Living dangerously

At the point when the Wool Carder spotted the red spider mite and turned to look at it, he lifted the spikes at the end of his abdomen in a way I’d have interpreted as threatening if I’d been the … Continued

Spiky

While R and I were working in the garden this morning there were three Southern Hawkers hunting around us – two males and a female. One of the males was showing mature colouration, the female slightly less so (making her … Continued

Speed Feeding Champion

The third day of the Alternative Olympic Games came to a  thrilling climax this afternoon, with the finals of the 1m Speed Feed (Bees, solitary) competition. As had been predicted by most pundits, this came down to a head-to-head between … Continued

Sex and violence

I was watching a Wool Carder noodling through the hedge woundwort, thinking that it was smaller than I remembered, and half-forming the thought that it might be a female, when a second one swooped in and pounced. I think it … Continued