Look What Was Hanging From A Silken Thread

I was confined to barracks today waiting for an important phone call.

Such a shame as the weather was quite nice. I decided to try to find some bugs on the ivy just outside the back door, where I could still hear the phone. I shot a droplet fly first, it was raining and the sun shining at the same time. Then I noticed a big bluebottle land on a Paddy's Pride leaf, as it did so what looked like a tiny piece of leaf litter descended from underneath it on a silken thread. On closer inspection I could see it was a minute caterpillar. It landed on a dead ivy leaf and as I was photographing it a gorgeous, mottled, globular springtail with an iridescent blue patch on its head walked into the frame then sprang out.

I also shot a tiny spider that let itself down on a gossamer filament that turned into a rainbow in the sunlight. The pink, green and yellow ivy fruits looked liked ice cream cones out of focus behind it.

Marvels of nature can be found close to home. :) Got to wait until after three tomorrow for that call. :(