Wildlife summer 2012

[Maggi Young]

"Peacock spider"

 Hmmmmmm...... too many eyes and too many legs .... BUT, he is very smartly dressed and a very nifty mover and, dare I say it, kinda cute.

[ronm]

Fantastic indeed Davey, thanks for posting this.

[annew]

How does it fit all that behaviour in that tiny little brain, and I wonder what it looks like through all those eyes?

[ronm]

This may help Anne,

http://australianmuseum.net.au/How-spiders-see-the-world

Not one for Arachnophobes, 

[fredg]

Great video Davey.

[annew]

Thanks, Ron!

[chasw]

Had Mrs W helping me tidy the garden yesterday.untill she came upon a grass snake sunbathing in a pot ..............................shriek and gardened no more 

[ronm]

came upon a grass snake sunbathing in a pot

 
They are very partial to slugs,  . Would like many more in our garden

[arillady]

The Peacock spider video was amazing - I was also amused until that poor little spider didn't get away from an unimpressed female.

[Anthony Darby]

They are very partial to slugs,  . Would like many more in our garden

I've never heard of grass snakes ever eating slugs. Their diet consists of fish, newts and frogs, as well as tadpoles. Occasionally small birds and mammals are taken. Like all British reptiles, they are protected.

[ronm]

I assure you they love slugs, worms and almost anything else they can fit in ( inverts particularly when the snake is young ). Fish and amphibians of course.

[mark smyth]

I saw two moth species last night and something I have never seen before

First moth seen was a Six spot burnet and then another, and another and ... Then I spotted their cocoons in the grass with pupa skins poking out of them. The site is an old metal works that closed, was bought to become a multimillion £ project  - shopping, housing, relaxation ... but the builder went under and now it's about to be sold again

Budlejas have moved in and willow. Many grass species that now look like a meadow.

After dark the bat survey started and in one section I started seeing moths flying by and they began to dance. It was a Ghost moth lek and something I have never seen before. It was brilliant. I know understand why the males are white. Soon females started arriving and were flying among the males. It looked like they were chosing random males.

[ronm]

I saw two moth species last night and something I have never seen before

It was a Ghost moth lek and something I have never seen before. It was brilliant. I know understand why the males are white. Soon females started arriving and were flying among the males. It looked like they were chosing random males.

Unfortunately the same species that eats Galanthus

[mark smyth]

Really? I thought this species eats grass roots.

[Anthony Darby]

RIP Lonesome George 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18574279

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelonoidis_nigra_abingdoni