Preadult Mayfly

Today I saw a strange insect resting on the kitchen window. It was colored in different shades of brown. Its wings were held straight out at the back and together, and it had amazingly long front legs. There browny blotches on its wings. I looked it up and discovered it was from the family Ephemeroptera, that is, it was a mayfly. On reading further I discovered it was a male and, from its appearance, had recently emerged from a nymphal case, and had not yet reached the final stage of its metamorphosis known as the sub-imago – it is a winged preadult life stage unique to the mayfly among all insect species. It usually rests among vegetation waiting for the final moulting stage to occur revealing the fully clothed mayfly or spinner as they are also known. Sadly, their life is very short: they will mate and if female lay eggs and in a just a few hours they will probably be dead.

Scorpion Fly

Today while working in the garden near the paddock I saw a scorpion fly – he was entirely fascinating. I knew instantly what he was because of his upturned scorpion-like tail, also his head looked different from a normal fly. I watched him for a while, then he went about his business, and I went about mine.

It is sad to relate there are not as many butterflies about again this year, actually even less than last year, and if one prettily appears it is often seized upon and eaten, often as not by a robin.

May Flowers and Wildlife

It seems such a long time since I last wrote for my nature diary. It is the last day of May and the garden is looking absolutely wonderful – probably the best we have ever seen. It is lush and verdant, and so full of flowers. I thought spring was best, but this far outweighs it. There are flowers, of all types, in profusion everywhere I look. A few days ago I tried to count the various clematis which are rambling and scrambling all over. As far as I can tell there are forty-two, but there may be more unopened and therefore missed.

Mike has cut the lawn and it sets the borders off beautifully. The wildlife, as always, is abundant: a pair of collared doves, blackbirds, a chaffinch, robins and various tits. There is a magpie that has spent the last three days pecking against an ant colony to feed on the fat grubs inside. We have an injured pigeon, (feral not domesticated). His wing is damaged. At first he could not fly at all and spent his days on the lawn and nights in the borders. I was fearful as night fell each evening that he would make a tasty meal for our fox, who is also badly damaged and now on three legs. Some days have passed though and not only is the pigeon still with us, he is now able to fly short distances. I am still hopeful he will grow strong again, but his wing is so badly distorted and dropped that I fear it will never fully heal. I know that he is physically much better, but I also now know he is definitely make because this evening I have witnessed him bowing to and chasing after a female, and daring to make attempts to mate, yet he has not yet been successful.

We still have three squirrels: last year’s youngster and a pair. Sadly one of our pair died last year, but was very soon replaced and quickly grew as tame as the others. At the moment the female is heavily pregnant. When she moves across the lawn feeding her swollen belly scrapes the grass and when she is sitting up her nipples are thrust forward and out of her fur like mini torpedoes.

The pheasants have all but deserted us although I know they will be back in the autumn. We do, however, have one regular who still comes to feed each night and morning.

Ducks are, as always, ever faithful and a great pleasure even though they have fouled up the big pond, may be beyond redemption, but the constant pair plus the pair with the white female, and the pair with the dark female that frequently visit give us so much pleasure that we would always welcome them.