These mystery holes are made by a dung beetle, the minotaur beetle, Typhaeus typhaeus P1081346
Hi All
Late again with my report, as I was this Tuesday. Cannot get the hang of getting my act together this year, must be the cold my youngest grandson gave us the weekend before Christmas! I know that I am not alone here but hopefully things will get back to a normality soon.
Well having said that Tuesday was like a Spring day, mild, still and occasionally sunny when that cosmic observer was not obscured by the smoke and flames rising upward from the valley floor as more gorse, blackthorn and broom were added to the pyre of 2012. Fire raising was the most popular job of the day but quite a lot of post festivity energy was unleashed on dragging material to the fire from where it was stacked before or had been newly cut on top of the ridge to create a cleared space along the perimeter barbed wire fence by the furious hacking and sawing brigade.
The highlights of the day, apart from the appeasing of the ancient fire gods, was the cutting of Jim's New Year 2013 cake, complete with decoration and celebratory squib, various pieces of Stollen cake from Maryla (homemade) and me (Mr Tesco) and of course yet more vanilla and sultana buns from Mr W. Add to this Mr B's Bambi hotpot and Audrey's badger sponge and custard. We are clearly set up for the rest of this week and so should be fighting fit for the next GST extravaganza wherever it may be.
Very little wildlife about, some nice lichen of course and the odd bit of fungi, oh and some mysterious holes clearly made by some wee beastie. Answers on the hole mystery gratefully received please. My guess is some form of dung beetle?
All the best for 2013.
My new hero Nancy Reed, our WLT Reserves Manager in Beds said
"Yes, they are made by a dung beetle, the minotaur beetle, Typhaeus typhaeus. The habitat is ideal, they prefer sandy heath-land type soils, and are fairly common on Cooper’s Hill. They’re fairly unusual among the British dung beetles as they’re very active for most of the year, including through the winter. They’re also one of the few of the British dung beetle fauna to roll balls of dung – like you so often see on wildlife films (most British species live within the dung itself, including breeding) – but they cheat and use ready made balls in the form of rabbit droppings."
JP
These mystery holes are made by a dung beetle, the minotaur beetle, Typhaeus typhaeus P1081346
Hi All
Late again with my report, as I was this Tuesday. Cannot get the hang of getting my act together this year, must be the cold my youngest grandson gave us the weekend before Christmas! I know that I am not alone here but hopefully things will get back to a normality soon.
Well having said that Tuesday was like a Spring day, mild, still and occasionally sunny when that cosmic observer was not obscured by the smoke and flames rising upward from the valley floor as more gorse, blackthorn and broom were added to the pyre of 2012. Fire raising was the most popular job of the day but quite a lot of post festivity energy was unleashed on dragging material to the fire from where it was stacked before or had been newly cut on top of the ridge to create a cleared space along the perimeter barbed wire fence by the furious hacking and sawing brigade.
The highlights of the day, apart from the appeasing of the ancient fire gods, was the cutting of Jim's New Year 2013 cake, complete with decoration and celebratory squib, various pieces of Stollen cake from Maryla (homemade) and me (Mr Tesco) and of course yet more vanilla and sultana buns from Mr W. Add to this Mr B's Bambi hotpot and Audrey's badger sponge and custard. We are clearly set up for the rest of this week and so should be fighting fit for the next GST extravaganza wherever it may be.
Very little wildlife about, some nice lichen of course and the odd bit of fungi, oh and some mysterious holes clearly made by some wee beastie. Answers on the hole mystery gratefully received please. My guess is some form of dung beetle?
All the best for 2013.
My new hero Nancy Reed, our WLT Reserves Manager in Beds said
"Yes, they are made by a dung beetle, the minotaur beetle, Typhaeus typhaeus. The habitat is ideal, they prefer sandy heath-land type soils, and are fairly common on Cooper’s Hill. They’re fairly unusual among the British dung beetles as they’re very active for most of the year, including through the winter. They’re also one of the few of the British dung beetle fauna to roll balls of dung – like you so often see on wildlife films (most British species live within the dung itself, including breeding) – but they cheat and use ready made balls in the form of rabbit droppings."
JP