Insect whispering

 If you are a bird enthusiast you are known as an ornithologist or a birder. 

Alan is too modest to call himself an entomologist because he likes bugs but he thinks bug whisperer would be preferable to b*gger.

Sitting on Alan's watch strap we have a 'nymph' of the common green shield bug.  They start off round and then each time they shed their outer skeleton they get a bit more shield-shaped.  Some shield bugs also change colour at each stage or 'instar'.  

There are several species of grasshopper in Britain but I think this is a common field grasshopper.  Like bugs they do not go through a larval stage but after over-wintering as eggs, they have several instars as nymphs until they are finally mature grasshoppers.

You can see the little pegs on the femur of the hind leg, which the hopper rubs against a ridge on its wing to produce the chirrupping noise so typical of a grassy field in summer.  It's just like rubbing you thumbnail along a plastic comb - but faster.