Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Robber flies and hogweed larvae

Today as I was watering my house leeks a kite-tailed robber fly (Machimus atricapillus) landed on our abandoned refrigerator (circa 1935) and enjoyed sucking the juices via the head of a hapless hoverfly it had just caught.

20100804 Wbx & South View 030

Not far away I found some caterpillars of the fuscous brindled flat-body moth, Depressaria pastinacella, a common species but one that normally remains closely concealed in a spun together head of hogweed.

20100804 Wbx & South View 008

Monday, August 02, 2010

The weasel's lunch

Today I decided to have my lunch looking out into the garden.  Suddenly a weasel emerged from the undergrowth only a couple of metres from me and crossed our small patio.  She held her head high as she was carrying a dead mouse, as cats carry a kitten,  in her mouth.

We do occasionally see weasels in the garden, going along the hedge bottom or elsewhere, but I have not noticed one for several years past and think, like many creatures, they must be getting rarer.

Maybe the mouse was her lunch, but as she was carrying it elsewhere, I like to hope she has a family somewhere in our garden.