Tuesday 16 June
The A12 is becoming noticeably busier each day. Lockdown really feels over, and now, with all of the shops open and schools going back…well…I can’t help but feel a little sad.
As I am sure I have already written, I am going to do my absolute best to hold on to this ‘better way’ of doing things. I can’t affect anything or anyone else, not directly. But I will keep writing my blog as my own daily reminder to notice what is in front of me, appreciate it, and understand it better.
We had a barbecue this evening, then went for our walk with Mabel. It was a quiet walk really. A few insects about including a number of lady bird lavae (see yesterday for ladybird stuff). The Song Thrush poet was still at it down the lane which makes me think he may not have been particularly successful this year. I may be doing him a disservice though so will read up.
The Gents Film and Leisure Club jas got a bit competitive as late entries for the insect photo competition from Sunday’s walk are submitted. On Day 86, I announced Richard’s picture of the Thick Legged Flower Beetle the winner but I overlooked this from Paul. Same species and what a cracker!
But now the others are feeling a little left out so let’s have one today and another tomorrow.
Jim’s picture of this Greenbottle was taken whilst the fly and many others of it’s clan were feeding on the carcass of a dead hare. The likelihood was that these flies had burst out of the rotting carcass after the larvae had spent around 2 days feeding on the corpse, but this can vary depending on ambient temperatures.
The Greenbottle is a blowfly and is useful to humans, or rather it’s larvae is. The maggots can be used to clean out wounds that have become infected and they even secrete an enzyme that repairs tissue. Forensics use the very predictable egg-to-fly cycle to predict a time of death as these flies will often be the first to a corpse.
The Bald Birder 