Thanking you with a Sparrow.

Many thanks to everyone for your visits. I really appreciate all your lovely comments, but will be taking a little longer before making  return visits to your blogs, as I had a health scare recently, and it's taking me a while to adjust to regular blogging again.  In the meantime, here is a chubby little sparrow.:)   

 

The Egyptian Grasshopper 2

Hello again! I'm sorry not to have been in touch, but ill health has kept me away. I'm only now beginning to feel a little better, but not up to visiting just yet. I just thought that I would  let you know. All these photos were taken in the garden this year, when I was deadheading some Hydrangeas. The green grasshopper gave me quite a start, as I only saw it just before I was about to cut off the flower. It is only my second sighting of the Egyptian Grasshopper, the first being in the Algarve wetlands, in April last year. I will resume regular blogging, as soon as I'm able to visit you all.:)

The Egyptian Grasshopper   Anacridium  aegyptium
 

This is the female. The males are not so decorative,
 

In this shot you can see that the hind tibia, has two rows of spines.....
 

These spiny projections on the underside of the legs, help them to cling to vertical surfaces.
 

The large impressive female grasshopper is one of the largest European Grasshoppers.
 

They are harmless to humans, and although the species is folivore, they do very little damage to leaves.
 

This one was olive green in colour, but they can be grey or brown.
 

They fly very well,, but thankfully this one stayed still as I took these shots.
 

The pronuptum, ( the shield type shape behind the head,) is distinctly ridged, like plates of armour.
 

SATURDAY'S CRITTERS