1 EAGLETON NOTES: Midges and an Adventure

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Friday 9 August 2013

Midges and an Adventure

This morning there were a few dead midges around after the door had been open most of yesterday evening so I tried to get some photos with the microscope.  Given that a midge is less than 2mm long it's a challenge just finding it.  David has to go to Uist today.  I shall go for the journey.  It'll be a full day there and back.  So these are some quick midge shots just to let you know how the experiment went: not very well.  I shall get some good shots eventually with a bit more time and application.

Midge taken with camera on macro to give size (mm scale)
Microscope at 20x
Microscope part at 400 times

12 comments:

  1. The last one is getting there. Can you light it from underneath? It may cut down the shadows

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    1. The microscope has a ring of LCDs Adrian but I might try making a glass tray with a variable light underneath.

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  2. I'm not sure I want them enlarged. Bad enough when they're tiny! ;)

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    1. I agree. Just one bite sends me into agony, and then usually a stupor after I've taken enough antihistamine to knock out an elephant.

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    2. For me the problem of their size is that they get into one's hair and so on. The bites don't cause much of a reaction. I had no idea that you reacted so badly Mark. That's a nuisance: how are you with deet? If you come here perhaps try and avoid muggy weather (now there's a challenge!).

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    3. I've found that the trick is to use lots of repellant (although making sure not to use one I'm allergic to which happened on Skye last time) and to take a low dose of antihistamine each morning so that the initial reaction isn't quite so bad.

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  3. Wow, that microscope is amazing. Soon it will be overworked and underpaid...smile.
    Midges are just awful creatures, their bite is so unpleasant, and they're one of the creatures that I wonder why are they here on this earth.
    Looking forward to all the lovely microscopic photos in the future.

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    1. I cannot imagine any reason for them at all Virginia. I'm hoping to find some interesting things for the microscope in due course.

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    2. One theory, of many, is that when God embarked on creation - though why he did, I've no idea - he had to create everything possible. Man is but one creation. Why would/should God favour one creation, Man, by not creating midges?

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  4. They've got awfully strange knees, GB....?

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    1. Thank you Marcel for that quite superfluous piece of information - even if it is true and, unfortunately, funny.

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