To Russia with love...

On the 18th of next month, it will be my tenth anniversary of writing this blog. A lot has changed during those ten years: My writing style has developed (for the better I hope), I'm closing in on 300 blog posts and something like 18000 words.

When I was checking my blog stats recently, I was amazed to see that Russia headed the list of most views...

It's also rewarding when people are recommending my blog to others...

Anyhow, enough self-aggrandisement. Let's crack on with this update;

Autumn can be a quieter time for finding subjects to include in my blog updates, most things have either completed their life-cycle by now, or have hibernated until spring. If you look back over past autumn/winter posts, you will see that they often feature..........spiders! This update won't be bucking that trend, and so please take this as advanced warning?

By the way, you do know that even though you probably hate the little buggers and find them 'disgusting', we are doomed without them: we are told by the scientists that man could not survive without spiders.

Cut the spider talk and show us a pretty picture JJ!

"Well I like it! Beech tree leaves."

'This species is classed as Nationally Scarce Notable B' - That's what I read when I researched one of the finds I had on one very special day last week. I have found this critter a few times in the past but it's always a joy to behold. What am I talking about? 'Platyrhinus resinosus', that's what... 

Also known as Cramp-Ball Fungus Weevil (Larvae of P. resinosus have been found in the Cramp-Ball fungus) and even King Alfred’s Cakes Weevil, this has to be one of the United Kingdom's strangest beetles. By the way, that tiny blue creature far right is a Lepidocyrtus species springtail (Collembola).

 

Love this pose: just how my little doggie sits sometimes!

Before we all get carried away with excitement though; a word from the excellent 'UK Beetles' on this species:

 In the UK this species is classified as nationally scarce (B) but there appears to have been an increase in both range and abundance over recent years and this is probably no longer appropriate.

It is locally common across south and central England and South Wales in wooded habitats, including parkland and gardens.

Adults have a long season, we have recorded them in January, persisting into late summer or autumn, they can often be found active or at rest during the day on fallen timber or logs etc. but may be cryptic to the inexperienced eye as they resemble bird droppings.

Exactly how I found this one, beside a wood, under a fallen ash branch.

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Another find from the same day? Certainly, I have plenty...

Bruchus rufimanus

Sometimes known as the 'Broad Bean Weevil' (or Broad Bean Beetle). At about 5 mm, this is the largest species in the genus Bruchus. The elytra are grey-brown, flecked with white, and are shorter than the body.

The antennae are orange at the base, and whilst the front legs are reddish, the middle legs are black. When these weevils feel threatened they have a clever trick to escape predation: they play dead...

Now this is what a Flat-backed Millipede should look like...

But I recently found a white one...

How is it that there is, as far as I know, not a white millipede; and yet this one is definitely very pale. Well because it must have only just moulted and the pale colour is teneral. It will gradually take on a darker tone as the new exoskelton hardens. 

I suppose we should get the spider thing out of the way right? 

Actually there should be nothing scary about this; it is in fact one of the most beautifully marked spiders I have seen...

This is 'Araneus diadematus', the Garden Spider. The spider is mature from summer to autumn. After mating, the female builds a silken cocoon in which she lays her eggs. She protects this egg sac until she dies in late autumn. The spiderlings hatch the following May.

As I only spotted this a few days ago, and we are already well into autumn, I would think she will not last much longer. 

Here's something you'll probably enjoy more; who doesn't like ladybirds? If you cannot enjoy the pictures for whatever reason, at least have fun with the scientific name of 'Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata'...

The 22-spot ladybird is just 3-4mm in length. I spotted (pun intended) this one in my garden two days ago. Don't waste time counting the spots by the way, there aren't 22!

The default mystery object that is...

I know what it could be related to but...not exactly what it is; do you?

Actually, whilst we are doing weird, look at these very strange fungi...

Odder than a very odd thing that seems odd even to an odd person right? 

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Good things come in threes don't they? So how about a third oddity to complete this update: this one is in the form of a video that I took using my phone at full zoom (x8) and so quailty is pretty awful, but what the heck is going on here? Whatever it is, it's minute, and was on a horse-chestnut tree...

(once again, you will need to be online to view this vid: too big to show in e.mailed version)

He seemed, by all accounts, to be such an important personage...

Just yesterday I had the most exciting find. What I thought was the remains of some kind of bug, which was a brownish, seemingly hollow, husk: at one end there was a tiny bit of white poking out and so I gently pulled on that and managed to extract what looked exactly like an exoskeleton, but had several bright red, metallic spots, almost like glitter! 

