Look! And Thou Shall Find!

At times I get this sense that life is constantly conspiring to give a photographer a hard time …. I mean it is not uncommon for us to find ourselves in a situation where everything falls into place - just perfect!! - but nothing works, regardless 😠

Yesterday was one such day for me. I decided to arrive my usual haunt earlier than usual – at 5.30AM. I am aware that that is an unGodly hour to attempt to do any photography – I mean lighting would be so poor. But my pursuit was not photography as such – I wanted to see if some uncommon moths can be sighted in the wee hours. My thinking was that maybe I can see them before the resident birds consume them for breakfast.

And I was right! I did see a beautiful lifer (in bird watching/bird photography, a lifer is when a new bird is sighted/photographed for the first time) – lodged inside a dim crevice. It was nothing short of Bo Derek in her sublimal prime! Alas! as excited as I was, there was no way I was going to be able to photograph it. So, I gingerly went about trying to coax it out of the crevice so that I have it in full view. It was game – it did crawl out of the dank hole and presented itself in its entirity. What a moth!! Sadly, the light was so dim …. I could barely see its outline.

So, given that there is nothing else I could do, I sat down in front of the moth – and, like a vigilant sentinel, I decided to keep a patient watch over it. The long wait began ..... I waited, and waited and waited ---- for the morning light to improve. Finally, by around 6.20AM – after about 50 minutes of patiently keeping watch over it - the light was good enough …. so I began shooting the beautiful, uncommonly shaped and bi-colored moth. Thank God!! the moth was completely pliable – I first shot its Left Profile:

… Then I gently twirled it around so I could shoot its Right Profile:

 … Then I shot its Back/Top Profile so that I have its full wing pattern:

… and finally I went down on my belly and shot its Snout as well - the Frontal Profile!! It was pretty crazy … I mean no one shoots a moth’s snout – in fact I did not know that it had a snout – but it turns out that it actually does – the following will prove it .... and what a SNOUT!:

By the way, the moth is called Green Fruit-piercing Moth (Eudocima salaminia), a moth belonging to Erebidae within the superfamily Noctuoidea.

ENJOY!!!

Life Cycle of the Owl Moth (Brahmaea wallichii)

I have this sneaky feeling that global warming has screwed up the timing of the moth season. I mean at Thimphu’s altitude, I believe that the moth season typically begins sometime at the start of next month …. But the fellows have been pretty active as of end of last month. Well, my worry isn’t so much that these wondrous creatures are rather erratic in their timing …. I mean earlier the merrier! But I worry that their chaotic, premature appearance could very well be an indication that not everything is hunky dory in our famous land of GNH. We can’t have that …. I mean we do have a reputation to uphold! After all, we did make a claim that we have the singular distinction of being the only country in the world that is carbon negative!!! Hehehe.

Well, global warming has sent everything into a tailspin – it is irrelevant that we have no role in its cause ---- we still have to suffer its affects. We can already sense that it has already affected even the human psyche – there is no longer honesty in our truth. Honesty, valor, duty, service, dedication are no longer virtues to be proud of – they are beginning to be seen as hindrances to personal glory and success.

Well, I remain unimpressed! For me the celebration of life is key --- being alive, and being able to find fulfillment in the simplest of life’s passages is what matters – giving joy rather than seeking it is my endeavor. It is probably the reason why wonderful things happen to me. Take, for instance, the following life event.

Of the more than a thousand moths I photographed so far, the Owl Moth (Brahmaea wallichii) is one of the prettiest. Few days back, it decided to reveal to me how it starts its life.

It starts its life inside a perfectly spherical egg that is no more than 2-3mm in dia. When the eggs are laid, it is creamy white in color. Over the days, it turns dark brown – obviously the larvae inside is maturing and ready to hatch.

I am not sure how long it takes for the eggs to hatch – but my experience is that the eggs hatched within less than 2 weeks of my first noticing them.

