The star of Betlehem

The first sample of the year... always a pleasure. Even more so, when one does not have to travel far nor carry a lot of equipment. I just walked to the other side of our garden with an empty yoghurt can in my hand.

Near the rock there are two deeper places on the ground, which are filled with water if it has been wet. And it has. The water is not only surface water, because it stays there much longer than just after rain. A bit higher there is a well and the water is probably running further underground somewhere near the rock.

The pools are not ancient. My theory is that they are tractor tracks from the fifties (1900). That’s when they were building the 10 000 kW electric line here and probably transporting the heavy wooden masts with a tractor right here. Maybe I should ask one of the neighbours… or just live happily ever after with my own theory.

Anyway. In the pools there has always been an interesting flora of desmids. Now, in the early spring the diatoms were dominating. But yes!! There were also some beautiful, bright green desmids, like Staurastrum spongiosum var. spongiosum - the star of Betlehem as I like to call it now.

Betlehem? That is the name of our place. Given by the first inhabitants.
No, they were not ancient either, they settled here only about 120 years ago.

The Colors of Spring

Talked about (among other equally important things) fashion and mode yesterday with a dear friend of mine. About how some people follow the fashion and others find their own way.

And in today's sample this robust Cryptomonas rostratiformis occurred on the catwalk showing it's fine, fresh and in my eyes fashionable colors: violet and green.  "Would these be The Colors of This Spring?!" I thought, still inspired by our conversation.



Could be, I have never been such a dedicated follower of fashion.
And yes, indeed, I'm running late again - on the bottle it says 2007.  

I'll just keep my old jacket.

The day of the slender golden algae

...borgei, suecicum, crenulatum...
A lot of these fine, slender Dinobryon's in today's sample.

The favorite for the moment is borgei, being so tiny and modest, yet elegant with it's funny, short curly flagel.


Dinobryon borgei
d=3 µm l=30 µm


suecicum is not bad either. With the rings around it's waist it looks like a lady in a bathing suit in the twentie's. I do wonder how this pretty thing did get it's name...? And where is Dinobryon finnicum, then?!! ;)


Dinobryon suecicum
d=9 µm l=20 µm

crenulatum again is a bit bigger fellow, but looks also fragile because of the shaky edge.

Dinobryon crenulatum
d=7,5 µm l=34 µm