SPRING ON THE NYSA KŁODZKA RIVER

 

Taking advantage of the early spring weather, we are back in the field. This time, oak-hornbeam forests on the Nysa Kłodzka River. The place suggested by our colleague Wojciech from ZPFP. I didn't say, but we are all members of the Association of Polish Nature Photographers - Lower Silesia District - https://www.facebook.com/zpfpokregdolnoslaski/?locale=pl_PL .

photo: Wojciech Giża        from left: Ela, Gosia, Asia, me, Andrzej, Wojciech        

We had initially planned this trip in winter, but we postponed it several times. So  finally we organised ourselves, and here we are.

There are flowers all around - gradually disappearing snowdrops and in full bloom - anemones, hollowroots, lungworts, primroses.

Lungwort

hollowroot

primroses

 

and something which, in my ignorance, I had previously taken as a "variety" of the anemone, but which turned out to be a completely different species.

 Isopyrum thalictroides – because that's what we're talking about. Picture below

Isopyrum thalictroides

I was corrected of my mistake by none other than Wojciech, who is a botanist and a doctor of biological sciences.

So if anyone is to know, it is going to be him 😊.  

In his private life, Wojciech is also an author of many books about protected plants in Lower Silesia - I encourage you to visit his website – https://wgfgissa.pl/ .

The common toothwort also blooms - an interesting plant because it has no leaves and, as our host explained, it is a complete parasite. It parasitizes on tree roots - it also has no chlorophyll.

The common toothwort among the anemones

So as to not talk about flowers only, its time for a change with the Common Ivy - but this one is anything but common.

I haven't seen one this big before. Stems as thick as my forearm (and I'm not a small man 😊)

 – it was impressive.

Of course the forest is not only flora. We we also found - to my great joy - some fauna in the form of a few insects and some of my favorite "red" mites (Velvet mites).

It wasn’t all smooth sailing when it came to the insects. One "attacked" Wojtek while he was taking photos lying on the ground.

 The "attacker" turned out to be the Black Oil Beetle, an interesting insect that produces one of the strongest toxins in the animal world. 

 Although it cannot kill (it does not produce enough to kill a human), it can severely irritate human skin, eyes and nasal mucosa - if it gets there. 

 So these things are no joke, but as Wojtek evacuated, I "moved in". Well, maybe I didn't "step in", but rather crawled in at a horizontal position to have her more or less at eye level. For me it's amazing, but not everyone shares my fascination 😊.

Below The black oil beetle

We managed to find another beetle - a dung beetle. 

 He was walking slowly across the dry leaves.

And finally, my favorite red mites, a large group of which were "running" around the rotten trunk where we took a photo together. When enlarged, they remind me of a soft red pillow - with legs, but still 😊

 

And that's it for this time.

Wojciech - thank you for  such a nice trip.

I don't know why after such journeys I always come back covered in mud and with pants soaked through, but I think I understand more and more why children like to wallow in the mud......

Some kind of atavism perhaps ???

photos: Marek Czubaszek - except for the collective one - photo: Wojciech Giża