I know that these generalised guides are sometimes a bit limited and are often berated by proper naturalists, but after thumbing through a few times this is my new current favourite book (ie the one I tend to pick up and idly flick through at some point during the day rather than having a need to check something). The photos throughout are brilliant, and it does exactly what I wanted - highlights the commonest coastal wildlife across many different groups. I decided to check out a few photos from previous visits to the beach and suchlike, and managed to quickly identify four new species including these two grainy blown-up extracts from other shots:
Montagu's Stellate Barnacle
Snakelocks Anemone
Looking forward to visting beaches and rockpools sometime soon.
Meanwhile, more bugs. The first two are from a quick walk down the lane yesterday afternoon, the latter two are from the garden MV last night.
Common Froghopper - very variable
Dock Bug - early instar nymph
Allygus modestus - makes the pair for the garden.
Note the dark black line on the vertex (like a pencil moustache).
Field Damsel Bug - on natural eggbox habitat
Also lots of these flies around at the moment ...
Eriothrix rufomaculata
