Ah, grasshopper...

Since I embarked upon my little invertebrate photographing quest this summer using my phone's camera, I have been looking for an opportunity to photograph a grasshopper (I did manage to find some crickets in Pembrokeshire) but the weather simply hasn't been warm enough when I've been in places with the right habitat (generally, grassland). Until today that is! In the blazing sunshine this morning, I lay down in some long grass in the King's Park in Stirling and waited until I spotted a grasshopper (several appeared, as it happened).

This was, I think, the most interesting of the photos I managed to take. The grasshopper was most definitely watching me very closely and was tensed and ready to spring off. From some of the other photos (taken from different angles), I managed to key this out from an identification guide as a specimen of the Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus) and I'm very happy to be able to share this with you as my blip for today! Now hop it!