Stag beetle larva found in apple wood
The un-resisted cheap pun will alert you to the fact that I'm feeling better and just in time, as today has long been set aside for splitting more apple wood ready for next winter. The weather forecasters are making much of a return to winter weather and admittedly I did wake to a stunning hoarfrost, silently glistening in the moonlight. However thoughts of spring have pervaded my soul and are hard to shake. I fancy I am not alone in this as the piping and chattering of songbirds, unmistakably charged with the ardour of courtship, babbled about the oak stand where we worked. Family friend L, who is currently staying with my parents, lent a hand and with him on the splitter, dad cutting the buts to length and me loading the splitter and stacking, we processed an impressive amount of firewood.
The source of the wood, a traditional bramley orchard, was grubbed some years ago now and the large butts, haphazardly heaped on the ground have over the time attracted residents. We often come across wood boring grubs but today we cracked a log to find a colony of stag beetle larva, not fully grown, but bearing all the hallmarks of that species. I needn't be told it is sacrilege to destroy such creatures but once they were discovered the deed was done (they do not relocate well) and they are the first we’ve come across. Adding even more excitement to the proceedings was the discovery of four hibernating queen hornets, torpid but clearly alive. These we relocated to a sheltered nook and should hopefully survive until Spring proper.
Grubby - my dirty finger for purposes of scale
Dinner
Stilton and bacon pasta bake with sausages, brussel sprouts and runner beans. A hearty aroma, which greets the nose whenever the fridge door is open, serves as a persistent reminder that there is Stilton to eat!
Unrelated - the photo for yesterday's unwritten blog
No comments:
Post a Comment