Today in pictures

[Ryewolf90]

Bee Fly - Bombylius major

I've never seen one of these before, so initially I had no idea what it was. It is about the size of a normal bee and even with the naked eye I could see that long spike on it's head - it's proboscis as it turns out and used for drinking nectar and totally harmless...

[Gremlin]

a few I took in Bergen when the ship berthed, what we didn't know was that it was Norway's independence day and there was a mile long parade through the streets and people dressed in traditional clothes. To top it all off there was also a big fair on the side of the docks...And the sun shone all day.

[Ryewolf90]

Not sure I'd want to go on that upside down ride.....

[Ryewolf90]

Micromoth - Micropterix calthella

I spotted these on the stalk of a dandelion, it was the shiny yellow/gold colour that caught my eye and the fact that there were several of them. It wasn't until I got home and saw them on a big screen that I realised that they looked like moths.... These micro moths are usually difficult to identify.... however these were the first I saw on a website I use for identifying bugs, beetles etc

[Margaret Pilkington]

What a great shot.
They are beautiful....well when they are captured on a shot like this.
I am not sure I would be so enchanted if they were in the room with me.
(Yes, I know this fear is 'learned' behaviour )

[Ryewolf90]

Thanks Margaret, though to be honest I doubt you'd even notice them, they're only about 4-5mm long - they're not called micro moths for nothing.

[Ryewolf90]

Some random images from today - no bugs for a change... All taken in Whalley today:

A Sheep
The Flying Scotsman
A Crow fishing at the weir.

[hilleluk]

All good pics, like the last one

[Gremlin]

I had an invitation to look around Todmorden Grammar School where I studied in 1950-55. It's been a junior school for 40 odd years since they closed the Grammar School and now a new building has been erected for the juniors the old school building will soon be no more.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Oh, doesn't it take you back?
Did it still smell like schools do....a sort of mixture of disinfectant, floor polish and chalk dust....with just a soupçon of old wood?

[Exile on Spencer St]

What a handsome building. Much less daunting than the old Accy Grammar, as I recall the latter. Hope someone with a bit of vision can keep it and find a new use.

[gpick24]

Saw this kestrel on the hunt near my works yesterday



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ryewolf90]

A couple from today, both I've never photographed before, the beetle I've never seen before and although I've seen Dippers quite often I've never managed a photograph of one.

1. Click Beetle - possibly Athous haemorrhoidalis
2. Dipper

[Ryewolf90]

Perhaps not the greatest of bird shots, but I really liked the contrast between the water before the edge of the weir and the water after, the Black Headed Gull was a bonus....

[Gremlin]

I'm slowly sorting my Norwegian photos out so at risk of boring you here are a few more.