Long Post: Finding Bugmon at Hindhede Park
Yeyeye, open up the whole post, come on you want to:
Weather
It rained the night before until the wee hours of the morning. I didn't get up as early as I hoped, but it was early enough to beat the crowd- nah. I didn't beat the weekend crowds AT ALL.
Location: Hindhede Park
A small park next to a nature reserve that is built, and I quote, "for young kids". What screams 'for kids' than a playground and scattered exercise equipment?
It was being renovated so a huge-ish chunk of the park was blocked off the last time I went. When I went back... they renovated a shelter (?) at the quarry lookout point and built a small trail (that I haven't explored yet whoops).
Below: The Quarry (they used to mine granite I think and now it's a lake)
Bug Encounters
About that playground, I found a Bugmon there! Behold:
Tiger beetle
The tiger beetle! These ferocious predators are known for their ability to GTFO- I mean, being the fastest runners in the insect kingdom (relative to their size). They're also fast flyers that can whip away in quick bursts. They have great eyesight. For some reason they like landing on sand/ sandy trails.
Catching (a photo) of them can be annoying when they will fly away at a false misstep. The trick is that they sense movement. Just creep very, very slowly towards them, and perhaps instead of flying away in one step, it'll fly away in three.
Isopod (Woodlouse)
I tend to find isopods more often after the rain, probably because of the humidity. Isopods are very sensitive to humidity which makes sense because they came from the sea. Woodlice are crustaceans like crabs and lobsters and not at all insects... but it's here according to Tumblr logic.
Leafhopper (?) Nymph
Fake buge! It has four legs, not six! Nah, its hind legs are tucked underneath its body. The hopper uses its powerful hind legs to... hop away from predators. I have no idea if this is a leafhopper or planthopper nymph though, I have an easier time with adult hoppers.
End of post
Hindhede park an okay-ish place to find bugmon if you want the benefit of being in a forest and seeing unique bugs without breaking a sweat. Bonus points for having a playground to ditch your kids (or nephews/nieces/siblings) for a while /jk Mostly, I liked the fact that I wasn't being trapped in the middle of joggers around me on a weekend.