I would love to be able to share the photographs I took at the time; but as it was just a dream, will be unable to! 

"Dreamer, you stupid little dreamer"

Enough of this ridiculous preamble! 'Less dreaming, more doing' - isn't that what they say?

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ERM, YOU'RE NOT BY ANY CHANCE VIEWING THIS IN YOUR EMAIL ARE YOU?

You are!

No, you need to view the web version, or you will miss the videos in this update: just click on 'JJ's Photoblog' at the top of the email, or even the actual blog update title, both will get you here.

We all know that insects have what's called an 'exoskeleton' don't we. We don't! Okay, well here's an explanation for anyone who's in doubt: An exoskeleton is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal skeleton (endoskeleton) of, for example, a human. The only way insects can grow is by periodically shedding the exoskeleton.

I recently spotted a large aphid doing just that (I know, my life is so exciting) and captured a picture as it began the process...

Have you ever heard this old saying?

Top man David: and the only person I can think of with the middle name; Takayoshi !

It's true though, look at this example I spotted recently...

 A dead wasp provides shelter for a 'Billy Baker' (Woodlouse).

Anybody of a certain age will know exactly what this image represents...

Yes!

Right about here...

I decided to set up my trail camera. I had located a badger's sett that looked as if it might be in use: I'd actually been watching another sett close-by, but that one seems vacant now. This one however had recent scratch marks where they might have been digging, and a strong musky smell! 

On the night of November 5th, I set the camera up at dusk and hoped for the best. By the way, take no notice of the date and time on these videos, I didn't set the clock... 

(If you are viewing on your phone, you may need to rotate)

I think this is a big male badger judging by the shape of the head, pale tail, and overall size. I am calling him 'BigSpot' because of that strange pale spot on his body. 

That pale area (he also has a less obvious one on the opposite side) leads me to believe that this might well be a Leucistic badger. Leucistic badgers suffer partial loss of pigment which results in light coloured patches, and even in some cases, whole areas that are paler.

This next video, although not that interesting in itself, does show just how big and bulky this individual is...

Of course, he will be at his heaviest at this time of year as he gears up for winter. Badgers feed on snails, slugs, soft fruit and worms: up to 200 worms per night in fact! It has been recorded that if food is in scarce supply, they will also take hedgehogs. Now that's gotta stick in yer teeth huh? 

To find and film one badger was pure joy, and so when I reviewed this next video, imagine how excited I was...

It can be very tricky to tell male from female badger, even the experts have been caught out. But I think this may be a female following BigSpot out of the entrance. Either that or a younger male maybe?

I'm including this final video (although I have many more I could share) because it does show just how fast BigSpot can be when spooked: watch closely at the very end of this clip...

Badgers can run short distances at around 16-19 miles per hour. They have quite good hearing but their eyesight is not so great. Naturalists universally agree that badgers have an acute sense of smell, pretty good hearing and rather poor vision. However, this view is based almost entirely on anecdotal evidence: very few experiments have been conducted to investigate the nature and limits of the badger’s sensory world.

It is thought that they have small eyes because they are 'semi-fossorial', spending most of their time underground where no light penetrates. Even large eyes are not much use in the pitch black.

And so that was my very first filming of badgers at night. I hope to improve the lighting next time, as the camera seems to suffer from unwanted brightness (By the way, that is his tail in the animation above!).

Oh! One last image to share: what could this be the camera (almost) captured?

A stoat or weazle perhaps? Rat? Rabbit? Any ideas welcome.

Look after yourselves during this pandemic; I can't afford to lose any viewers!

27,000  is the answer. What's the question? (answer at end of blog update)

Just before we get into a new update proper; here's something that has been vexing me of late. Take a look at the following images for a clue...

So what do you think is the connection between these characters?

Well for me (and I realise that you'll all have your own ideas on this) they represent people who might just qualify as being...

God forbid, it may even be this chump...

But I could never have imagined that I was so far behind the curve to the point of not even knowing who this guy was when I Googled the very same question...

And the moral behind all this? Don't Google stupid questions!

(The funniest one I saw was..."HOW DO YOU TURN OFF CAPSLOCK?") 

