Bugsy

We are a week into May and I have attracted my first Maybug, those strange armoured creatures that whirr about at this time of the year. They attract revulsion from some but sympathy from others including myself, especially when they turn turtle and make heroic attempts to turn themselves the right way up again.  At least they always succeed in doing this unlike my younger sister's tortoise, which can't. Only yesterday, its life was saved on a visit by my elder sister who find it upside-down and kindly set it going again.

Another new-for-the year moth has turned up, meanwhile: the Rustic Shoulder-knot which shares the capuccino colourways of yesterday's Sandy Carpet. Its name derives from two small streaks of black on its inner 'shoulders', only just visible in my photo because most of them is hidden by its lavish fur collare (still handy while the nights remain a bit cold).

The butterflies are having a lovely time in the sun, meanwhile. Yesterday it was really warm, bringing out lots of Holly Blues and Orange Tips, above and below. I was also visited while planting beans by a Red Admiral, wakened from hibernation by the weather and the first I have seen this year.

The community allotments here meanwhile continue to be visited by various neighbours from the natural world, engaged in their round-the-clock hunt for food. No shops for them.  A pair of partridges scurried off when I arrived to sow Scarlet Globe radish seeds (a lovely, small, round and very speedy variety). I just managed to snap this one as it scuttled off.