a favorite subject – bees. These photos were taken in the front yard when I noticed a lot of activity around the many patches of clover there. One aspect of a decent photo is being in the right place at the right time. That was very true in this case. The bees were urgently buzzing from flower to flower collecting. I was, just as urgently, down on my knees taking photos. And all the time, the sound of the lawn mower got louder and louder …
Photographing lady beetles is always a bit hit and miss. When I see them, they tend to be scurrying along the edge of a leaf or up the stalk of a plant. They whip around a corner of the leaf and zip down the underside, then back onto the stalk. I’m always reminded of bumper cars, though I’ve never seen two lady beetles bang into each other in that way. That’s a photo I’d love to get.
Driving past Hawi Wind Farm, I unexpectedly ran into several clouds of gnats. I quickly rolled up the windows on my truck, not needing a cab full of gnats to influence my driving. Sometimes the clouds blended and made one big gathering, and I was reminded of murmurations of starlings, though perhaps not as dramatic.
A while back, I posted photos of a painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) 
Three or four times a year, the mock orange in the yard comes into bloom with a prolific show of small, white flowers and wonderful fragrance. During these times it’s a bee magnet and the whole tree buzzes from morning to night.
Graham's Island 