Showing posts with label grass snake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grass snake. Show all posts

Saturday, 21 July 2012

The Life Aquatic

Over the last few weeks, at a single small pond in Canterbury, I've seen several of these:

Broad-bodied Chaser

...some of these:


...one of these:

Grass Snake

...and lots of these:

Great Crested Newt (larva)

This last one is of particular interest because I later found out that it's a Great Crested Newt (in its larval stage). Hopefully I can get some better shots once they complete their metamorphosis and start venturing out of the water.

Incidentally, on one visit, while trying (unsuccessfully) to get a photo of two mating dragonflies, I heard a splash and looked up to see a kingfisher watching me from the shadows on the other side of the pond. On this occasion, it flew off before I could get the camera on it, but judging by the number of newts swimming around, I expect that, like me, it'll be back.

I can't remember ever seeing a newt (of any type) before, and I'm always pleased to see a kingfisher, but is it wrong of me to be amused by the sight of one highly protected species eating another highly protected species?