Overcast but dry.
Flowering Currant is an introduction/escape, but is an important part of the Donegal hedgerow landscape.
This minute (1 cm.) 'looper' caught my attention as it made its way along the dead stem.
Meadowsweet leaves have just appeared on the verges.
Two very small mites. The LHS is a Trombidium species. The RHS is new to me and is roughly 2-3 mm. long.
Plenty of activity around the flowers now. These shots show a female Platychierus albimanus hoverfly.
And these four shots are of the male Platychierus albimanus:
Normally, a distant shot can disguise an unsharp focus. Not in this case.
The pollen covering his eyes must make flying very difficult.
The above shot shows the 'expanded tarsi' (front feet) that indicate Platychierus.
This last shot would have been good with last year's camera. Now it's pretty ordinary.
A female Crane-fly.
Lastly, Ivy-leaved Water Crowfoot, just waiting for some water to arrive in the rut.
