Cyn's Nature Notes: Stag beetles

Saturday 28 July 2012

Stag beetles

I was delighted to watch a stag beetle on a log,which was part of the woodpile, it is a long time since I have seen one of these in the garden, two or three years.

Many people are worried by stag beetles because they have huge jaws which resemble stag horns in shape and look quite fearsome. However these beetles are not at all ferocious, indeed they are quite gentle and will not hurt people or animals. They feed and breed on rotting wood and will do no harm even to plants or living wood.

They are an endangered species and need all the help we can give them, this is easily done by instead of burning or getting rid of wood from old trees, find a place in a corner of the garden to pile it, it is important that it is resting on the earth and then just leave it --- no further attention is needed. In time this heap of dead wood will rot down and if you are lucky will be used by stag beetles, they are fascinating creatures and need our help.

The great thing about a wood pile is that it brings other creatures in to the garden and provides a habitat for all sorts of insects as well as a nesting place for some birds and a home to a friendly toad or two who will enjoy dining on your slugs and other pests.

Help the stag beetle and you will indirectly help yourself, can't be bad, can it?

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About this Blog

When we moved to our present home in December 1987, I was very ill and bedridden. My garden was a life-saver, although it was very different then. The first thing I did was to put up bird-feeders, and long hours were spent lying indoors in a recliner. This was when I discovered many things. Do you know the underside of every blue tit’s tail is differently marked? Gradually, over the years, the garden changed. We put in shrubs and plants that would not only enhance the garden, but would also be good for wildlife. The first rabbit we saw was so joyful for us. The deer eat the flowers, prune the apple trees, eat the marrow, and are wonderful to watch. Foxes have been a major part of our wildlife. We have fed them each night for more than 20 years. They are such a delight, especially in late summer and early autumn when there are youngsters. They behave like puppies and are great fun to watch.

I love all wildlife: the mason bees that nest in the brickwork of the bungalow, the hornets that last year made their home in the roof above our bedroom, the bees currently nesting in the roof above the bathroom. On a hot evening, if you stand quietly in the bathroom, you can hear this amazing sound: it is very rhythmic and reminds me of the waves at the seaside. It is made by the beating of the bees’ wings as they fan their nest to keep the temperature at the right level -- how many people have heard that sound? I feel so privileged.

Obviously, I feed the birds. When I open the window in the morning I call “Come on Bobby and Blackie”, and one followed swiftly by the other they fly immediately to the bird table. Each morning, on rising, I make my way to the kitchen and find the squirrels already sitting on the window ledge waiting to be fed. Winter brings the moorhens and spring time the mallards. Our pond is a poor effort from a human point of view, but wild creatures see it differently. On summer days, the grass snakes spend long hours in the pond: eating the fish, froglets, toadlings, newts, and any other living creature they can swallow. Although I hate to see the pond emptied this way, I do enjoy the snakes and feel they are an important part of the balance of nature in the garden. Watching a dragonfly nymph climbing out of the pond, up a plant stalk, and then over the next few hours gradually transforming into a beautiful dragonfly -- these are contented hours well spent.

It has been my pleasure to write and publish a nature column each month. I am always delighted to hear how much pleasure this brings to my readers. I have often been asked if I have written a book, so I am making more of my writings and photography available through this web site and blog.