Haliplus water beetle and Asellus water louse
Some more pond photos for last December. I got my best shots of a Haliplus sp. crawling water beetle. Including one swimming. I also got among my best at least of water lice.
Heron and waterfall at Levens, Cumbria
Way back in November 2010 I went looking for leaping salmon at Levens in Cumbria. I glimpsed one but while there I photographed this heron standing near a waterfall. With it standing so still I tried to slow shutter speed shots. I also tried a slower shutter with the water fall. And even slower In…
Greenfinch eating sycamore seed, redwing and fieldfare
Here are some photos from a morning walk around Wat Tyler Country park. The highlight was a greenfinch eating a sycamore seed. The winter thrushes were as uncooperative as usual but I managed a couple of grab shots . Fieldfare Redwing
Grey heron close ups and grey squirrel wide angles in Regents Park
When I visit London I always try and get to Regents Park. One of the main reasons is for the herons, which are very approachable. This time of year the are in breeding colours. There are last years juveniles around too. I quite liked this ‘different’ angle. And I got a ‘normal’ shot too. I…
Golden plover and dunlin in the snow
On saturday I popped up to Reculver in North Kent. it was high tide so I didn’t make it to the beach, but in the grass around the castle and car park there were a number of waders. Most of them turned out to be golden plovers. There was also a dunlin. Which poked its…
Pond olive mayfly and case building chironomid midge
Some more pond photos. First up my best photo yet of a Pond olive mayfly nymph. This one appears to have lost half of its middle tail filament. I also photographed some chironomid midge larvae. this group is best known for its red coloured species, known as bloodworms. This species however was green and hide…
Pygmy Backswimmer Plea minutissima, Water Flea and Limnephilus caddisfly larva
A few more recent pond photos today, taken in January. This particular dip turned up the first Pygmy Backswimmers in Wat Tyler Country Park, at least that I have seen. These small 3mm bugs, also known at ‘plea bugs’ (Pleidae), have only one species in the UK Plea minutissima, referred to as Plea leachi in…
anopheline mosquito larvae and smooth newt tadpole
A couple more species from my pond photos. First up an anopheline mosquito larvae. These larvae have the top of the body at the waters surface, unlike the culicine mosquito larvae which have just their breathing tube. This made a reflection shot easier. I also got a head on shot. I also got a couple…
Hawker Dragonfly Nymph
A few more from the pond dipping session. Some photos of a hawker dragonfly nymph. Here is a close up of the head. And probably my favourite shot.
Ilybius sp diving beetle
back in June I found some smaller diving beetles that were very dark in colour. I guessed they were no Dytiscus and with a bit of research settled on Ilybius sp. I got some different angles, including this one of the air bubble at teh tip of the abdomen. And my favourite one was this…