A glimpse of a European summer

While in Germany this visit, I did not have much opportunity to get a lot of nature shots.

My lens was turned towards architecture and landscape this time.

You can see the results of that endeavour on my Facebook site.

(There is a link on the left hand side of this post)

I did glimpse a moment or two, such as these pictured below.

Firstly, a large land snail laying its eggs.

At just under 50mm across the shell, its eggs were just under pea sized objects.

 Then there was this strange critter.

I am yet to identify it, though I saw empty shells left behind once it had metamorphosed.

Into what, I'm yet to determine also.  

This was a little easier to ID.

It is, of course, a hedgehog.

Sadly I wasn't able to photograph a family, which makes a rather cute photo I'm told.

 I was able to capture this Hover Fly laying eggs though.

As well as these snails in the act of hermaphroditic reproduction

I was amazed at the number and range of small insects I had never encountered before.

So much so, I would like to thank Bridget and Ralph for he identification book they gave me.

Still looking for this one.

This is definitely an ant.

I was not aware that Hover Flies eat pollen, though they do.

Some things are constant though, such as the beetle attacks experienced over the summer months.

Just before dark, for about half an hour, masses of small beetles crowd the air.

They gather in ever growing clusters until the mass of the group is too much and they fall to the ground, only to resume this behaviour again.

Soon they are gone for the night, around the time bats come out and begin the hunt for them.

A most interesting spectacle indeed.

Birds and the Bees

Spring, especially in an area where the seasons are so pronounced, is a time to get into the act of reproduction while the food sources and climate support the raising offspring.

These pictures below are of Reproduction of two sorts.

The insects are male and female, requiring sperm from the male to fertilise eggs within the female.....whereas the snails are asexual (each being effectively male and female ).

This means that they supply 1/2 of the genetic material needed and both produce young (lay eggs).

The snail below is of the same species, though shows colour differences to those above.

It is redder in appearance and, if I had the time, would be interested to cross snails of both colours.

It would be interesting to see the ratio of light to dark snails, and mixed shells, through this method of reproduction.

...and if you have ever wondered what a bumble bee looks like compared to a regular bee....wonder no longer

....of course, all the regular predators are out taking advantage of the increased food sources.

...and even a little fungi.

This bracket fungi is similar to its Australian counterpart, though was very white and seemed of much denser composition. This is possibly due, in part, to differing climatic conditions from those I have observed in detail in places like Robertson Nature Reserve ( see previous posts).

I would like to wish Denis Wilson and his colleagues much success with their fungi exhibition being held at Robertson NSW Australia. Perhaps a few pics of the exhibition Denis?

Blog Action Day

Today is Blog Action Day and for this event I intend to raise

awareness for our coastal environment.

Being a country with massive coastlines, and much coastal development,

these areas have come under increasing pressure.

Right to the shore in many cases.

As a child, some 30 or more years ago, I was fascinated by

the life that existed in the rockpools at the tidal edge.

Filled with creatures of all manner of shape and size, it provided an

environment for learning within usually limited areas

affording a good view at what was going on.

From that time, 30 years ago, I have watched a slow decline

due to pollutants and the action of people on the area.

Pollutants devastated the weed beds that are the basis of this platform of life

and from that came a wholesale reduction of the variety that once existed.

In recent times, a reduction of industrial pollutants has seen the weed beds return somewhat,though the variety of creatures is slower to recover due to people.

Recently I had to rescue a large red octopus from a group of youths with sticks.

Such is the uneducated disregard that is often shown.

New housing developments close to the area in Shellharbour called by locals "The Farm" will undoubtedly have similar effects to the neighbouring tidal communities, as did previous efforts such as the devastation of the mangrove areas at Minnamurra...once a place with a thriving oyster lease, it is my opinion you would be lucky to find anything more than sand flies, due to the removal of most of the mangrove swamp that played host to the breeding activities of many species.

It was still in good shape till the bypass was put in.....

.......through the middle of it.

Take a look at the few photos below, as there is a fire sale on...and everything must go.

Tidal Environment

Recently, while down at coastal rock pools, I found an area with

small rocky mounds protruding above the flat mud stone surface.

On these mounds, pictured below, were a multitude of small sea snails gathered

together with the surrounding areas devoid of any snails.

I wondered why they should behave in such a way, and found out why as

I walked amongst this strange landscape.

As the water evaporates, it becomes more and more salty, until the area is a mass of salt crystals. For the snails it is a case of find high ground or die. As large seas break over the seawall and fill the shallow area, it dilutes the salt content and the snails go on their way till next it dries beyond their tolerance.

The lady bird, pictured below, was not noticed until I processed the photo at home,

so I was not able to get a better shot.

It was most likely feeding on the small insects that inhabit the area.

Creatures of the forest

The rain forest is full of creatures presently and no just the ones carrying cameras.

Following are a couple of shots I got with Denis the other day.

The weevil pictured was quite small and had antenna located on the sides of his proboscis.

This native snail was an unusual golden colour, and is almost transparent .