
Leaf hoppers are a hard to identify and there are 250 species of them in the UK so I am going to find it hard to put a name to this one. But I have to say that when you have a really good look at them they are fascinating. The one here is only about 1.5mm long and very hard to get a good photo of….. don't I say that about most things?

If this little bug doesn't look like the inspiration for ET then I don't know what does. And below he looks like dangerMouse in a cape!
Leafhoppers can be pests in agriculture but in a normal garden I can't imagine that they would do much harm. They suck the sap from plants so if there was a large infestation I am sure that there would be a big impact. Regardless of that I am pleased to see them when I do because they are interesting and make good macro photo subjects.

Late evening saw me on my way to Escot near Ottery St Mary. I wanted to have a look to see if the Little Grebe noticed on a previous trip was showing. It was a really dreadful night, the cloud was so low that it blanketed everything in a foggy, damp haze but it wa s still strangely warm. Anyway I persevered because it was just a look at what was showing. Lots of bird calls/songs and I heard Blackcap.Greenfinch,Green Woodpecker, Wren, Chiffchaff and Long Tailed Tit. The conditions were absolutely appalling for photography and I sat in the hide for 30 minutes in the hope that the Little Grebe, if still present would come out and show him/her self, but no! I decided to experiment with the new lens and flash a nd took a few hand held shots to see what I could come up with and I have posted a few here for the record. The first is an Ox Eye daisy, one of my favourite plants.

This is a Dog Rose, and once the flower has died off a big fat Rose Hip will take it's place. If you are not from the UK,I can assure you that this is a truly wild English Rose, something that we take for granted, but part of the history and folklore of the country.



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