Your day's wildlife

[summerdays]

That's what I mean - the itchiness and swelling is negligible when I shrug and leave them to it. Or maybe it's coincidence and I'm becoming immune as the season continues.

I'm a mobile feeding factory.... The other night walking across a field with my family I was the only one who had a visible cloud of flies circling my head, I looked very silly apparently as I kept flinging my hands around trying to disperse them! Luckily no one took a photo as they were too busy laughing

 

[coffeejo]

I'm a mobile feeding factory.... The other night walking across a field with my family I was the only one who had a visible cloud of flies circling my head, I looked very silly apparently as I kept flinging my hands around trying to disperse them! Luckily no one took a photo as they were too busy laughing

Ditto.

 

[Nibor]

Horse flys seem to love me must smell of horse. Apparently they don't have a proboscis but chew a hole in you, the reason the bites tend to flare up is that they don't brush their teeth between meals so can have all sorts of bugs.

 

[Andy_R]

Horse flys seem to love me must smell of horse. Apparently they don't have a proboscis but chew a hole in you, the reason the bites tend to flare up is that they don't brush their teeth between meals so can have all sorts of bugs.

Errm..it's the anti coagulant they have in their mouth parts that is very similar to that of midges. But in massively larger amounts, as they BITE, not suck like midges. The anticoagulant is to a degree a local anaesthetic, but some react badly to it (me!) If I get bitten by a Cleg, the bite site will swell up till it looks like someones tried to squash half a lemon uner my skin, and I will need medical treatment otherwise I'll scratch it to fekkery and infection.

 

[Nibor]

Errm..it's the anti coagulant they have in their mouth parts that is very similar to that of midges. But in massively larger amounts, as they BITE, not suck like midges. The anticoagulant is to a degree a local anaesthetic, but some react badly to it (me!) If I get bitten by a Cleg, the bite site will swell up till it looks like someones tried to squash half a lemon uner my skin, and I will need medical treatment otherwise I'll scratch it to fekkery and infection.

While your explanation is scientifically accurate it isn't as entertaining as my image of horse flys with manky teeth.

 

[Stephenite]

We've had quite a few cleg bites the past few days. I'm left with a lump the size of half a marrowfat pea, whilst the gf's bites swell up to the size of half a golf ball. The kids don't appear to have been bit at all. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to allow the clegs to finish their meal as @coffeejo does.

I saw a Black cock yesterday in forest in southern Telemark. I was driving and by the time I'd stopped and found my phone he was gone. The first time I've seen one ever so quite exciting.

 

[coffeejo]

We've had quite a few cleg bites the past few days. I'm left with a lump the size of half a marrowfat pea, whilst the gf's bites swell up to the size of half a golf ball. The kids don't appear to have been bit at all. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to allow the clegs to finish their meal as @coffeejo does.

Don't think I'll be doing it again. One bit my leg yesterday, stayed on for bloomin ages and then bit me again, just a couple of mms away from the first site! I admired its appetite but there are limits.

 

[Stephenite]

I've just been out on the 'porch' to enjoy a glass of wine in the evening air. I wish I hadn't. There was a Telemark death slug waiting to ambush:

Luckily I was armed with a flash, and managed to escape.

 

[Stephenite]

Is this a foreign (to the UK) slug?

I'm not sure. It was big, and gave me the willies. I first thought it was a slow-worm in the poor light. But too stumpy. Then I saw it's head. Here's another photo:

It's a bit crimped here but shows the colours better.

 

[Stephenite]

It's a Leopard Snail. And British/European. According to Wikipedia.

 

[annedonnelly]

And Leopard slugs eat other slugs so good to have in your garden if you want to protect your plants from the vegetarians.

 

[Maverick Goose]

Several Marbled Whites enjoying the West Dorset sunshine.

 

[annedonnelly]

I think the "clocks" of Goats Beard are absolutely stunning. The flowers - dendelion-like - are a bit disappointing and don't last long but the seed heads are wonderful.

 

[coffeejo]

Spotted this wasp drinking from my bird bath yesterday afternoon.

 

[summerdays]

Spotted this wasp drinking from my bird bath yesterday afternoon.

View attachment 136632

I noticed a wasp drinking from the bottom of the tap of the water bucket the other day.