May should see more animals out and about as the weather warms up. Butterflies that overwintered as pupae, such as orange tip and holly blue, will now have hatched. The male orange tip has vivid orange tips to the upper surface of its wings, whereas the female has unremarkable white upper wings and could easily be confused with other white butterflies. The undersides of the wings of both sexes, however, have a brilliant green and white mottled appearance, as pictured here.
You may have noticed queen wasps about, looking for a suitable place to start a nest. The nest is usually built underground, but may be in hollow trees or wall cavities. It is built from chewed wood, which dries to a firm papery consistency and forms a remarkable structure made up of hexagonal cells, each containing an egg.
Towards the end of summer, the nest may contain up to 10,000 individuals and it is these workers that are such a nuisance buzzing around your picnic. New queens are produced at this time and they overwinter in sheltered places. All the other wasps in the colony, including the old queen, die.
This is also a good time to watch badgers. I took the picture below about a month ago and last year’s cubs were a year old then and almost as big as the parents. Badger cubs are usually born in February, but they spend the first 8 to 10 weeks in the sett. By now, though, this year’s cubs should be starting to make an appearance outside the sett. They look like miniature versions of the adults, but rather fluffier and cuter.
These days, you are much more likely to see a badger dead by the side of the road rather than out foraging, as road accidents are their major cause of death. To go out and see them live is well worth the effort. Many local wildlife trusts organize badger watching evenings, but there is no reason why you shouldn’t take on the challenge of finding and watching your own sett. If you have access to an active badger sett, you need to get into position well before dusk and make yourself comfortable. A red torch can be used to get a better look at the animals as they do not seem bothered by the red light. You could also scatter some peanuts around and smear Golden Syrup on a fallen log to encourage the badgers to stay around the area for a while. Make sure you are downwind of the entrance to the sett and, at all costs, stay quiet. If they detect any noise at all or any human smells, all you will see will be their rear ends disappearing into the undergrowth.
May should see more animals out and about as the weather warms up. Butterflies that overwintered as pupae, such as orange tip and holly blue, will now have hatched. The male orange tip has vivid orange tips to the upper surface of its wings, whereas the female has unremarkable white upper wings and could easily be confused with other white butterflies. The undersides of the wings of both sexes, however, have a brilliant green and white mottled appearance, as pictured here.
You may have noticed queen wasps about, looking for a suitable place to start a nest. The nest is usually built underground, but may be in hollow trees or wall cavities. It is built from chewed wood, which dries to a firm papery consistency and forms a remarkable structure made up of hexagonal cells, each containing an egg.
Towards the end of summer, the nest may contain up to 10,000 individuals and it is these workers that are such a nuisance buzzing around your picnic. New queens are produced at this time and they overwinter in sheltered places. All the other wasps in the colony, including the old queen, die.
This is also a good time to watch badgers. I took the picture below about a month ago and last year’s cubs were a year old then and almost as big as the parents. Badger cubs are usually born in February, but they spend the first 8 to 10 weeks in the sett. By now, though, this year’s cubs should be starting to make an appearance outside the sett. They look like miniature versions of the adults, but rather fluffier and cuter.
These days, you are much more likely to see a badger dead by the side of the road rather than out foraging, as road accidents are their major cause of death. To go out and see them live is well worth the effort. Many local wildlife trusts organize badger watching evenings, but there is no reason why you shouldn’t take on the challenge of finding and watching your own sett. If you have access to an active badger sett, you need to get into position well before dusk and make yourself comfortable. A red torch can be used to get a better look at the animals as they do not seem bothered by the red light. You could also scatter some peanuts around and smear Golden Syrup on a fallen log to encourage the badgers to stay around the area for a while. Make sure you are downwind of the entrance to the sett and, at all costs, stay quiet. If they detect any noise at all or any human smells, all you will see will be their rear ends disappearing into the undergrowth.
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