If you go down to the woods today...

[Chris G]

Went for a little bimble with the family the other day and spotted loads of 'shrooms. Big ones, little ones, brown ones, yellow ones, ball ones, tiny masses of them on trees, big ones hanging off trees - I've ased Santa for a 'shroom guide!

Anyway, the followig day we went to Tatton Park in Knutsford. Whle the kids and grandparents were having a picnic I thought I'd do a bit of showing off and pulled a single reed leaf from a clump to make it into cordage. It snapped off where I was holding it so I went for one, this time it was already seperated from the plant and floating in the water just off the bank (maybe 6 inches away).

Anyway when I lifted the leaf out of the water guess what was sitting on the top edge of the leaf? Well two of them actually - a big one (2 inches long and a kind of translucent/grey colour) and small one (1/2 inch long and a light brown in colour).

Any guesses?

LEECHES!!!

Well now that did take me by a bemused suprise since I've never seen a leech in the flesh before. Wiggly little blighters aren't they; sniffing in the air for you.

So, are they common in the UK, 'cos I've never seen any before and neither have any of the outdoorsy time people I know?

Chris

 

[woodstock]

I would say leeches are fairly common I see them in sections of the canal I think they are normally found in slow moving streams or lochs

 

[Chris G]

Canals hey? Hmm, I'll have to have a word with a few more of my colleagues - I work at British Waterways!!

Chris

 

[Dan1982]

There were loads of them at a lake in the Breacon beacons where i stopped to have lunch.
I too had never seen them in the flesh before. It was crawling with the little devils.

Dan

 

[woodstock]

Canals hey? Hmm, I'll have to have a word with a few more of my colleagues - I work at British Waterways!!

Chris

coventry sutton stop....

 

[Chris G]

Not my patch Woodstock (Wales and Borders).

Chris

 

[loz.]

Anyway, the followig day we went to Tatton Park in Knutsford.

..... and floating in the water just off the bank (maybe 6 inches away).

Was this the pond in the Gardens, the one with the Koi ?? We had our feet in there when i was over a few weeks ago !!!