Tabanus Giant Horsefly Larva
Some more from the pond photography session. I found for the first time the larva of a giant horsefly (Tabanus sp.). It had a weird habit of retracting its head!
Black belly and wasp diving beetles (Dytiscus semisulcatus and D. circumflexus)
I’ve been catching up with some editing including some pond creatures and I came across probably my best diving beetle images. I photographed 2 species that day, the black belly diving beetle Dytiscus semisulcatus. And the wasp diving beetle Dytiscus curcumflexus, named after the striped underside.
Red fox
A few months I had a nice encounter with a tame fox, and the weather was kind too. I started taking shots with the 300mm. Then switched to the 100mm for full body shots.
Goldfinch and crows on a cloudy day
Yesterday in the poor weather there was little about in Wat Tyler CP apart from a couple of crows. So I camped out at the bird feeders and got probably my best shots of goldfinches (though that says more about the low quality of the photos I’ve taken before). I had to shoot at ISO800…
Green hairstreak butterfly at dinas head
Some more photos from Wales now, with photos of a green hairstreak butterfly I found at Dinas Head. I had only seen one green hairstreak before and this male was quite a poser and didn’t fly far when it did take off. So I tried a few shots of it showing the bracken it was…
Water scorpion nymph – Nepa cinerea
Some ponds pics today, taken back in July, of a water scorpion nymph. This one is yet to develop its long ‘tail,’ which is actually a breathing tube that acts rather like a snorkel, allowing it to breathe air while the rest of its body is submerged. Here is a close up of the head.
Rock pipit
Here are some shots from Pembrokeshire back in June. The cliffs around Broad and Little Haven had a number of rock pipit family living around them. I got reasonably close to one. And to another. The one I got closest to pulled an intersting pose as it looked for insects on the cliff.
Carrion crow
Last week I came across a couple of crows in the morning sun. One of the resident crows displays some leucism with some with some white feathers mainly on the wings.
Pond Skater Gerris sp
Here are a few shots of a pond skater a took a few weeks back. These true bugs or heteropterans stand on the surface tension of the water and ‘skate’ across it to catch insects that become trapped in the water. These were all taken using my photographic aquarium, which was full to the brim,…
Large skipper, wood mouse and scarce emerald
Some more photos from that day back in June when I got the marbled white butterfly. I got another butterfly species, a large small skipper. There was plenty of goats rue in flower. I spotted this wood mouse. And a male scarce emerald damselfly.