Soaking Up The Sunbeams

It has been very warm (I would call it HOT) recently, with very little wind. In many ways perfect for my style of photography except for the fact that I loose time out there and I don't sit in the shade.  And so I am applying layers of factor 30 suncream ... which helps but I guess I could almost class as a ladybird ... with all the freckles! :)


With it being this hot, its lovely to just pick a spot in the by now almost hip long grass (bear in mind I am only 5 feet so it doesn't take much!) and just wait ... quietly sitting there, not thinking about anything but just listening, smelling, feeling. Its lovely!

It doesn't take long before the first 'models' turn up.

 Micropterix calthella Moth

My new fascination now, after being hooked onto the golden-bloomed grey longhorn beetle, these are now my latest craze ... so very tiny and yet so quirky, kind of hippy little chaps! :)

This green-blue Lacewing Chrysopa-Perla flew right in front of my lense. It looked beautiful in mid air ... with its shiny body shimmering in the sunlight. It has a kind of dainty way of being airborne, somewhat an unsteady looking flight path and very slow. This makes it quite easy to spot but they don't often stay for long as they are also very shy. I guess this one was just glad it had found some shade.

Now then ... anyone with horses will know about these horseflies! We swat them as soon as we see them. Yet the other day I meantioned to a friend of mine that these are, although extremely annoying, in fact very beautiful beings. Just look at those eyes .... !

 I am not yet sure to which family this chap belongs ... it does look like a click beetle. It is however almost twice the size of those I have seen so far. This model here has also a matt yet brown/green  shiny body, where as the other click bettles are matt brown only. I had a little blooper moment here (I have many of those and will come to it later when I have time!) ... because of its weight and it making it worse by flapping with hits wings, the grass gave way and both plunched to the ground, me nearly with them because I was following with the lense ...

 A garden chafer came to visit too ...

 ... and so did the afore mentioned Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle.

'What happens in the shadows, stays in the shadows' .... 

Jumping spider devouring a fruit fly.

Right next to where I sat, there was this caterpillar working on weaving its silky cocoon. Not sure yet what it will be, I am yet to find out.

All the while I felt that something was watching me ... and upon looking down to the ground I looked right at this Snipe Fly, posing in a quite cheeky kind of way. It remained there for some time, not sure what it was waiting for ... 

 And of course more fun with the Soldier beetles!

Not very good at this flying business I must say.

 The longer I sit and observe, the smaller beings I notice ... smaller and smaller .. 

Eventually I decided to escape into the shade, but on the way I went past the grasshopper nursery and was pleased to see that all the nymphs are doing well and more young ones are appearing. This one is perhaps the size of a carpenter ant, but no more. It certainly has a great 'cute factor'!

 As always, quite majestically posing ... have to correctly ID this one yet.

And so it was once more time to say good by to all these beings, including this little one here how had made itslef cosy on my leg.  (Jumping Spider).

Till next time! :)