Tick

This is a picture of me or at least the small part of me around my left wrist. As you can see a little visitor is enjoying a feed at my expense. Just reading the newspaper this morning when I felt quite an itch and realised this thing had settled just above my watch strap. Think I must have picked it up walking along the lane to get the paper as I hadn't been in the garden. This is the best of about 8 shots I tried to take. Getting up so close, almost 1:1, meant large aperture and very little depth of field. Holding the camera with one hand it was very difficult to hold it anywhere steady and when I got it on the tripod I found it hard to keep my arm in the right place even when I was holding on to the car mirror. Really a two-person job. At least the beast itself was firmly anchored and was in no hurry to go anywhere. By the way the white bit at the end of it's body seems to be excrement emerging as it was like a tiny round bubble. It's now out and dead. Better in large.