River monsters

Sam Jones – River Esk Project Student

Hello again, following on from my post a few months ago which introduced my project here at the National Park collecting and identifying invertebrates, I believe I promised you some pictures of my freshwater invertebrates.

And so here, in all their chitinous glory, are pictures of some of my favourite and most showy creatures found in the River Esk, from the ferocious mask of a dragonfly larva to the powerful legs of a diving beetle.

 

 

 

 

These little critters are a vital part of the food chain providing a middle ground between the tiny plankton, diatoms, and algae growing in the water and the larger fish and birds that rely on the river. If you would like to see for yourself grab a net and head down to  any wild freshwater near you, you may be amazed what you find. There is also plenty more to be found online including some fantastic photos.

I hope you enjoyed this little window into the smaller world within our rivers. These are only a few of the thousands of different species that can be found in freshwater habitats in the United Kingdom. I think they’re fascinating.