Flies

 
Flies – possibly the most under rated bug subject.
 
One thing that Indonesia is not short of, is flies. Don’t get me wrong, they are not a nuisance like I remember during my stay in Melbourne, Australia. You do of course, have to be very careful of the mosquitoes. I would never attempt a bug safari without first greasing up with a good repellent.
 
It is the shear variety of flies that is astonishing. I could easily do a couple of months of fly Blips and have no problem finding something new each day. All I remember from living in the UK are house flies, blue bottles and mozzies. Of course, back then I was not blipping and not as observant as I am now. I am sure the UK has its share of summer flies.
 
UK winter is a fly free zone. I remember looking for flies to feed my niece’s pet mantis. In the end, I had to go to the fishing shop and buy a tub of maggots and hatch out my own flies.
 
Flies are boring. That is, of course, until you photograph them and blow them up on the computer screen. Yes, the above fly is an exotic, displaying beauty in its colors, patterns and shapes. But, even the humble blue bottle is stunning in its metallic livery, should you make the effort to have a closer look. Take a walk in the woods on a UK summer’s day, open your eyes and you will see an array of fly species that will blow your mind. I am thinking back to the scorpion fly that I blipped on my last UK visit. Who would have thought that such an exotic creature existed in the UK.
 
Dave