Dedicated To:

The following is a list of pages I created dedicating them to specific groups of beings which I have encountered on my travels. More will be added as time goes by. Please click on each caption if you wish to visit the dedicated page. I hope you enjoy!

As old as the hills - Slugs and Snails

From as young as I can remember have I been very much fascinated by snails. It was a painstakingly slow task for my grandparents when they took me for a walk on rainy days: I would stop and pick up every snail that I would see on the pavement and distribute them all into what I deemed safe places, such as plant pots and other green spots one encounters in a suburban setting.

I forever watched them move slowly but steadily forward, overcoming most obstacles in their way, never in a rush, never aggressive, just a steady, slow forward movement yet always purposeful. Hours were spent collecting empty shells and sorting them by colour. I was easily entertained; put me outside and I would happily observe all that crawls. 

Of course I am still fond of the wise creatuers and have discovered some rather astounding facts. Click the above image to view the specially dedicated page for slugs and snails.

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The Dock Beetles - Jewells of our pastures - and comedians

As early as end of April, the dock beetles will make an appearance and decorate the big, leafy dock plants in shimmery spots of green / yellow and orange. At first I gave them little attention until I watched some most peculiar mating behaviour as there seemed to be dozens of groups of threes - one female and two males - and the males spent more time grappling than doing their deed. More often than not both would fall off and the female was left with no other choice but to wander off and until she would find new suitors.  A few walkers have wondered what I was up to; cowering in the middle of a field laughing out loud, to them seemingly for no obvious reason ...

And so these little guys too have their own dedicated page.

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The Grasshopper 'Nursery' 

Now this was a very special few months. It started in the previous year in September, when the last of the warm summer sunshine would grace the evenings and the air was filled with the chirping of the grasshoppers. Having developed a reasonable accuracy in listening and locating the spot where the sounds come from, I soon discovered that there was an area on a section of old parts of a stonewall, half covered in moss and some tall grasses. The stones were warmed by the sun during the day and it seemed perfect for the grasshopper adults to gather. It clearly seemed to have been some mating ritual as after some hustle and bustle, a male and a female would disappear. There must have been some 20 grasshoppers gathering. They didn't care much for my presence there either.

Then I forgot all about it and winter had come and gone. The following May, as I was roaming in the same area again, I noticed suddenly dozens of small white creatuers on the stones. Upon closer inspection I realised that they were grasshopper nymphs!

And so, I very carefully went to re-visit the site several times and had the joy of witnessing some great moments.

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Moss & Lichen - A magical world

Everytime I spot moss & lichen I can't help but trying to imagine what these small patches would be like if I was the size of an ant or even smaller. Hundreds upon hundreds of small micro worlds on our stonewalls and trees, looking very much like an underwater sea bed.

Mosses and Lichen are among the oldest lifeforms on earth - and their presence offers information about the air quality. So much to learn!

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Natural Pasture Cleaners - The Dung Beetles

Yes, I spent much of the past summer kneeling over and in front of - cowpads! 

It all started when one day I saw several shiny, metallic blue spots on the cowpads in nearby grazing fields. As I went to examine I noticed these blue spots being flies. But that wasn't all that was moving on these cow pads I found out. At last was I to find out who made all those tiny wholes on the pad. Cow pads are home to or used by various insects food and mating platform.

Of course the cows too wanted to be involved in my research ... 

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