INSECTS

The first picture is of a spider hiding in its funnel - to escape the rain - and to catch lunch. (The picture was taken in the morning)(otherwise it might have been tea or dinner).

Sometimes, out on the fells after rain, you can see the gorse bushes covered with such webs.

The rain has left large droplets weighing down the web and you can just see the spider at the bottom of the hole.

We have a plethora of bugs, beetles and other creepy-crawlies in the garden including this one. It is a Cockchafer or Maybug on the willows of the tunnel. The grubs can be found in the soil and eat the roots especially of grasses.

The grubs live in the soil for three to four years before the beetle emerges. They are about 35mm long - 1.5 inches.

This year the butterflies have been in short supply - only occasional whites, red admirals, painted ladies and peacocks.

Also I have not seen a single honey bee this year. Fortunately we have been inundated with bumble bees.

Then we have wasps scraping oak from the seats and green oak posts of the covered area outside the kitchen door but largely ignoring us - so far.

And there are wriggly things on/in the raspberries . . .