ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Tuesday 8 July 2014

ANOTHER MUDDLE. (08/07/14)

This morning dawned or started to at fourish. The sunrise was fine but although there was a big tanker on the horizon I couldn’t move far enough to silhouette her against it. I didn’t bother clicking. Around five thirty after a coffee or two I took the dogs out for a run on the beach._MG_2776   Moll reasonably dry.

_MG_2780   Alf soaking. They found a golden Labrador to chase in and out of the wavelets with.

I was getting eaten alive by what I think were sand flies or tiny midges. We set off back after twenty minutes and on the way back saw a Dipper.

_MG_2772    See. It’s the first one I’ve seen here and there is a bit of a wall to hide behind. I’ll try and creep up on it.

By ten it was bright and sunny with enough breeze to drive the little biting insects away. Off we went with ring flash and 100mm macro lens. I sat down in a big heap of vegetation and in no time at all was surrounded by insects. It was a bit windy but I love watching the tiny flying pollen eaters.

bumbee2bumbee 

There were lots of these. Exactly which Carder Bee it is I don’t know. I looked in the book and the Scottish one is lighter than the English one. A fine Bumble Bee. I am sorry I got no end of shots of these but either they were flying, I’ll have to have a look at some of those. Or their heads were buried in the Birds-Foot trefoil. Amazing that their wings are blurred when frozen by a strobe. They must flap at one hell of a rate per second

cparsleyempid

I at first thought this was a Hoverfly but it had it’s wings closed so I am going to either have to rely on one of you readers or just settle for an Empid Fly of some sort.

fly1       No Idea isn’t the name of the fly. I don’t think Collins bother much about flies till they get to half an inch long. I did look on the internet but little flies are in advertisements and tasters for expensive books. This is a little beauty.

hover1hover2

I have got a Hoverfly and I’m 99% certain I have got the right one. There is another one that is black and white but it has slightly rounder white bits at the middle of it’s back. It’s a Scavea too Scavea pyra something.

sand wasp     I’m 90% sure this is a Sand Wasp. I’d been sitting for half an hour looking at Bumble Bees. They kept shooting off. I don’t know how it got here as it appears to have mislaid it’s wings. I usually take a magnifying glass. I couldn’t find it this morning. I do have a couple of 35mm film cans but when I tried to coax it in it hopped into the ground litter and I couldn’t find it..

lbedstrawlbedstraw1   

Lady’s Bedstraw is the flower bit. Whilst focussing I thought I’d found a Frog Hopper but it looked very hairy. It did shoot off to I know not where when I gave it a poke with a bit of grass so maybe it is a Frog Hopper. It looks a very hairy little beast so perhaps it’s something else.

All images will enlarge with a click.

It’s raining hard here with a capital ‘P’.

Have fun.

22 comments:

  1. Ah, you've got me, although I know what Alf and Molly, and the Dipper, I have know idea what else, danm it.

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    1. No Bob they are really tiny things. I too have little idea what they are. I do know I love their variation and beauty.

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  2. Molly and Alf make me laugh. Nice find on the Dipper.
    You're supposed to get some thunder your way today, stay dry.

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    1. Douglas going out with dogs is a pain at times. They were reasonably good today. It's a wonderful evening here. A bit sunshiny and a bit cloudy, I'd love a big thunderstorm as it is a bit humid.

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  3. You do have a big catch today

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  4. But no pics of the midges that were eating you? Glad you are having fun! The dogs are!!

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    1. Carol, I ought to try for some midge pictures.

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  5. Really Joy of life! I love these pics, all

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  6. I am sure that Michaela Strachan could help you out as you struggle to identify some of the plants and creatures you behold. If Chris Packham drops dead there will surely be an opening for you on "Spring Watch" but you'd have to spend hours alone with Michaela in a bird hide waiting for a dipper, a cormorant or a shag.

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    1. YP, I bet she would struggle without the Autocue.
      I rarely listen to the sound on SpringWatch. They are very annoying.

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  7. Sitting in the weeds brings lots of opportunity for photos. As a little kid I would lie in the tall grass when it was very windy. Then you really know what out of the wind means.

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    1. Red, I enjoy sitting and waiting. I never cease to be amazed what flies or wanders by.

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  8. I admire your patience and dedication. I think I'd prefer to join the dogs. Or maybe I've gone to the dogs already.

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    1. Pauline sitting down is much easier than walking up steep hills.

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  9. EPIC!!!! You found a dipper!!!! That is my challenge in the upcoming weeks. That is one cool bird. And you have some very happy pups:)

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    1. Chris there are plenty of them in the UK but they are hard to get close to. They tend to use the same boulders to perch on so if you sit for long enough they will return to where you first saw them.

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  10. Thanks for taking me along on this walk ... thanks for making me smile today :)

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    1. Cat, it should be mandatory to smile everyday. Good to see you around.

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  11. Replies
    1. John it is fun finding them but the very devil to find out what it is you've found. Two serious Clegg bites today and one yesterday. They can definitely be popped in the jar with a squirt of fly spray for a mirror shoot.

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