Good newts, everyone!

I was never really satisfied with the process of catching newts out of the water during their aquatic phase and putting them on moss covered stones, or something like that, to take pictures of them.

Most pictures doesn't  look very natural and they hardly show the beauty of the newts.

So I did not have to reinvent the wheel, by simply putting them into a small aquarium.

It should be very narrow for a good and efficient result. The newts swim around in their temporary home a little, I get some nice "underwater" shots and as a reward for their cooperation I like to feed them some mosquito larvae, or whatever I have at hand. Newts aren't picky.

That's my aquarium on a fancy little stool... to make it even more comfortable

Palmate Newt - Lissotriton helveticus

Palmate Newt - Lissotriton helveticus

Alpine Newt - Ichthyosaura alpestris, larva

Alpine Newt - Ichthyosaura alpestris, male

If you don't have a waterproof camera, this is a good way to get nice pics anyway. Of course you can also take pictures of fish, tadpoles, or any other water creature you can find... and catch. Make sure to release the photo models at the same place where you caught them.

In the garden

You don't always need to drive a long distance for nature shots. Many models are waiting right in front of your door. Here I like to show you some pictures I took in my garden. 

Ground Wolf Spider - Trochosa terricola

White Wagtail - Motacilla alba

Large Gold Grasshopper - Chrysochraon dispar

Southern Hawker - Aeshna cyanea

Slow Worm - Anguis fragilis

Slow Worm - Anguis fragilis

Nut Weevil - Curculio nucum

Roesel's Bush-Cricket - Metrioptera roeselii

Mating season of the Common Toad

Every spring the Common Toads (Bufo bufo) emerge from hibernation. Then they migrate to the waters in which they once hatched as a tiny tadpole. Many toads gather together for a short period of time. Since they are only interested in breeding, they don't really pay attention to anything else. This is the perfect opportunity to observe their behavior and take some decent pictures. 

Already from a distance it became clear that I went to the pond at the right time. I saw something splashing in the water and I heard this:

I was happy to spend my evening with the toads. It was sunny and my amphibious friends hang out between the vegetation, so I got some nice and colorful shots.