This will be a two post day as I’m getting way behind. I have been bugging three times and away in the now mobile Mule to tip some old plaster board. It seems to be going fine and is just waiting for the new tyres to arrive.
You can see my home in the background.
I found this tiny little nymph, it may have been only a couple of millimetres long but it had a wonderful turn of speed. It ran up my hand and back down did several laps of the tiny plant leaf and I managed some blurry pictures.
The pink bits are my index finger. Trevor advised me to take front, both sides and a plan elevation. I did my best and having taken them I’m not wasting them. I bet you think I’m delaying my identification, not at all it’s an Orthonotus rufifrons Mirid Bug nymph. The adults are black, the females can’t fly and the males can. I’ll try and find one of each then I’ll have the set. They are not to be confused with the Black Mirid Bug, Grypocoris stysi. This is an impressive beast and I got some better pictures first thing this morning.
This is probably more than enough but I’ll have to show you this. It may look boring and dull but they are the very devil to get a picture of, they are only about four millimetres long but can hop almost a metre. I have to be really quick with the focus malarkey and then 90% of the time I take a picture of a bit of leaf.
The Mule looks good. I hope you took the plasterboard to a plasterboard recycler. I discovered recently that the half piece of plasterboard I had left over in an unusable stated couldn't be taken to the recycling centre without fear of having my self incarcerated or at least fined heavily. Actually a bollocking from the chap at the recycling centre would have been even worse. He's helpful but fearsome if you put something in the wrong skip. Plasterboard has to be taken to the private commercial plasterboard recycler. Unless, of course, you break it up into small pieces and put it in with other domestic rubbish in a plastic bag. But of course no one with a care for the environment would do that.
ReplyDeleteOddly I see almost no cuckoo spit here so presumably have almost no froghoppers.
Graham, all builders waste has to go in a skip and be taken to a proper recycling place. It's been the case for years, it's expensive that's why roadside verges are knee deep in rubbish.
DeleteYou do have Dragonflies and I've yet to see one here.
The Mule look an excellent little run-about. Low enough to load without straining. Does it tip?
ReplyDeleteYou must be getting really fast at focussing to catch the frog hoppers, well done.
John, yes it tips but is manual, they do hydraulic tipping ones at extra cost.
DeleteI have got my eye in now and the prismatic screen is a big help.
I'm impressed by the way you've sorted out that Mule, Adrian. Could quite fancy it myself!
ReplyDeletePrompted by your HDR work (thank you), I spent some time playing with NIK yesterday. I might put up some results on Blogger sometime.
Best wishes - - - Richard
Richard, I was only labouring on the job, it's turned out not too shabby at all.
DeleteLook forward to seeing your HDR. Church interiors make a good subject but it is a tripod job as you will have to start at the darkest corner and keep halving shutter speed till the highlights aren't blown.
Could you take some photos of the thistles too? You could do a great job of them I am sure. Great work on today's insects as well.
ReplyDeleteMarie I was thinking of doing some high key flowers but it is too windy today.
DeleteThat looks like a fun device.
ReplyDeleteJohn, they are an excellent bit of kit but very expensive.
DeleteI like the first photo of the little truck, it has got a nice colour balance to it somehow (with details in the right places). And I love the landscape with the thistles in the foreground. (I'm not really keen on insects - with an exception for butterflies - but that's just 'me'...)
ReplyDeleteMonica, it is three images processed in NIK HDR. Insects are not very popular but I enjoy looking at them and the challenge they represent to catch them in focus.
DeleteThe Mule looks like a fun runabout Adrian, even down to the fully air conditioned cab?
ReplyDeleteIs that an ancient potato spinner standing behind it?
You did well to 'keep up' with that nymph!...[;o)
Trevor, it seems to be a fine little truck. Yes a potato spinner or lifter. I'll get a better picture of it though I must have posted it before. I think there is an old PTO driven one somewhere, I'll try and find it.
DeleteThe nymph was like lightning but I'm quicker.
Great to see the mule all finished and working. Great job.
ReplyDeleteDouglas, I expect it will require further work but it does seem fine at the moment.
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