Hello all

[Scrubmuncher]

Hello everyone

I found this great site a few weeks ago, so thanks to all the people who got it started. I live in the UK, but find myself visiting Spain every year for the wildlife, especially invertebrates.

I've started writing a blog as a means of sharing my interest in natural history, so take a look at it when you have some time (see the signature link). There's lots of stuff on there, most of which is about insects, spiders and other assorted invertebrates. There's also some stuff on the blog about the books I've written. So far, there are two big ones and five smaller ones that are intended for children. You can see them here:

http://www.amazon.com/Ross-Piper/e/B001JRVEMQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

I mentioned in one of my other posts that I'm off to the Extremadura in April for a bug-hunt, so please let me know any good sites to visit apart from the obvious national parks.

Also, take a look at some of the photos from my most recent trip to Spain - the Picos at the end of June, beginning of July last year. Some of the photos are OK, but there are ropey ones too - don't let that put you off though:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Pipere76/BestPicosPhotos#

Bye for now

Ross

[nick]

Great to have you on board Ross,

You can add you blog and Amazon book page to your signature. When my nieces are a bit older I shall have a look at your books... Sort of thing I would have loved as a boy!

PS
Ross's very interesting blog of creepy crawlies is here.

http://scrubmuncher.wordpress.com/

[lucy]

Hi Ross,
I love your creepie-crawlie blog.  I signed the Malta petition too.

[tonyninfas]

Hi Ross

Welcome to the Forum.
Will take a look at your blog when I get a break from some renovation that I am presently carrying out.
Regards
Tony

[Technopat]

Greetings Ross and Welcome to this 'ere Great iberianatureforum & effective hub/portal to many other interesting people 'n' places!

For those of you who haven't yet checked it out, Ross' article on "Mobile homes" is fascinating.

Looking-fwd-to-reading-'bout-yer-coming-Extremadura-bug-hunt regs.,
Technopat

[lisa]

Welcome to the  forum Ross. Did you really only see one butterfly in the Picos in June??!!

[Scrubmuncher]

Ah, Lisa. If that were really the case. The people I was with were butterfly twitchers, so we saw stacks of the damn things (I think just over 100 species in ten days) . I appreciate butterflies as much as the next man, but for me they're a bit dull - I mean, when you get down to the nitty gritty they're all quite similar in terms of what they do. Beetles, flies and hymenoptera on the other-hand do their thing in a myriad of mind-boggling ways.

[lisa]

Oh, irony. Thank Darwin for that!
 

I appreciate butterflies as much as the next man, but for me they're a bit dull - I mean, when you get down to the nitty gritty they're all quite similar in terms of what they do. Beetles, flies and hymenoptera on the other-hand do their thing in a myriad of mind-boggling ways.

Apart from the pupating caterpillar of the Large blue then 

[Scrubmuncher]

OK, well most of the blue butterflies do things a bit differently, but in general caterpillars eat plants and the adults flutter about dabbling in nectar

[Clive]

cmon guys... play nice.... ALL the little creepy crawly and fluttery things go together to make one big fluffy world of niceness... To be honest i find mole crickets better fun than butterflies.....

[Sue]

Hi Ross, welcome to the forum
someone else that likes taking macro shots of bugs n beasties, I've got company 
regards, Sue