Big World, Little Professors

Big world, little professors. A blog written by an uncle and father for his nephews, niece, son, daughter and anyone else who cares to read it. www.bigworldlittleprofessors.com

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Ladybird found in the garden today.  Probably a variety of Harlequin *Harmonia axyridis*, but does look similar to an Eyed Ladybird, *Anatis ocellata*.

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http://www.bigworldlittleprofessors.com/2015/04/what-is-computer.html

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Secret codes

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A September morning has coated the many spider webs in the local gardens with dew.  Beautiful.

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As a post-script to the previous ladybird photos my son and I found a twenty-two spot ladybird, Psyllobora 22-punctata, hiding on a Spartan apple growing on a tree in our garden.

Want to know more about ladybirds?  Check out this blog post:  http://www.bigworldlittleprofessors.com/2014/08/ladybird-ladybird.html

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Ladybirds - Adults, Larvae & Pupae

All found between June and August 2014 in Broomfield, Essex.

All images copyright © 2014 Graham Jarvis, all rights reserved

More info on my blog:

http://www.bigworldlittleprofessors.com/2014/08/ladybird-ladybird.html

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Ragwort and the animals who live on it

The stripey caterpillars are Cinnabar Moth Caterpillars.  More stuff about them on my blog:  http://www.bigworldlittleprofessors.com/2014/08/stripey-caterpillars-on-yellow-flowers.html

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Lots of web building going on this week.

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And why are you all so jaw-droppingly wonderful? Because each of you owns one of the most wondrous, and complex, objects in the universe. This object has cured disease, put men on the moon, and created breathtaking works of art. It allows you to see the world and listen to music, to make momentous decisions and move around, to laugh and to love. This remarkable object is sitting between your ears at the moment, quietly whirring away and allowing you to read this sentence. I am, of course, referring to your brain.

Richard Wiseman.  Taken from his book, Night School.

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Grasshoppers and crickets in a field of long grass, Chelmer Valley, Essex, July 2014.

Whilst out walking I stopped to listen to the grasshoppers in this field and then had a first attempt at finding the noisy critters and taking their photograph.  I found two within a metre of each other and was a little taken aback at how different they were in shape and size.

And then I realised that there are more than one type of grasshopper in the British Isles.   Read more on my blog:

http://www.bigworldlittleprofessors.com/2014/07/a-grasshopper-is-not-just-grasshopper.html

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This week I've been taking lots of portraits of people - mostly family - but also some images for my blog too.  Whilst I was doing that I happened to take this portrait.  It stayed still on this ivy leaf for so long I was sure that it was actually posing for the picture. I have no idea what kind of a fly it is but it was a beautiful green colour and, aside from a few moments posing for me, far more interested in other flies of the same kind than it was in people walking down the leafy lane where I found it.

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Julia's diamond engagement ring - a great example of things made from just a few types of atom.  it is largely made up of elements of carbon and gold.

http://www.bigworldlittleprofessors.com/2014/06/building-stuff-from-lego-like-atoms.html

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All stuff is a bit like lego.

http://www.bigworldlittleprofessors.com/2014/06/all-stuff-is-bit-like-lego.html

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What Is Cuckoo Spit?  http://www.bigworldlittleprofessors.com/2014/06/what-is-cuckoo-spit.html