http://www.theguardian.com/science/gallery/2014/may/09/spring-flowers-pictures-electron-microscope

Mr Monarch for your pleasure

Actually, the "no exploding cars" sign means "no carrying flammable/explosive materials". I think. Pretty sure it'd apply to the buses and trolley buses plying that route, too.

*ETA: By which I mean this little critter that is even more pallid than me went and hid on that black thing. Not very effective camouflage.

Now that's a bat!

And some hermit tracks.

Just held my phone up close, then after I put it on the computer zoomed in closer and tweaked a couple of things like saturation. Otherwise, it is as it appeared outside. No idea what it is beyond "some kind of a bug". But it does seem to…

But. Wow!
No PhotoShop?
wattanaaaamazingthing...

And apparently bathtime didn't go so well for this snail.

And one decided to take a bath.

And I've posted a slater before, but this one came out clearer and has a shadow.

I don’t like to scare them which is why a lot of my shots are from behind and often I suspect they are resting,having a nap as it were. The bees,well I get comfortable and wait and make sure…

fly’s eye

Nice eyes! Actually, on second thoughts…. :-)

paper wasp eating sap and a strangely long black fly's eye.

A series just waiting for the Warhol treatment?

What magnificent irises!

Great captures, Sofie. How on earth do you persuade them to pose so perfectly?

Not the only one. And she parks pretty well for someone who can only see under the steering wheel. Try again...

(you may have refreshed the page before upload finished)

[edit} hallo, hallo, I seem to be lost in the Edit Zone...

With lots of big words. Thanks, Ian.

But seriously, the web-stuff seems to be part of the process, here is the portal to the full story...

Aphids!!!! All aphids in different sizes ages and stages.

And closer in. The bigger ones look like some kind of ladybird, but I have no idea what the smaller ones are beyond "bugs". And they seem caught in some kind of web. Anybody know what they are and who's catching them?

Up close.

Closer still.... why does the phrase "purple people eater" spring to mind? There aren't many purple people around here to eat.

This grass seedhead is super tiny

And I present, leaf map.

Guards!

'Er other majesty.

(Gross animism, albeit speculative fiction, to arouse…

holy moly, I didn’t see that before, see it now though

brocolli drop

tiny radish

Crowning glory

Up close wharenui

Chris W, you do a great job of recording life's rhythms and cycles.

A giant fly sniffs out the opportunity, but can't compete with the ants, leaves them in in exclusive occupation.

But the fledgling blackbird was past caring

They could be sharper, but I thought it wasn't bad, given it was hand held in a westerly breeze. :-)

...but who knew they didn't cast shadows!
;- )

have squashed enough of the little buggers to know how green they are! but there are white things under the leaves of my brocolli, not sure what buggers they are. but when the ladybirds or their funny-looking larvae have eaten the juicy goodness from the…

ahhhhh, yes, right it is, and I had thought quite hard about whether that was the left or the right corner ; )

I think it might be the other left. :-)

I zoomed in on a Magpie. It was quardling away merrily.

so whats in the lower right corner? Lower left ,I cant see or am I going mental

Spider.

I'm amazed that you can post here at all, I gather you are in the middle of nowhere in deepest darkest China....

There they are Chris! Big fatties in lower left corner. And the white things along the edge of the leaf look like they are old skins of aphids. (that really is quite some phone!)

They eat the honeydew secreted by the aphids. They might to other things, but that's the one I know about.

a chilli so hot his eyes are popping out on stalks

(actually these jalapenos which looked so promising are mild as anything. next year it will be habaneros all the way)

I found a paper wasp and a mantis posing for portraits this afternoon

As close as you can get with a 400mm lens! :)

Nice ones Hebe.

Tried to capture one of them, but the bastard wouldn’t sit still. A spider nearby wasn’t moving, but it had the temerity to blend in to the background well enough I couldn’t quite figure out how to focus my…

Yeah, that's impressive alright.

Tried to catch these feasting ants, but damn they move fast. Perhaps hand held was a bit ambitious.

Magnolia-phone?

And again... just in time for the edit window.

So I had a go at making it a little more seascapey. I think I wound up with moonscapey. Or perhaps alien world seascapey. Alieny, at least.

Those spider tents are cool Nora

Those really are excellent Bruce. Such amazing texture.

Still only close-ish... but a nice fat caterpillar having a feast on zinnia.

Caving 2.

Purple.

Cracking up.

Threading.

Sprouting.

Wooly plant is a beaut Jackson

I stalked a jumping spider, it's got one of the small midges in it's fearsome grasp

More closeness from the Wintergarden.

Softness (with some smog-rain residue)

Oops. I wasn't actually trying to aim at the petals at the back. Oh well.

Not quite what I wanted, but it'll do. More practice...

And agreed on the slaters. I must try for them too, in respect of my ancestry, being descended from a long line of 19th century slaters.

Nice and close Jac and Soph. Those slaters are amazing, I find myself looking at little things quite differently.

Been going botanical again today.

Clear skies widespread today – you could check it out in your lunch-time.Today the crescent moon is a little under two handspans ahead of the sun in…

I generally manage to keep my lens cleaner than the windows ...