The caterpillars when they emerge out of the eggs are cute, hairy beings with black bodies stripped with white bands …. and dashes of yellow.

When they move, it looks as if they are slithering on their back --- they look like they move belly up - the legs appear to be growing out of their backs. But I am sure that is not true – I think they have legs under their belly.

But I have not seen the full process of the metamorphosis - how they transit from caterpillar to full grown moth … but the following is how they look when they are fully grown.

A full grown Owl Moth (Brahmaea wallichii)

Ah, Tiny Traveler Of The Night, Why Art Thou Not A Moth?

I was truly excited when I came across the following early this morning – I thought it was an unusually shaped Moth:

Turns out the tiny fellow is not a Moth – but a species of insect called Hook-winged Lacewing (Drepanepteryx phalaenoides) - most often mistaken, as I was, for a Moth. Well, I am OK with it …. I am not disappointed – I mean it is still a new species of insect in my collection. No question – it is as cute as any Moth!

Now that I am in a generous mood, let me treat you to some more of the cuties who share our universe with us. Ofcourse the poor fellows have no idea that the human species is all out to ruin their living space for them:

There is so much beauty out there in the animal world!!!

A Lucky Businessman

When my Dad was alive, I made sure that I visited him atleast once a year … if not twice. And, during those rare annual events, I invited him to accompany me on my daily bird hunting trips which he enjoyed. Ofcourse he was forever intrigued why, at times, I shot the same bird again and again and again. I did try to explain to him that every new frame of the bird’s image is different - I explained to him that sometimes the lighting is different from the last one --- sometimes the perch is different … and other times, the bird’s posture is daintier than the last … or that at times it is engaged is picking a fly or swallowing a berry ….. Ofcourse, he didn’t see the rationale behind all that …. He thought it was all a waste of time.

But during one of the many trips we made together, the old man made a comment that threw me off completely. He said:

“Yeshey, you know you are one lucky businessman … did you realize that?”

I was puzzled … and asked him:

“Why do you say that?”

He replied:

“You must be the only businessman in Bhutan who does not have to pay for his wares – you get them absolutely free. I mean you take photos of anything and everything you want … anywhere you want … any time you want ... and you do not have to pay a single Chhetrum for doing so. Minya?”

I said:

“True.... but you forget the investment I have to make behind the gear that I need – to photograph those wares. And, by the way, don't forget the time and the passion that I need to invest behind the endeavors ….. Wii bran hiining ... minya?”

Well … my Dad may have thought that I got my wares free … that I did not have to pay for them … but he passed away knowing full well that it didn’t make me a millionaire …. However, that said, the joy and the sense of fulfillment I got from photography is something else …. For proof … please see the following images of the moths I have been shooting in recent times – I dare say that it would have made the old man proud!

Auzatellodes hyalinata

Calluga costalis

Deroca inconclusa

Drepana dispilata

Iotaphora iridicolor

Lymantriine Moth

Macrauzata melanapex

Macrocilix mysticata

Maxates spp.

Ourapteryx contronivea

Pseudomiza obliquaria

Tanaoctenia haliaria

I apologize if some of the ID's of the Moths are wrong .... you know I am a novice at this ... I am no Lepidopterist.... if you know better ... please do not hesitate to correct me.

The World Is On Heat

Do I have some Lepidopterists among my readers? For those of you who are interested in lepidopterology, I have news for you – I mean if you already do not know it. I am inclined to believe that for some decora variety of moth species, mid-August seems to be their mating season here in Bhutan.

Two days back, on the morning of 16th August, 2025 - all of a sudden, I noticed a profuse of this species of Moths - numbering in excess of 30 of them - in a restricted space no more than 35 cu. mtrs. I have been shooting moths for the past close to three months - because it is the moth season in these parts of the northern hemisphere. Usually, I can see no more than 2 to 3 of them in a day, if at all.

Like in the bird world, it would appear that when testosterone levels run high … they too get frantic and careless …. In other words, they are more visible during the mating season than they normally are - easy game for photographers.

