Thursday, October 23, 2014

Something a little different...

I thought I'd try and ring the changes and make this update a little different and so I am going to include a couple of things that I haven't tried before. Firstly though, I have no fresh news on the Death's-head Hawkmoths yet. I did however mean to include a close-up shot of their amazing clawed feet.

Hmmm...sorry, but this is how my mind works, just by writing the word 'feet' has reminded me of a recent conversation about the bible saying that insects have four feet? Hang on...I'll see if I can find a reference to the actual wording?

Here you are:

Lev. 11:20-3 All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you. Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth; even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind. But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.

What do we all think about this? It's a rhetorical question by the way and not supposed to elicit a response, merely to ask you to have a think about it. Watch out for the fowl creeping about on all fours too.

Here's the photograph then...





Whilst ambling around one of my favourite haunts, Comfort's Wood recently.....Ooops! Here I go again, I have a new blog dedicated to these woods now and will include a link at the end of this post for anyone that might be interested. Erm...oh yes, Walking around the woods I saw lots of Common Darter dragonflies and it seemed a good idea (at the time) to have a go at catching one taking flight in slow-motion. I have a little Pentax camera that films in high speed to allow playback in slo-mo and this is the result of my first attempt...


You will need to view the blog online rather than the emailed version that doesn't show videos. You might also like to turn your sound on as this clip has a little toon added. But I understand that some of you don't like music behind the videos.


                       



Here's another using the same camera, of a honey bee in the garden-again slow motion with music...




Apologies for the annoying ads on this clip-you can delete them though.





Also in the garden I spotted a late season vapourer moth fluttering around. You might remember this flightless female from a while go...


Well this time it was a male...





But look closely at this picture and you might notice something underneath the moth.It was actually being attacked by a spider. I can't be certain but I think it might be a winter spider (Zygiella x-notata) and once I had realised what was taking place, I switched to video...




                      

Even if I had wanted to, it was too late to save the moth and after all, spiders have to eat too. I left nature to take its course.


The other thing I had a go at recently was underwater videoing. This isn't the most riveting nature film you'll ever see, but we all have to start somewhere and it was more about trying out the camera and technique  for now...







The camera did come out of the water with a little visitor attached though-I think this is a bloodworm...






I'll end this update with a couple of things pretending to be something else -well why not? I pretend to be a photographer. These two seem to be impersonating an owl...


Obviously the second picture is of fungi. The first is actually a moth.

Until the next time...


Ps. My latest article for The Wealden has been published and I have added to the relevant page.



6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brilliant videos JJ! Love the underwater one especially. It's so incredibly clear (the water yes, but I mean the actual footage). Look forward to more underwater adventures!

The slomo vids are excellent as well. Didn't know there were cameras capable of doing this! Thought specialist equipment was required.

Nice to see a male Vapourer. I've still only seen the caterpillars and old egg cases too. Impressed at the one handed photos and video of the spider attack too!

Fascinating extract from the bible. Have never read it.... it's not an easy read being in 'old English' or whatever it is! I always took fowls to be birds so it's strange to think of 4 legged ones! Lol! Seems everything had four legs to that author.

Shall have a nosey at your other blog now! :-)

Mx

Anonymous said...

By the way, that's a stonking tarsi close up!!!

Millymollymandy said...

A very interesting post and that bit from the bible is surprising - fowl AND insects with 4 feet?!! Hmmmm!
I'm impressed by the slow motion camera - great seeing the dragonfly take off like that. Also the underwater film. But mostly I was riveted by the Zygiella x-notata attacking its moth prey on your fingers!

I have a friend who loves both fungi and seeing faces in things (Pareidolia) and she would love that fungi of yours! Really interesting post and great photos as usual. :-)

JJ said...

Thanks Mandy. I appreciate you taking time out to comment...also for introducing me to a word I wasn't familiar with.

A said...

That moth and fungi are amazing! Fungi to me even looks like a scarecrow or some folk dance face makeup. Very imaginative fungi :-)
also like slow motion videos. Looking at yours, I am tempted to try it out (not sure however if my cam or me can manage it, but I should check it out at least.)

JJ said...

Thanks. Yes, people see different things in these and that's how it should be...thanks to Mandy, I now know this is called 'Pareidolia'...you must have a go at slow motion? I will be watching with interest for some videos on your blog...