"A cock only shows that he is a male when he becomes an adult.”

Not my image by the way but I thought it was cool.

Now before we get into this update proper, is there anything that needs my attention from the last update? I can't think of anything.You know it's strange but that 60's song by Herman's Hermits keeps running through my brain . You know the one... 'Silhouettes' I have also had a couple of numbers by The Shadows in my head too, and yet, I don't see a link between this and any unanswered questions from my last update. Oh well, I am sure something will click before I am done here.    

So what's new? Well, I have been compiling my very own set of stamps using some of my photos. Admittedly, they have been messed around with somewhat. Given a sort of impressionist style make-over, but it's only for my own amusement, so who cares...

Here's the robin photo that I used...

      

Just like that little froggie at the top of this post, I have been trying in vain to catch up. It seems the older I get, the more that time itself is like the dragonfly, just too fast. I did manage a half-day at Tonbridge Castle again recently though. I went to see the squirrels mostly, but came home with a couple of pictures that made me smile for reasons I will explain in a second or two. Meantime, the squirrels...

"And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered". Oh hang on! That's not for a few weeks yet is it. Erm...and so it was that I found myself photographing the humble pigeon, which is fast becoming a real favourite of mine actually...

Did you know that it's incredibly difficult to tell male and female (or to be more correct, hen and cock) pigeons apart? I think this may be a male but could well be wrong. I read that one sure way is to check their.....bits...(genitalia) but firstly, who among us is going to attempt that? And secondly, the article I was reading elaborated further with this priceless gem...'Pigeons genitalia all look alike and so you will have to cut them open to see what you actually want to see'. Yeah right! "What we seem to have here is a mutilated female".

Aside from old peg-leg pictured above, it was the next two shots that triggered something in my oh so messed up brain...

It isn't a spot the difference competition. If it were, you would be right if you said that the difference is the one on the right has a slightly higher head position. And it is exactly that which got the old cogs turning. What if I turned the images into an animated GIF? Yeah, that might work. Then, find a banging toon that would provide what used to be called in the trade, a musical bed. Hmmm... okay,turn up the volume on your device and let's rock ...

Well you can't accuse me of compiling dull updates?

Now that we are approaching, nay, already a few days into winter, it's not so easy to find new subjects for these updates and so forgive me if I share just a couple of pictures from a few months ago. This is the rather exceptional caterpillar of the Puss Moth. The top one is the natural colour and the lower one shows how it begins to change just before it pupates...

Meanwhile,(yes I do realise that's my second 'meanwhile' for this update;you are allowed three before having to do a forfeit) on a rare good-weather day, I did spot this starling masquerading as a woodpecker in the garden...

When I said that I spotted it, I didn't mean literally, it was already fairly spotted. And when I was doing what I seem to do more and more lately, that is spend ages looking for something that turns out to be right in front of me; this time it was a ball of string, I was flabbergasted (in fact my flabber had never been so gasted) to find a tiny barkfly...

I can't pretend any longer that I have forgotten about this...

I'm not even fooling myself now, and as nobody correctly guessed the critter in question (please see last update if you missed this) I shall reveal all. I admit to 'doctoring' the image a tad but this is the full photograph...

Dicyrtomina saundersi

Yes, it was just a little globular springtail. Obvious when you know the answer huh? Don't fret though, I probably wouldn't have got it right and I already knew what it was!

Just so that all of the spider-loving readers of my little blog don't feel cheated, here's an 'and finally' story. I was making the bed this morning when I noticed something moving on the duvet cover; that something turned out to be a spider that probably lowered itself from the ceiling and spent the night sharing the comforts of a warm bed. I wondered who was hogging all the covers...

I'm not sure on species of this one but she's a beaut. Yes I know she's lost a leg...she's a seven-legged beaut!

Until the next time...