Even for me who has been chasing wildlife for the past quarter of a century, I admit that this is the first time I am seeing moths in their Kama Sutra pose - I had never seen it before. I did see butterflies copulating, though.

For the prude among you, time for you to duck - because I am posting those two pretty images of the lepidopterans in rather highly compromising posture - mind you, strictly for educational purposes 😂

Amorous Couple 1

Amorous Couple 2

The above moths appear to be Decora inconclusa - but I am not so sure. The larger of the two is presumed to be the female.

Photographing At Microscopic Level

This is the season for Moths and Butterflies. Although they belong to the same Lepidoptera order of winged insects, my experience is that they behave quiet differently from each other – I have noticed that the Butterflies are active during the day …. while the Moths seem to be wholly nocturnal.

They have a huge range – they are found in the extreme alpine regions of the North, as well as in tropical places of the South. Another feature I have noticed about Moths is that they are larger in size in the warmer places – while they do not grow much bigger in the higher altitudes.

The wing patterns of the Butterflies and Moths are exquisite to say the least – and their coloring is simply out of this world!

To date, the smallest Moth I have photographed is the following:

Jasmine Bud Borer Moth (Trichophysetis cretacea): 0.47 - 0.59 inch long

Not a moth but a fly, the smallest fly I photographed is the following:

The Moth Fly: Clogmia albipunctata: 0.11 – 0.19 inch long

Noticing them is one thing - but to be able to photograph them in all their hairy splendor is another. I am lucky – I have the necessary equipment to compliment my zest for photographing these wonderful creatures of the animal world. Take a look at the above images – I agree that they are not the last word in image sharpness – but you have to accept that the reproduction of the fluffy insects’ details is not too bad. For the benefit of the photographers among you, the following is the list of equipment/setting I used to capture the images:

Camera Body     :  Canon EOS R5 Full frame

Lens            :  Carl Zeiss f/2 50mm Macro

Tripod Head    :  RSS Ball Head

Tripod            :  GITZO Carbon Fiber 3 Sections

Film Speed.        :  100ASA

Aperture            :  f/22

Shutter Speed    :  0.30

Color Space    :  RGB

Shooting Mode  :  Aperture Priority

To improve on the quality of the image even better, I will need to replace some of the above with the following:

Camera Body     :  Canon EOS R1

Lens                   :  Canon RF 100mm f.2.8L Macro IS USM

Shutter Release  :  Canon RS-80N3 (this one already in the bag)

ENJOY!

Of Star-spangled Night Skies and Cute Little Mushrooms

In June of 2008 I embarked on a marathon 48 days trek – the trek would have been even longer, had it not been for the sudden demise of my 103 years old granny who decided to pass away when I was in Merak, trudging up the mist-shrouded Jomo Kuengkhar peak – supposedly the abode of the local deity – Aum Jomo who, I was told, took on a human lover. The locals are full of raunchy tales of the most unlikely liaison between a Goddess and a human.

I had to break my trek to attend my granny’s funeral which took place at Tamzhing Lhakhang in Bumthang. Immediately after the funeral, I resumed my trek – starting with Dhur Tsachu Trek. Thereafter, I veered off to do the beautiful Gungkhar Puensoom Trek. At 7,570 Mtrs., Gungkhar Puensoom is Bhutan’s tallest peak and the world’s highest unclimbed mountain. Located to the north of Bumthang bordering China, the trek is beautiful but can get rather sloshy during the month of June when I did the trek. The mighty Chamkhar Chu begins its journey at the base of this peak.

While the night skies were breathtaking – ablaze with a few trillion stars jostling for space - days were rather uneventful. But there was something that kept me busy – some pretty mushrooms with unusual colors and shapes could be found all along the trek route. The following are some that I photographed - I wish I had carried along my ball-head tripod head – for sure the images could have been captured with better sharpness!

ENJOY!