A BIGGER LIZARD & SOME BUTTERFLIES

[Lydia Robledo]

Canon 40D 300mm F4 L IS 0.01 sec (1/100) AP f/4.6 ISO 400


Last Sunday, I went solo butterfly-watching, as I often do in Makiling, when I encountered this 5-6 feet long YIKES... thought it was a snake. I don't run away when I see a snake, I watch it quietly leave but this bayawak (dunno its scientific name) stayed put a long time and watched me watched him. He actually posed, I think. I was so close to it that I could not fit it in my frame. I could not move back because the ground was uneven, then suddenly this bird zoomed in and perched on a branch above me. Of course I was caught in surprise (tarantation) that this was what I got. I know what it is, but can you guess? telyds


MYSTERY BIRD

[Mark Itol]

What an encounter, TeLyds. And you captured it well. So brave of you to stand and stare face to face with that lizard.

I stayed for two years in one of the dormitories in Forestry. I can still remember that incident where a bayawak (not sure if it was wild or one student's "pet") entered the dormitory and stayed in the hallway. That got us "stranded" as no one dared to pass the hallway with that lizard. Eventually someone captured it to everyone's relief.

_{Clueless on the bird photo.}

[Lydia Robledo]

Oh, and what happened to butterfly-watching... Meron siempre. I love my 300mm. I can shoot birds and butterflies and love sharing. tely:Ds

[Toto Gamboa]

wow great captures of these beauties telyds

[Lydia Robledo]

He, he Mark. Thanks. I have trained myself that when I see a sleezy snake, I will just stand still. That's not hard for me.
To freeze is a natural reaction, ha, ha. Bayawaks look yukky to me sometimes, depends on my mood, but I know they do not attack. But I hope there will not come a time when I will mistake a crocodile for a bayawak. That will be the day when I will say goodbye

Thank you, too, Toto. tely:D

[Neon Rosell II]

Nice capture Telyds!! The bird is SFM ;D only one huge bird that will make you tarantation..hehehe

[mantarey]

Beautiful butterflies Telyds. I have several fro you from Baler and Makiling but still needs some PP.

Great take on the Monitor Lizard, huge beautiful specimen.

[Sylvia Ramos]

Hi Te Lyds! Your butterfly pics are so pretty! There were BIG red and black ones in Sierra Madre. I tried to photograph them, but they pics didn't come out well.

Tonji was also able to guess the mystery bird, even before reading Neon's ID!

Good looking bayawak there!!

[Lydia Robledo]

Thanks Neon and Rey. Gosh, if only I had this lens when I started butterfly watching 10 years ago, I'd probably have a great collection now. Now it's like starting all over again, but I am really very happy. I hardly use my macro lens now. Rey, I am waiting for your butterfly captures.

Sayang the Scale feathered malkoha. It lingered long but it was right above me and kept on hopping from one branch to another. My photos of this one are always partly hidden.

Syl, that is the reason why I never considered the 400 lens. I am a butterlfy watcher first. But I also love birds. It is just so difficult doing both. Most of the time, the birds are just too distracting. They actually are more difficutl subjects. They are always too far or too quick. Yun lang, the 300mm is not so ideal for tiny butterflies. That is why I still bring my 105 f/2.8 macro. And you know, there are many bird photographers. The other butterfly photographer's I know are those in this forum, and they shoot only when there are no birds to shoot.

The black and red butterlfy you saw is the Papilio Rumanzovia. It is endemic, quite common, because the larvae feed on citrus foliage. Thanks for the positive comment. telyds

[Sylvia Ramos]

Telyds, have you looked at the 100-400 lens? Tonji is really happy with his. It has IS and folds into itself, so it becomes smaller than a 400.

[Edu Lorenzo Jr]

OMG! Yikes in an understatement for me. That lizard is huge and scary!

Those butterflies are sooooo nice to look at and gives me a mushy-mushy feeling..

Telyds, thank you for sharing.

[drew]

Ate Lyds, if I am not mistaken its a Varanus salvator.
I think it saw you also, if you notice the throat part its all puffed, they do this to look bigger when a larger "predator" sees them.

[Lydia Robledo]

Yes Drew, we looked at each other a long time. A snake would immediately but gently walk away. We had mutual admiration for each other for a moment... he, he... or maybe his heart throbbed bec. of a big momma in front of him... yerrrr right, I think. Thanks for the ID, Drew. te lyd PS. Where are you?

[drew]

im back in SG telyds