Wildlife pictures

[daveO]

Thanks. Yeah zebra jumping spider, how do you tell if it's male or female? I'll try and get a better pic with more in focus if I can find it again. There's a small population that spends its whole life hunting around my greenhouse so it shouldn't be too hard.

Not such a good pic but do you know if they rear up like this for defence or just to get a better view?

 

[Harvestman]

Better view. they can see you as well as you can see them. They see colour, and polarised light.

Still not convinced by the zebra spider (sorry if I sound like I doubt you). Would like to see a shot of the spider from above, to show the abdomen.

See the white palps at the front? In a male spider, those palps as swollen up, like he is wearing boxing gloves, as the swollen ends are his manly bits. A spider with unswollen palps is either female or a juvenile. However, if this is a zebra spider, then the male has a highly distinctive appearance, with huge elongated fangs.

Here's a male spider (common marsh orb weaver) for comparison, just to show the swollen palps.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5345/8784093141_dd4b8ed062_b.jpg

 

[daveO]

Ok, it wasn't easy but it finally stayed still long enough to get a decent enough pic of its back. (this one is male right?)

I think the reflection in the lens was getting on its nerves, a few times it jumped straight at the camera. Are these seriously the fangs tucked under there?! They're huge!

So close you can see the reflection of the camera lens in its eyes Gives it a cartoon eyeball effect

 

[Turnstone]

I can't say anything about the spider species, but I love the cartoon eyeball shot!

 

[Harvestman]

Yes, that's definitely a male zebra spider, Salticus scenicus. Beautifully photographed.

 

[Harvestman]

Latest instalment, courtesy of a walk with the lovely and knowledgeable Elen Sentier today

Some sort of fly. Dunno what it is but I love the wings

Thick-legged flower beetle. Lots of these about suddenly.

I thought this was a Grizzled Skipper butterfly, but now I don't think it is. Awaiting definitive word from my local butterfly and moth man.

A tiger in the grass! Ruby Tiger moth, a bit torpid, but she soon warned up.

White-lipped banded snail

And a grumpy-looking crocodile in the grass

Thanks for the company today Elen.

 

[Niels]

Brilliant pictures as always Mike I like the Ruby tiger moth the best.

 

[Turnstone]

Fearless young great tit.

 

[daveO]

That Ruby tiger moth is amazing.

My wildlife pic of the day. Looks like the composter is out of bounds again until this guy has finished shedding.

 

[Harvestman]

Beautiful snake DaveO. I wish I could find a grass snake.

Apparently, this is a Mother Shipton moth

 

[cielschwards]

I've traveled lots of places which are awesome. I always want to capture that amazing places which are beautiful and totally different. These images inspires me to become a photographer which is not a bad idea.

 

[Harvestman]

I'm going to put this picture in here (it is already in Picture of the day) just to bump the thread.

Common black slug (brown example) Arion ater.

 

[daveO]

My garden is full of these at the moment

I always wonder what snails soo out of those beady eyes on a stalk...

 

[Harvestman]

Dave, that middle one is an truly evil looking fly. He looks like he is plotting the overthrow of civilisation.

The top one might be a snipe fly. Compare with this one of mine, which I'm sure is a snipe fly.

Love your translucent snail too.

 

[brancho]

Nice shots Dave and Harvetsman

 

[Harvestman]

Unusually for me, I managed two bird pictures that came out acceptably today

Chaffinch surveying a scene

After many, many attempts, I finally managed a shot of a swallow in flight that is more or less in focus, is reasonably within the frame, and isn't head-on.

 

[daveO]

After many, many attempts, I finally managed a shot of a swallow in flight that is more or less in focus, is reasonably within the frame, and isn't head-on.

Looks like that might be a swift. Hard to tell though.

Here's a cool bug encounter for you. We were walking along the canal in the rain yesterday and this was crossing the tow path. Crawling along like an extra from a sci-fi horror movie and my fiancee wanted me to pick it up and put it somewhere safe. Even the camera going near it sent it into defence mode which made it really hard to get a picture. 2 inches long with jaws ready to bite and tail whipping over it's head like a scorpion, no way was I going to touch it. I got some odd looks standing there making sure it crawled its way into the bushes without getting trodden on though Anyway, great diving beetle larvae

 

[Harvestman]

DaveO, it was definitely a swallow. There were lots of them, and they were passing very close by. The forked tail is too deep for a swift.

And your bug is a larval great diving beetle, as you say. The curved up tail is just harmless threat, but those jaws will give a serious nip. Excellent picture an encounter and glad that you ushered it to safety.

 

[Harvestman]

Just a few other recent wildlife pictures. Nothing special here.

Dock beetle.

Another banded snail

Wet and bee-draggled

Garden snail by torchlight

Male star-web spider, Segestria sp. Taken to try to determine the species, but unsuccessfully.

 

[Elen Sentier]

Nah, nowt special there at all! Can't think why you posted !! That poor drowned bee is magnificent as is the spider, and the rest are pretty good too