It's early January 2017 and here we go then, another year of blogging begins right here. This will be year seven. What can I offer at this slack time of year? Well, let me see, how about a couple of garden finds...
Assuming this is a cocoon of some description (I think it is) I really have no idea of what could have constructed it; it is just 3mm long and found on cranes-bill.
Then there was this teeny springtail that was under a broken pot in the garden. As a clue to its size, the photo below is taken at x5 and uncropped...
Looking through some old pictures from 2014 I found this one that was also taken in the garden. This time with the point and shoot camera...
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| Mullein moth larva |
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Nellie the Elephant packed her trunk
And said goodbye to the circus
Off she went with a trumpety-trump...
8th February 2017
Nellie the Elephant packed her trunk
And said goodbye to the circus
Off she went with a trumpety-trump...
Yes, I am afraid that I began this update around a month ago and am only just now finding time to complete it. Never mind, that's life I guess, enough frivolity; let's crack on shall we...let's talk turkey!
When I saw this monster of a turkey at Heaven Farm in deepest Sussex recently, I couldn't resist a photo or two. Did you know turkeys have wattles, caruncles and snoods? In fact, I read the following on Wikipedia: In anatomical terms, the snood is an erectile, fleshy protuberance on the forehead of turkeys. Most of the time when the turkey is in a relaxed state, the snood is pale and 2-3 cm long. However, when the male begins strutting (the courtship display), the snood engorges with blood, becomes redder and elongates several centimetres, hanging well below the beak. Blimey! I hope he didn't fancy me.
Meanwhile, back in the garden, another tiny pupa...
This one was again only about 3mm long but this time, found in the soil. I may keep this one to see what eventually emerges.
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I have a number of emperor moth pupae that are overwintering as these fragile looking, papery, pear-shaped cocoons. I am hoping that these will be of mixed sex so that I get the chance to observe both adult moths at close quarters...
Late April onward should see the moths emerge if all is well. Not long now.
I now have another skull to add to my collection! This one is a badger and came to light on a walk through Ashdown Forest. A couple of phone pictures (I have been lazy about using the macro through this winter)...
And one of it beside the red fox skull...
And I think that about wraps up this bitty little update. The longer and brighter days are just around the corner though and so I am hoping that the invertebrates will soon be returning. I have already seen a couple of bees on sunny days.
I will leave you with a photo of this beetle larva I spotted under bark whilst looking for flat bugs. I am undecided as to exactly what it might be, not large enough for a stag beetle but perhaps one of the longhorns?
Until the next time...
Oh! One last thing: I am pleased to be able to report that Magnet magazine have asked me to write for them for another year and my latest article has just been published...
