Bottom Dwellers

On 05/04/2011 I was doing my butterfly transect when I  saw movement in the bottom of an open drain. It was a raft spider walking her baby!She had to mind it well  as two pond skaters had their eyes on it and kept making little runs at it.

A newt came into view then moving slowly through the mud as below,

Last year Coillte blocked one end of a drainage pipe ,creating a pond at one side of a bridge ,this area has thousands of tadpoles at the moment.Any of the hundreds that gather where the water overflows the barrier that are swept over face a huge threat, Great diving beetles,the newt,several Sticklebacks and 2 Water Scorpions  are all looking out for a free meal, andtadpole tastes good !

Water scorpion

The stickle backs also had  parasite to avoid 4-5 fish leeches were moving along the mud.

Fish leech can stretch from 25mm to 75mm.

This is a Water measurer ,note the position of the eyes (about half way along what looks like its neck)A strange looking creature for sure.