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.