Eco Club, Fish and Bees

The weather continued very windy and cold as the Eco Club set out to look at various habitats.  Ponds were the first to be investigated.  On the first pond dipping platform we only caught a few tadpoles, a snail and fish.  A fish with blue eyes and a red tummy was caught and the children were amazed that this was a male Three Spined Stickleback. However there was another fish in the sink, bigger, black and fast moving - this was a Nine Spined Stickleback!  Although recorded on the species list it is rarely caught when pond dipping. The second pond dipping platform yielded more pond snails, another Nine Spined Stickleback and several Diving Beetle larvae who are carnivorous!  In the photo below you can see the pincers it uses to catch and eat its prey.

Ash Trees around the Outdoor Classroom were found to be home to Kidney Spot Ladybirds and their tiny larvae.  We also examined larger larvae on some other Ash Trees.

Another habitat investigated was Risedale Beck and the finds here included Bullhead, Caddis Larvae, (one who had used a piece of brown glass to make its case) and Mayfly nymphs.  Thank you to everyone who helped this morning.

During the afternoon the Observation Beehive was taken away and a new colony of bees was put into it.  Once returned and fixed in place the queen was observed.  Thank you to David and Sandra for organising this.

And finally yet another ladybird has been found, the Eyed Ladybird.  According to the information it likes conifer trees - this one was photographed on a Stinging Nettle!