pond dipping

It is fair to say, that apart from learning how to paddle the boat about, the thing that has taken up most of our time is pond dipping.

As we come to know this place we are noticing small but important things. One pond is much favoured by Waterboatmen and Whirlygig Bugs more than any other type of bug. This is the clear pond with the muddy bottom.

A diving beetle larvae (I didn't take this photo in real life, I photo'd the book!)

The next pond is full of water forget-me-nots, and this is where we find the newt tadpoles, the beetle larvae and the curious and slightly creepy (to me) Caddis Fly Larvae. There is some thing un-nerving about seeing vegetation moving by itself.

There is a bank near a stream where we have found newts. We think they are common and palmate newts, but newt finding is new to us, and we have to check the books, none of which seem to have a clear picture of a juvenile newt of either species.