Saturday 12 March 2016

Life among the Kangaroo Paws

Kangaroo Paws in this case is the Australian plant Anigozanthos. This is regarded as a tender plant in the UK so I brought mine indoors for the Winter. It has spent its time in the unheated conservatory where temperatures probably got down to about 4C some nights. Although it is said to be a Summer flowering plant it kept one flower stem going all through the Winter and is producing two new ones already this year:

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This isn't the life referred to in the title though.
I had spotted a small snail shell on one of the leaves.....

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... which I decided would make a suitable subject for some focus stacked close shots:

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2016-03-12-13.44.54 ZS PMaxC

Later when I took the 'normal shot' (2nd photo down) I spotted something else next to the shell. I set up the macro camera again and was staggered to observe the smallest slug I have ever seen:

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Those were rather hurried single shots taken just before I knocked them both off the table. After a scrabble around I found the snail shell which I discovered to be empty but as for the slug ... it's still on the loose somewhere.

9 comments:

  1. I must do some stacking, I upgraded the Zerene but haven't used it yet.
    I'm always amazed when taking macro shots of insects that often there are smaller flies or beetles I hadn't noticed. Bigger flees have smaller flees etc.

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  2. Adrian: When trying to macro photo some insects I've found the same or they are covered dust particles invisible to my eye.

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  3. Yes and dousn't dust ruin the shot. Pollen is almost as bad.

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  4. The slug looked to be making its getaway in the last shot.

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    Replies
    1. Wilma: It was going round the back to get away from the camera ring light.

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  5. Well it won't rush away John will it? Oddly enough I found a tiny slug like that in my amaryllis flower pot. And I must say that close up that snail shell is so beautifully marked.

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    1. Weaver: I was surprised how fast it was moving. Snail shells often have lovely patterns when seen close up.

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  6. Good luck with the Kangaroo Paw flowers. It is rather amazing that you have managed to keep them going all winter. I am sure the ones in my garden would just give up with temperatures like that!

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    Replies
    1. Mick: I was surprised how well it coped. Fortunately we haven't had many really cold nights and I didn't water it until it started to droop a bit so that may have helped.

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Thank you for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Any comment, or correction to any information or identification I get wrong, is most welcome. John

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