Concrete bollards and soft bodies...

Yes, it's Solmonath or Mud-month once again.

Have you heard of Anna Quindlen I wonder? She was a journalist for The New York Times, before becoming a successful novelist. In her semi-autobiographical novel 'One True Thing' (1994) she wrote this dark piece:

 "February is a suitable month for dying.  Everything around is dead, the trees black and frozen so that the appearance of green shoots two months hence seems preposterous, the ground hard and cold, the snow dirty, the winter hateful, hanging on too long." 

C'mon! February isn't all that bad; shortest month and all that. No, I much prefer this upbeat writing:

"Keep your faith in beautiful things; 

in the sun when it is hidden, 

in the Spring when it is gone." 

A fella called Roy R. Gibson penned that: no idea who he is, unless he's related to Henry Gibson? Oh yes you do! Well, if you don't know of him, shame on you. Loved his poetry back in the day...

The alligator is my friend
He can be your friend too
If only you would understand
That he has feeling too

The alligator is my friend
He likes to wink and flirt
I'd rather have him as my friend
Than wear him on my shirt

The alligator ate my friend
He can eat your friend too
If only you would understand
That he needs protein too.

    Henry Gibson 1935 - 2009                   

Shall we get right on with the update then? May as well, after all we are both here. Oh yes, just before we do; I read that a picture of an egg garnered over 11 million likes on Instagram recently, and so I thought my own  photo of eggs must be worth a few likes?  If not, a giggle?

  

And so what has been happening on the nature front since I was last here about three weeks ago? Not a great deal in my back yard is the answer. At least nothing exciting enough to warrant a change of underwear! Our seasonal weather has pretty much precluded any form of macro photography, and when I tried one day to venture out with my 'biggy' birding lens, I could barely hold it steady against the strength of the wind. 

I could share a couple of photos that I did manage though...

Sorry! Can't find the photos: be with you in 2 shakes, recite the soliloquy from Hamlet to yourself or something whilst I locate the file...you know the one, 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune' etc...

Winter can be hard on the poor little robin...

I feel another of those 'did you know' moments coming on...

Did you know, that your forefinger is the most sensitive? Apparently so; imagine how great we would be with our hands if each hand was composed of four-forefingers! But that isn't the 'did you know' I was wanting to share. No, it was this:

Did you know that February didn't even exist until around 750 BC. The month’s quirky timing dates back to the 10-month Roman calendar, which began in March and ended in December. They eventually added Jan and Feb to sync better with the 12 lunar cycles.

How is it possible for tiny aphids to withstand the worst winter can throw at them?

I somehow managed to grab a picture of this unusual aphid on a concrete bollard whilst out walking. They do seem to be okay in the coldest of cold weather. Despite their soft bodies and fragile appearance, aphids have quite low super-cooling point values. Which in layman's terms I think means they are able to lower their temperature to below freezing without becoming solid.

How do you feel about getting excited by me? Yeah...thought so! Well this next photo opportunity got me excited, I don't mind admitting. The list of critters spotted in my little semi-urban garden is  ever increasing, but until now, has never included this next visitor...

What do you mean "Doh! it's only a grey squirrel" I know most folk view them as vermin, but I love to see them and think they are much maligned. He (if it is a 'he', how do you sex a squirrel?) was hoovering up the loose bird seed with some relish.

Well I 'Googled' how to tell the sexes apart and learned that you need to look for a descended scrotum and testes in males! Yeah...maybe not then.

Collembola or springtails, are also tiny creatures that do well in winter; here's one that was out for a stroll on a frosty plant pot...

I am still finding collembola in the garden, but mostly just the common ones this year...

These are both Dicyrtomina saundersi, a quite common species.

Slightly less common, at least in my garden is Entomobrya intermedia...

Lichtensia viburni!

Who, or indeed what, is Lichtensia viburni JJ? If I told you that it has an alternate name of Viburnum Cushion Scale would it help?

In that case, a picture paints a thousand words...

Providing I have my ID correct, this is the creature in question. Now I know it looks a little like a UFO, but it is actually classified as an insect. In fact, I believe this to be an immature female (aren't they all!) of the species.

Would you like a little info on these? Good, because I am about to impart the very same. By the way, this is not information that I hold somewhere in the recesses of my cranium, no, I cribbed it from Wikipedia: Scale insects vary dramatically in appearance; from very small organisms (1–2 mm) that grow beneath wax covers (some shaped like oyster shells, others like mussel shells), to shiny pearl-like objects (about 5 mm), to creatures covered with mealy wax. Adult female scales are almost always immobile (aside from mealybugs) and permanently attached to the plant they have parasitized. They secrete a waxy coating for defense; this coating causes them to resemble reptilian scales or fish scales, hence their common name.

And an adult one looks like this...

Oh no it doesn't!


The blue tits have been constantly checking out the nest box since early January...

Erm...I think that might do for this update and so I will take the advice of the great Ray Charles and hit the road Jack. I will leave you with this waffle-like fungi that I discovered in local woodland...