Close Up on Lichens Reveals Purple Springtail

I spent a couple of sunny hours photographing lichens in our churchyard using close-up filter and focus stacking. I was surprised to see a purple trail across one finished stack and found it was caused by a minute purple organism that had walked across the frame during exposure. Unfortunately with 1/15 second exposure it isn't totally sharp.  I later identifed this as Vertagopus arboreus about 2mm long and a member of the Collembola, or Springtails, one of the largest groups of insect-like organisms found in the soil. A close relative of silverfish, these arthropods include over 6000 separate species world-wide. They are no longer considered insects but remain arthropods for classification purposes.

Toft Flooded (Again!!)

For the third time this winter, Toft was closed to access from Bourn yesterday. This time the flood was deeper and more extensive so a Police car was needed to block the inevitable people who would attempt the road. It does mean a long drive round to bypass this.The side roads and fields are carrying a lot of water also.

Refractions and Iridescence in Raindroplets

I was using my telephoto lens (equivalent of 800 mm on full frame camera) to photograph birds but became distracted by the water droplets - their colours and refractions of the backgrounds - twigs or, in one case, barbed wire. Some also show spectral refractions of the low sunlight. Images 3-5 show the effects of moving the focus points closer. 

Hoar Frost Closeups

Image 1 is the first image that I took as I came out of the front door yesterday and is the sun through our silver birch trees with its twigs, buds and catkins all covered in frost. The light has been diffracted by the ice crystals giving some interesting shapes and colours. 

Toft Hoar Frost

When I looked out as it was getting light, I was disappointed to see the thick mist had gone and so delayed my walk until later. Fortunately, it was still early enough to catch the Hoar Frost decorating the tops of all the trees and bushes, giving views that look quite alien to Western Cambridgeshire. Some closeups to follow.

Misty Walk Around Toft

When setting off for our daily walk round the village, the burning question is always - shall we go Clockwise or anti-clockwise. Big decision! Today we started anticlockwise but then cut through the central meadow and did the rest of the circuit in a clockwise manner. Very foggy here all day.