Thursday, 27 May 2010

Crane Fly, Sparrow Nestbox

I was puzzled yesterday when I saw what appeared to be a Crane Fly dipping its abdomen in the pond. Up till then I had assumed all crane flies laid their eggs in soil. On searching the internet I found that the Crane Fly Tipula lateralis likes marshy waterside environments. Most of the time it seemed to be laying its eggs in the oxygenating plants on the surface of the pond.

Crane Fly  - Tipula lateralis

Maybe with the lack of rain recently this was the nearest it could find to the correct environment.


I have often looked at a nestbox positioned on a telephone pole not far from home. It looks like a standard Bluetit / Great Tit box so I was quite surprised when I saw a House Sparrow busily fetching seeds to feed the youngsters inside. It didn't go in the box but just fed its brood through the hole.

From MIDMARSH JOTTINGS

 The Crane Fly was taken with the 50D+400mm and the Sparrow with the Lumix TZ7
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9 comments:

  1. Shirley27 May 2010 at 08:16

    Hi again, John. The whole pond wildlife thing will is new to me... do enjoy reading about it and seeing pic from your garden .

    Love the House Sparrow images. How fascinating that they don't go in to feed the chicks. Guessing they must be big now and almost ready to fledge... maybe there's no rooom inside ;-)

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  2. Phil27 May 2010 at 08:44

    Fascinating picture of cranefly behaviour John - never seen that before.

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  3. Tricia Ryder27 May 2010 at 08:56

    Amazing what we learn by simple observation! Cracking photo of the Crane Fly - so sharp..

    And sparrows - lovely. If any need a new home there very welcome over my way :D

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  4. Midmarsh John27 May 2010 at 09:03

    Hello Shirl. I am constantly amazed at the variety of life which colonises the pond. It takes a few years to get well established and then gives hours of pleasure and relaxation observing the comings and goings.

    I should think the sparrows will be about ready to fledge as many others already have round here.

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  5. Midmarsh John27 May 2010 at 09:06

    Hello Phil. I also took some video which I will put up on Friday. I was initially puzzled as to why a Crane Fly was so active around the pond.

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  6. Midmarsh John27 May 2010 at 09:18

    Hello Tricia. As you know a close object with a 400mm lens has a very small depth of field so that was the best of about thirty shots that I took. (Brute force and ignorance rule here!)

    As for House Sparrows. I sometimes think I have enough here to populate the home counties with some left over ;)

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  7. Gerry Snape27 May 2010 at 11:33

    As usual, wonderfully clear and instructive photos of the minutae of life .I love them. thankyou.

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  8. Midmarsh John27 May 2010 at 17:33

    Thank you Gerry.

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  9. Angie Moore30 May 2010 at 22:26

    The Crane Fly shot is fabulous.

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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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