Seems the only time I can take a decent butterfly picture is when my subject is in its death throes.

This poor butterfly was just on the pavement. In the morning, it still had its wings closed. When it tried to fly away, it would just end up on the ground.

By the afternoon, it was probably too weak to keep its wings folded.

By late afternoon, it was dead.

I’ve been seeing this tiny butterfly hanging out on the tables at the back of the office for a few days already, but I never had my camera with me. This time, I did.

It’s actually quite colorful when it opens its wings, where the patters are. Its wings’ underside looks pretty drab, making me initially think that it might have been a moth, but I don’t think moths need a tongue that long.

A big dragon fly. It must have been 3 inches or longer. It was, however, dying. It was trying to fly off, but just couldn’t. I suspect it fell victim to insecticide that I saw some lawn care workers spraying around the perimeter of the office buildling the day before.

The lone yellow flower I took a picture of not long ago is now just one among many. I thought I’d try taking a shot of them again in their abundance.

I was about to stow away my camera when I noticed this fly on one of the flowers. I then tried to get as many pictures as I could.

My friends were standing not far away. When the fly finally flew away after 5 minutes of “click”, “click”, “click”, I looked up and saw that all three were watching me, probably thinking how strange their friend was, who got excited about taking pictures of a fly on a flower.

I saw this bug by my car on the parking lot at sunset. I quickly grabbed my camera from inside my bag and switched to my telephoto and close-up lens.

It was only after about a minute of shooting as furiously as I could (trying to get as much before the bug flew or walked away) did I realize that it was actually a carcass.

These almost half-inch insects were hovering above the grass behind the office. When approached by another of its kind, they would dart around each other until one was driven away. The one left behind would then go back to hovering. This happened a lot, and made for a really challenging shoot. I must have been an odd sight,  pointing my camera this way and that. I don’t think anybody would guess that I was trying to focus on and compose a shot of a tiny insect.

I went out of the office building and was greeted by a strange sight: Two geese wandering nonchalantly on the parking lot. They turned the heads of people going in and out of the building.

I quickly ran back up to get my camera and telephoto lens.

More signs of spring, this time a baby rabbit. It lives in the bushes at the back of the office.

I was busy working in my office on the third floor when I saw a movement outside my window from the corner of my eye. A magpie had just landed on the very top of the pine tree just outside my window. I quickly grabbed my camera and made a few exposures.

This squirrel was jumping from branch to branch in the trees behind the office.