The Garden cross spider (Araneus diadematus)

Of course it's a spider! Why didn't I warn you? Because I thought it would be obvious given that I wrote Happy Arachtober, that's why. What d'ya mean you couldn't read that text! If you only knew how I slave over these updates, putting every ounce of my creativity into each one - I know, you wouldn't/couldn't care less. All you want is a spider-free update, right? 

Well, I value your input and will always try to accomodate your particular interests and thoughts. With that in mind then;here's another spider photo...

In fact...I was looking at somebody's Flickr photos recently and saw the word 'triptych' and thought what a lovely word it is, and so let's have our very own triptych, and then we can put the spiders to bed for this update...

In reverse order (why not) they are called, a Long jawed orb-weaver, which should in my opinion have been called a Long bodied orb-weaver? The top right spider is called a Misumena vatia crab spider (male) and the first spider, top left is called Samantha I think...because I am not 100% certain about the species of that one!

Okay, if you are still with me, I promise, no more spiders on this web-log.

What about ants? Well, you haven't posted any ant pictures for an age JJ!

"What about me...I'm an ant!

Okay then, you haven't posted any ant pictures...except for that one: don't you have any more JJ?

"Well yes I do actually, I have another I could share, but you're not going to like it."

Oh, and why is that?

"You'll see..."

Nothing wrong with that JJ. It's a Fire ant isn't it? Or a Red ant at least.

"Ah but...look what it's investigating: a spider egg sac, at least I assume it is investigating the eggs, and not the actual spider, which, as you can see, is still there also."

Oh I see, the 'S' word again!

Not sure what the feck that has to do with owt, but still, I do love learning new things. Meanwhile, nose to the grindstone and all that...

I am pleased to be able to announce that the spectacular Rhododendron Leafhoppers are back...

Yes, 'Graphocephala fennahi' is a species of leafhopper native to the United States. Its common name derives from it feeding on the sap of rhododendrons. The species was introduced to Great Britain in the 1930s and I am lucky enough to be able to find these locally most years.

Here's another, much smaller species...

I think this one is Eupteryx species, but they can be extremely tricky to separate from a photograph. I found it on a wild plant that I call Elephant's Ear; now what is its name? Erm...let me think...hang on.. oh yes! Elephant's Ear, that's it. Bergenia perhaps if ya wanna be pedantic, oh, you do!

What about this tiny lava though...

I'm not too sure just what species this is: I found it beneath what I think was a Red Oak leaf, and so that's not much help. If I manage to sort an ID out, or if anybody else knows and contacts me, I will let you know. It might be moth, rather than butterfly and will possibly hibernate until spring.

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Spiders, ants, hoppers, caterpillars, what else? Hmmmm, what about a cracking fly...

Amazingly (well it was amazing to me) I found some parsley still in flower in one of the fields I visit. It had attracted this big Tachinid fly but it wasn't keen on having my lens shoved in its face. However, as this was the only parsley flowering, it soon returned, having scooted off, and I was then able to grab this photo.

Back near the beginning of this meandering update we had a triptych, and so let's go one better now and end on a tetraptych, or quadriptych if you prefer: either way, it comprises four images...

And they are, another spider that isn't a spider at all but is an Arachnid all the same; actually a spider mite. A cute little barkfly nymph, a hairy snail (yes there is such a thing) and another barkfly, this time an adult that landed on my hand whilst out walking (me not the barkfly).

Postscript: If you are wondering what inspired my title for this update, it seemed apt in that my mind wandered a lot during the writing, as you might be able to tell. Also I too was searching for something, although in my case, it was just some missing photos I wanted to use. 

If you are interested though, here is the lovely poem:

The Song of Wandering Aengus

BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS

I went out to the hazel wood,

Because a fire was in my head,

And cut and peeled a hazel wand,

And hooked a berry to a thread;

And when white moths were on the wing,

And moth-like stars were flickering out,

I dropped the berry in a stream

And caught a little silver trout.

When I had laid it on the floor

I went to blow the fire a-flame,

But something rustled on the floor,

And someone called me by my name:

It had become a glimmering girl

With apple blossom in her hair

Who called me by my name and ran

And faded through the brightening air.

Though I am old with wandering

Through hollow lands and hilly lands,

I will find out where she has gone,

And kiss her lips and take her hands;

And walk among long dappled grass,

And pluck till time and times are done,

The silver apples of the moon,

The golden apples of the sun.

Question/answer is: ¿ʞ∩ ǝɥʇ uᴉ ʇɔǝsuᴉ ɟo sǝᴉɔǝds ʎuɐɯ ʍoH