(under) water world

With an hour or so free I decided it was time to see what's underneath the water. Not expecting much at this time of year I did at least expect to add water slaters, which I duly did after a fair bit of scooping. These are new to the reserve but it can only be for want of looking.

Some more inevitables (Skylark, Thrush, Trichocera regelationis etc.) added and the third worm of the year plus a nice bonus of a new flea beetle from sweeping stream-side grasses.

Total for the year moves to 428, with a hope of being a good way past 500 come the end of the month. willow catkins are out and daffs are swelling, so looking forward to the upcoming explosion of invertebrate activity!

Cold day. Sky was blue, but too bright to show here!

Mating pair of water slaters

Great Pond Snail

Stenus pubescens in last year's Typha leaves

Confirmation a bonus!

Numbers:

411			R	M	coleoptera	Phratora vitellinae	A leaf beetle
412					Lichen	Cladonia arbuscula	A lichen
413					Fungus	Alatospora acuminata	aquatic hyphomycete
414					Fungus	Dactylella aquatica	aquatic hyphomycete
415					moss	Racomitrium aciculare	Yellow Fringe-moss
416					Lichen	Lecidella scabra	A lichen
417					Lichen	Rhizocarpon geographicum	A lichen
418					bird	Alauda arvensis	Skylark
419					bird	Turdus philomelos	Song Thrush
420					flowering plant	Cardamine hirsuta	Hairy Bitter-cress
421					mollusc	Lymnaea stagnalis	Great Pond Snail
422			R		crustacean	Asellus aquaticus	Water Slater
423			R	M	annelid	Aporrectodea longa	Long Worm
424					diptera	Trichocera regelationis	A Winter Gnat
425			R		coleoptera	Stenus pubescens	A Rove Beetle
426			R	M	coleoptera	Chaetocnema concinna	A flea beetle
427					bird	Larus ridibundus	Black-headed Gull
428					bird	Larus canus	Common Gull