Bugs and birds

 I've seen a couple of beautiful bugs in the last week, as the Spring weather (wet, but warmer) has come in. As always, my bug identification is rubbish, so I guess that these are both beetles, Coleoptera, but can only guess at the family. This one might be a Tiger Beetle (Cicindellidae family), but equally it might not:

Beetle, feeling waspish

And this one could be a Leaf Beetle (Chrysomelidae family) but equally could be one of the other zillion species of bug. Either way, she or he is a beautiful metallic gold colour.

Auric, the bug

Some of the bugs are being consumed by the birds, and a pair of Blue tits, Parus caeruleus, have made a nest in the dead tree that supports our washing line. Here is one, bringing a bug back for the babes:

 

Caught in a trophic web

 

Where are the Salamanders?

 I have seen just one salamander (Salamandra salamandra) this Spring - the one I fished out of our irrigation tank in the middle of February. Normally by this time we have seen lots of them, making their way from the river beds into the woods, or vice versa, crossing the track in the dark so that we have to drive at a crawl to avoid hitting them.

 

Not sallying out...

 But not this year. Where are the salamanders?

Sheer nonsense

 It's shearing time for the sheep, so here is Benbecula, the sheep who lived, after her Spring haircut. Beligerent as ever, I had to tie her up (just for a few minutes) while I hand-sheared her thick, sticky coat.

You staring at me?

She will be more comfortable with the short back and sides, as the weather turns hot.

Nature, coming in the door

We've had a lot of nature indoors, over the early Spring here at the Croft. First this Common Tree Frog, Hyla arborea, came in through the front door.

A better glass of frog

 

Then this gecko, Tarentola mauritanica, looked stuck (but wasn't, happily) in the kitchen window:

Nearly in a jamb

 

Meanwhile outdoors, but only just, I photographed this young hare (Lepus granatensis) outside the kitchen:

Hare today...

And finally, now that Spring has sprung, the lizards (Podarcus muralis) are in love:

Love story, potted

We, homo 'sapiens', occupy Nature temporarily, and without her permission. As soon as we are gone, Nature will be back in force.

2020 - Full of Fruit

The Gloria storm caused plenty of damage, but it also irrigated the Croft, and we have benefited throughout the year with better than average fruit harvests.

Happy to be olive...

First, our arbequina olive tree. This cultivar was - according to Wikipedia - first introduced to Europe from the Ottoman Empire in the seventeenth century by the Duke of Medinaceli. It is named after the village of Arbeca, in Lleida province. Last year I pruned and cleared around it, and this year it produced lots of wee black arbequina olives. I have stored some in salt solution, and for some I have used a salt-dried olive technique that has worked well.

Don't call me bitter

The Seville oranges Citrus × aurantium that I planted from seed years ago have, for the first time, given fruit. Yes, just the three oranges you can see in the picture, so a very small jar of marmalade.

Making a stamen

My neighbour picks and dries the stamens of the saffron crocus - ours grow under one of our fig trees - but it is a mighty job to gather even a few grams of saffron, so I am happy to let the bees enjoy them.

It is not only the plant kingdom that has done well this year. Our nightjars -  Caprimulgus europaeus there are at least three that regularly return to the Croft - hatched successfully. This despite the slightly suicidal method of building a ground nest next to the track, with two hungry dogs passing most days.

Ground floor apartment

 

And while we are on the ground, here is a fertile wee snail making the most of the moist conditions.

Slowing your wild oats

For next year, I have been clearing more of our olive trees. The target - many years from now - is to harvest 500kg of olives. With that quantity, we could press our own olive oil. Based on 2020's harvest, that's 496kg to go...

Oil have an olive, please

2020 - A bad year for blogs, but a good year for bugs

It has been a bad year for blogs, but a good year for bugs.

 

I have not written here since June, not for lack of motivation, but because life has become busier thanks to this Year of the Virus.

The virus has been deadly for far too many humans. But the lockdown has helped nature to thrive, starting with the insects. Here are a few examples:

First, a remarkably white spider.

...and the murderer was...Mrs White, in the Conservatory

 

Then - a reassurance for what you are about to read - two pollinators on our enthusiastic Cardus thistle.

 

This gives me a buzz, honey...

A beautifully camouflaged Hawk moth - I think it may be a Lime Hawk moth, Mimas tiliae, on the donkey stable door.

Green Hawk Down

 

And now for the bad news. My bees have died, victims of the Asian Hornet, Vespa velutina. Despite my best efforts with a solar-powered electric trap, and netting, the hornets got into the hives and killed all of the occupants.

To be, or Not to bee

 

I found the last hornet, itself killed by the bees, on the 6th December. 

The gory remains

 

I am going to take some time before I start see-keeping again. It's fascinating, but I don't want to risk starting again, until I understand better how to manage this new predator.

 

So 2020 - a bug year..