Tuesday 14 July
It’s been a while since I have referred to coronavirus in this blog. I guess this is partly because I (and many others) am bored of it as a all as a talking point. Perhaps also because it’s a bit depressing really.
Plenty of chat about the use of face masks at the moment. Are they helpful, are they not? In the US many believe it’s an infringement of their civil liberties. Also, we have had a lockdown extension in Leicester and there are a few more potentially, including Blackburn.
A couple of fascinating things observed on our walk this evening. Although nature is going through a bit of an afternoon nap at the moment, there are still a few treasures that unveil themselves.
I counted seven of these spider webs at the base of the hedgerows near us. Although the web is quite clearly funnel shaped, they clearly aren’t the infamous funnel-web – they live on the other side of the world. These are the UK’s own Labyrinth Spider. These build quite elaborate nests of interconnecting silken tunnels that start at the opening we see here. Everything eventually leads, however, to their suspended egg sack.
Then there were these little towers of berries protruding from the grass and leaf litter. I believe this is from the plant Arum maculatum otherwise known as Lords-and-Ladies. It is a bulb that flowers in May/June but has these protruding shafts of bright fruits afterwards.
The berries are poisonous (brightly coloured things usually are) and the juice from them is a skin irritant. So best to stay away when you see them in the hedgerow.
I wonder, if that was a group of flowers of the same colour we would love them. Bringing a splash of colour to the brown hedgerow floor. But because they’re berries, I instantly see them as dangerous. Is that a natural instinct or one we have been taught?
The Bald Birder 