Watching Nature

Glimmers for Nature Lovers

From the bumbling bumble bee to the humble skipper, here you’ll find up-close shots of nature’s most fascinating creatures. Over the years, I’ve taken hundreds of thousands of photos — both on film and digital cameras — hoping to catch rare moments of peace in nature to share with others I love. For example, my husband doesn’t usually see the beauty of a simple ant the way that I do, but through my photography, he gets a closer look at nature’s wonders.

I hope you enjoy this page as much as I do — this is my go-to page in the winter, when my lovely creatures are dormant or waiting to hatch, and I’m tired of the bleakness of winter.

WARNING: Do Not Scroll down this page if you are afraid of spiders or insects

Thankfully, I am not an arachnophobe. Sure, spiders sometimes creep me out, especially when it’s a large brown recluse popping out of my apron hanging on the wall! But if you, dear arachnophobe, are looking for a peaceful space, please do not scroll past the butterflies and bees, for there lie the spider images I’ve captured over the years.

I hope that you’ll give these amazing creatures a chance and turn to curiosity instead of fear, as I have done. But if your fear is unrelenting, you have been warned…

Glimmers provide hope and strength during a rough day (or month or year...)

Do You Have your own Nature Glimmers you'd like to Share?

We would LOVE to feature other photographers’ images of creatures in their natural (or even terrarium) habitat. Please contact us using the button below, give us written consent to use your photos here on HatLadyNicole.com, and we will post them on the relevant page!

A Glimmer of bees

Ah, the industrious bee. Busy all day collecting nectar and pollen and helping our gardens to fruit and thrive. Gardeners (and bigger farms) couldn’t feed as many as they do without this pollinating insect. According to the Michigan State University Extension, there are hundreds of species of bees–mostly solitary ground-nesting species–that pollinate crops and natural plant communities critical to our ecosystem.

When was the last time you stopped to smell the flowers and to observe the bees that dance upon their pistils and stamen?

Ways to Encourage Bees in your yard

Plant a Variety of Native Flowers

HOW: Search for your local university extension’s website to see what plants are native to your area. Include a mix of flowers that bloom at different times of the year, focusing on colors and shapes that attract bees, such as blues, purples, and tubular flowers.

SOURCE and MORE INFO
Provide Nesting Sites

HOW: Leave some areas of your garden undisturbed with bare ground, avoid heavy mulching, and install bee hotels or leave dead wood and hollow stems in your garden. Sometimes you can find hanging bamboo and pine bee hotels at local retailers or online. I found mine at Aldi randomly in the early summer!

SOURCE and MORE INFO
Avoid Pesticides

HOW: Opt for organic gardening methods, use natural pest control alternatives like neem oil or insecticidal soaps, and if necessary, apply them in the evening when bees are less active. My yard is completely pesticide-free to provide a sanctuary in the suburbs for bees.

SOURCE and MORE INFO
Provide a Water Source

HOW: Place shallow dishes or birdbaths with stones or floating corks for bees to land on. Ensure the water source is clean and regularly replenished.

SOURCE and MORE INFO

Bee flying toward tomatillo plant flowers

More Nature glimmers coming in the next few weeks!

Butterfly Glimmers

As a teenager, I was once covered by many mating Painted Lady butterflies. They had found an ideal breeding ground in my parents’ tree, and, by my standing incredibly still and silent, the butterflies (too many for one young tree) began to alight on my skin and clothes. Some stuck out a proboscis to taste my salty skin, but the sensation was too slight to tickle. While I wish I had had a camera to capture the moment, the memory remains indelibly as one of my favorite glimmers. Besides, no photograph would have been able to portray the minute sensations, the pure joy of a connection with nature.