Making a splash
R had to go to Stratford today, and I tagged along in the hope that he’d buy me cake. Which he did, so all is peace and harmony chez O this evening. The Avon is currently in the sad state … Continued
Reflective
This morning R and I did some work on the family finances, which was deeply tedious and irritating, but luckily took so long that by the time we eventually made it into Stratford to do our shopping, the morning’s drizzle … Continued
Sad frog face
This is the pick of the leafhoppers I found in the garden today. It’s about 5-6mm long, and glories in the name Lamprotettix nitidulus. Despite extensive searches I haven’t been able to find out anything else about it, beyond the … Continued
Golden boy
In another odd piece of synchronicity, here is the Boy Wonder kneeling under a beech tree this afternoon, searching for nuts, on the day when Chris Packham explained about mast years – that is, the cyclical fruiting of beech trees … Continued
Collared pratincole
This morning I decided that I was well enough to risk a day out, so I made the trip to Slimbridge that didn’t happen on Monday. It turned out not to be the best day for a visit, because staff … Continued
Parent bug
This is the first parent bug I’ve seen since the previous generation began to come out of hibernation, back in the spring. Each summer I hope to get the chance to observe this bug’s unusual breeding behaviour, but I haven’t … Continued
Ten-spotted ten-spot
I find 10-spot ladybirds in my garden regularly but infrequently, though I don’t always recognise them immediately. The ones I see here tend to look like small, pale harlequins, and a few years ago I recorded one as such, but … Continued