Creatures: latest

Now time for something I do enjoy writing about!

Interfering human story #1:

Stage beetle saved from drowning!
I was going to empty out a large plant saucer, when I noticed a stag beetle in there. Apologies for the picture, I was in a rush to get the critter out!

I'd heard a really loud noise the night before, and wondered if it could be a stag beetle - it sounded a lot like a Lancaster Bomber, but I knew it wouldn't be that! Just kept my head down and went back indoors.

[A cousin had got a stag beetle tangled in her hair when we stayed with them in France as children, and I still remember her hysterics!]

So obviously I rescued her, and put her on a piece of wood to dry. I didn't know if she would survive, but she was certainly clinging on to my fingers.

Their feet seem to be made out of a particularly sharp form of Velcro; I'd forgotten that from a previous rescue until I was trying to disentangle myself without bloodshed!

I know the advice is to not interfere, but I find it very difficult to imagine letting anything die without trying to help.

Anyway, David saw her fly off not too much later, so I think my conscience is clear!

Interfering human story #2:

Grasshopper rescued from tangled web!
I noticed a noise one evening: not a have-we-got-burglars noise, nor a are-there-swallows-trying-to-be-stealthy sound either, but enough of a difference to how an old house sounds to go and investigate.

I found this poor grasshopper tangled up and unable to move - trust me, they don't let you pick them up if they are able to escape under their own steam!

I took him [her?] outside and spent a long few minutes with a couple of pairs of tweezers gently prising the cobweb away from the legs.

I also managed to free up the antennae by holding the threads and waiting for the grasshopper to wriggle free.

I was so nervous about hurting it, but if it couldn't move it was certainly going to die, so I had to do something. Whilst I was debating whether to have one last attempt [to remove a rather fetching "leg warmer"] it boinged off.

OK, so that answered that question! Better than without human intervention. And nowhere to be seen after I'd put the tweezers away, so I'm hoping it goes on to have a full grasshopper-length life.

If I worked for Walt Disney, I'd be assuming that this is the same creature back to say thank you!

I don't subscribe to that philosophy ['saccharine-with-everything-is-good'], so suspect this was just another random insect that hasn't yet learnt to keep out of my house! At least it was a lot easier to get rid of: persuaded it onto a handy card & carried it out.

Unusually, it was obliging enough to pose for photos before the obligatory bound off into the distance

Front step denizens:

I've been having the keep-still-and-quiet challenge just lately - there are several lizards that come out of hiding to sun themselves outside the kitchen front door.

I wish I could sign up to this one's yoga class!

I can see them from where I sit at the table if I've got the door open. The possibility of getting a decent picture draws me back to crouching just inside the doorway each time. All I have to do is make like a statue [and preferably become invisible, but can't manage that yet!]...

I'm fairly sure "stumpy" is pregnant, but don't know how to find out - do lizards eat a great big meal like snakes and end up with huge bulges?

Sitting quietly and watching is great practise for meditation, so I'll keep observing. If you are still long enough, they do come out of hiding fairly happily [eventually], even if the tail often stays hidden!

I have seen one lizard shaking another one by the tail without the "victim" losing its tail; I'm guessing some sort of mating ritual? I know they do abandon their tails if that will save their lives...

The tail-shaker wasn't much bigger (if at all) than the "shakee", so I don't think it was looking for dinner!

This handsome chap is known as a "gendarme", according to my Flammarion. But I am learning that words I pick up from reading reference books mystify my neighbours or workmen, so that may not be a common usage of the word!

[Let's not get into mistakes-you-can-make-with-French, shall we - the "baisser/baiser incident" with the carpenter has got that firmly sorted out in my mind! I'm hoping they think I meant kiss...]

Gratuitous pictures of pretty insects:

I seem to have a "thing" for violet carpenter bees!

They are very loud, but sound much less threatening than a hornet [and the 'Lancaster Bomber'], so I love hearing them. Sadly, they rarely keep still long enough for me to get a good photo.

I don't know why they are called "violet", as they are definitely black and the wings are blue/turquoise.

They are enormous, but I'm pretty sure they don't sting. [If they do, I hope I never find that out!]

I think this is our old friend the marbled white butterfly. They are much more showy when they sit with their wings open, but sadly seem to be much more sensitive to human presence when opened out, so I rarely get a photo of them like that.

I haven't seen as many butterflies this year, but the verbena bonariensis is only just flowering and the perovskia (their favourite) isn't even in bud yet, so there's plenty of time yet.

Happy Independence Day to U.S. citizens; happy sunny Sunday to the rest of us!