A perfect autumn afternoon: no wind, crunchy fallen leaves underfoot, the smell of warm earth and these dancing swarms of midges, constantly shape-shifting as they rise and fall in a sunbeam.
You can see images of the aquatic stages of their life cycle by clicking here and more midges by clicking here
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Thanks for the links. I really will have to get a microscope again. Even if I can't identify what I'm looking at there are some beautiful little beasts out there.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing what you can see even with those cheap 'toy' microscopes that you can get for kids, Adrian.I had a go with one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-History-Museum-Pocket-Microscope/dp/B0015X4Y5S a while ago and it was amazingly useful and very portable - but it doesn't look like it's currently available - but there are similar alternatives, like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/CostMad-Microscope-Jewellery-Magnifying-Illuminated/dp/B005WVQAWE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349858186&sr=8-1 and this http://www.amazon.co.uk/National-Geographic-NG709-LED-Microscope/dp/B005GP4DZM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1349858186&sr=8-4 ......... you can have a lot of fun exploring for very little money!
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil...I'll have a trawl round the internet.
ReplyDeleteRecently there have been several tea time walks with Penny where I have had to walk through clouds of midges.
ReplyDeleteHi John, when I was a kid I lived near gravel pits where there were vasy swarms of them at this time of year .... from a distance they looked like whisps of smoke..
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