I found a fourth Harlequin lady bug pupa last week. When I checked this morning I found it had hatched. I carefully snipped the twig off the Hawksbeard weed and took it into the flat. Clamped it and got some macro shots.

With the 8 x dioptre lens on the Tamron 90mm it is possible to get 2 times life-size. It was a rather expensive German lens, but well worth the money.

The old pupa case was there and I expect the bug was waiting for the sun to warm things up a little before it took off.

When I had ended my 'portraiture' session I carefully took the hatchling back out and transferred it to the Virginia Creeper, it straight away shuffled round to the underside of the leaf. . 

The 2 or 3 roots of the Bird’s foot trefoil that I planted in the lawn are now showing good progress. They have spread nicely to an area of around 1o feet. Adds a little colour to the grass and yet doesn’t grow too tall. 

They are only little flowers but quite bright about 8 x 15 mm in size according to Octopus

Got some shots this morning of the seed capsules of the Smooth Hawksbeard Crepis capillaris before it is chopped down. Also a couple of different leaves to complete the record. No doubt about it the Minolta ring flash is a real boon when it comes to taking close shots. This 2x lifesize is lit evenly in spite of the lens with an 8 dioptre addition on the front being so close to the subject. 

 Did a couple of leaf shots too to show how the higher leaves vary from those lower down the plant.                               

Went out  later to clip back tendrils on the Virginia Creeper that encroach on the path. To my surprise I found a Larva of the Harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis on one of the leaves. Got the camera and ring flash and got some 2x life-size pix. 

Martin came across and said there was a large moth in the shed building.

I took the dioptre lens off the camera and got a few shots. It was right up in a corner joint but the Tamron 90mm and ring flash lit it nicely. Now all I have to do is to find out its name etc. Really beautiful shading; nature can perform art work better than man can. Now identified as a Black Underwing Mormo maura. AKA Old Lady by Barbol on Flickr ID Please

Came on some  colour slide strips when clearing some stuff. Kilpeck Church in Herefordshire has early door-frame carvings and corbel stone carvings.

I had not examined the images closely previously. This one is of a bear eating 2 children.

According to the bible when the children shouted at the prophet "Go up thou bald-pate" a bear came out and ate them.

I have always thought it more likely that he swung at them and accidentally killed them. 

As I came back from shopping this morning I noticed a tendril of the Viginia Creeper was loose. I went to move it back and saw this odd Beetle Larva. I hitched up the ring flash and got some 2x life-size pix with the Tamron 90mm and an 8 dioptre lens.

I will put it on Flickr ID please and see if it can be identified, Also on the beetles group as well. It doesn't seem to be the right colour for a ladybird larva. I bet if the sparrows see it it won't last long. They love ferreting through the creeper and the Cotoneaster for spiders and insects. Been identified as a ladybird pupa. I had not seen one in this stage previously, only the grey/black colour.
Probably a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis Now on the 9th I found another one close by. 

Decided to go to Mud Lane today for steam pix. The Par excursion was due to stop at Yatton so the would be no steam puffs. Only possibility was when the loco was pulling out again, and that was likely to be a free-for-all at the west end of the platform; even then impossible to get head on angled shots.

As it was The Lancashire Fusilier was coasting with little effort. The warmer weather cutting down on  Steam.            

The same thing happened with Braunton hauling the Torbay Express but at least I got pix of them in different situations than previous ones.

Went out to Mud Lane this morning to take steam pix. Looking at the end of the work site a few little yellow patches showed. Turned out to be survivors of the Melilotus.

Took the opportunity as I was leaving to snip off a stalk and photographed it when i got back.
(Memo to myself) ALWAYS take the ring flash and clamp when going out into the countryside,