The Snowman

A great deal of the UK experienced large amounts of snow over the last couple of weeks. I was snowed in a few times.

Freezing cold it may have been but you have to grab the coats and gloves, then head out into the garden for a spot of snowman building!

Any excuse to get outside!

The Leopard Slug

We were heading out for a stroll and a bite to eat. I had to rearrange the recycling boxes, which had been emptied by the refuse collectors earlier that morning. Inside one of the boxes was a very interesting slug.

I hadn't seen this species before, not as far as i could remember. The boys were enthused by its leopard-like patterns and we took a quick snap for the album.

A bit of research revealed this fella to be Limax maximus - commonly known, not surprisingly, as the leopard slug.

They have an interesting method of copulation, which involves hanging from a branch on a thread of mucous http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Slug-oh_my!.jpg

The Guardian at Autumn's Gate

As the days rapidly shorten and we head full speed into Autumn there is one species which can not fail to catch the eye. The Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) is the best known orb-weaving arachnid in the UK.

Who can fail to notice the beautiful silk creations hanging amidst the ivy and bushes. Even if you dislike spiders you surely can not fail to appreciate the webs produced by the Garden spider.

The female in the above picture has made a very large web between the shed and ivy in our back garden. Earlier in the summer the boys and I were playing outside and happened across an egg sac in the foliage - subsequently the silk bundle erupted to reveal hundreds of tiny Garden spiders. Unfortunately we had a data disaster with the laptop and i lost some very nice photos of the tiny creatures. The garden is now home to some of the survivors of this silken exodus and i would estimate about twenty to forty webs have been spun.

The spiderlings grow rapidly and, as is the case with all spider species, the female is considerably larger than the male. They hatch around May-June and spend the rest of summer feeding on plenty of flying insects in an attempt to reach breeding size as swiftly as possible.

Mature males approach the females cautiously and tug on the web in an effort to show they should not be mistaken as prey. If cards are played correctly a successful mating will follow and the suitors will live to fight another day. Hapless males will end up being eaten or chased away.

The female lays her eggs at the end of summer or early autumn. She builds an egg sac and, once the eggs are deposited within, proceeds to stop eating and guard them with her life until she dies in late autumn.

The egg sac will endure the cold until the spiderlings hatch in late spring the following year. Young adult males and females will hibernate under leaves and bark when the cold really sets in.

Whenever i think of summer drawing to a close i think of these creatures. They emerge when the skies are blue and the air full of birds and insects. Even as the leaves begin to change from green to orange - falling like fire from their aerial haunts- it is still possible to step outside first thing in the morning and see the beautiful, dew-covered orbs. Then one day, when summer really has closed the chapter for another year, they are gone.

To me they are the guardian sitting in front of autumn's door - they remind us that the next season will still hold much beauty, even if the days will grow dark and the temperatures drop. Their webs may only stick within the plush flora for a matter of months but they endure in the mind much longer.

Bye bye summer

Teddy the Spider

We arrived back at the house after a brief outing for fresh air (the first winter cold had been doing its rounds and we needed to clear our heads) and Todd immediately spotted a sizeable house spider making its way under the radiator in the front room. Quick as a flash i pounced and captured the amiable arachnid. Fear of spiders is mainly learned -  no doubt we all have an inbuilt instinct to shy away in the first instance; probably stemming from the time of early humans when playing with creepy crawlies in hotter countries could result in a venomous bite and possibly even death (more evidence of our African origins?). Maybe it is just a natural feature of humans to shy away from animals with a physical form so different to their own.

Spiders look alien, yes, but they are also essential to the food chain. Without them the world would be over run by insects and most of them are not half as scary or dangerous as people make out. What exactly can a house spider do to anyone? Nothing but produce irrational fear is the answer. When i was a child my parents both reacted in a fearful fashion around spiders - my dad more than my mum. The natural instinct towards avoiding creatures that look and move like spiders was fortified by this behaviour and my brother and I were very uncomfortable around them.

As an adult i have worked to remove this irrational fear and have largely mastered it. If i see a house spider then i am more than happy to pick it up with my bare hands -  even a really big one with legs that stretch right across a palm.

Understanding that the original fear was learned i always grab an opportunity (and a spider!) to teach the kids that, just like all other animals, they are fascinating and amazing. So with the boys naming him 'Teddy' we ventured into the bathroom and spent 10 mins watching him run about the bath -  getting photos in the process. Initially apprehensive my eldest child, Todd, was soon letting him walk all over his hands; picking him up and generally seeing all that was good about him. I didn't let Leo have too much contact because, at only 2 years old, he would have squashed him accidentally. He was happy to observe the interaction.

You will notice that i have referred to this spider as 'he'- how do i know this? Autumn in the UK is mating season for the common house spider and the males become very amorous. This is why you see lots more house spiders during September and October - the males are actively seeking mates. Also, as is the case with most spider species, the males have longer legs but a smaller cephalothorax (head fused with thorax unlike in insects) and abdomen (lower body). This was a big male, no doubt about that, but he wouldn't be as heavy as a female the same age.

When you get close to this species you realise that they are not just a drab brown, hairy spider. There are patterns on the abdomen - quite pretty patterns.

We interacted with him for a while and then all waved goodbye as i released him in the garden (mum would not have been a big fan of me putting him back in the house!). Whilst mum doesn't like spiders, in fact when i met her she really disliked them, she has worked very hard to master her fear. I helped her by giving spiders names when we found them in the house. Now she tries really hard not to jump or say negative things about them because she realises how this can affect Todd and Leo's fear development. Just one more thing that makes her a wonderful mum and wife.

In this way my children have learned not to fear spiders or other arachnids and insects, but to embrace them - they will never be the child in the playground to run a mile when something like a huge stag beetle turns up. They will embrace nature and in doing so will find something amazing in every day.

Bye bye Teddy, we will all miss you, but good luck finding a mate and thanks for keeping the insect population sensible p.s don't eat too many really interesting ones - we want to find and study them first!

The Big Caterpillar

It was a beautiful late September day and we headed into the nature reserve to meet some friends. Todd was keen to investigate the small pond and, leaving a sleeping Leo with mum, we headed round the corner with net and capture-box in hand.

As summer draws to a close the pond is becoming progressively more quiet. The lily pads sway silently in the breeze and, whilst it is still possible to find the odd pond skater or water boatman, the area has the distinct feel of a season preparing to wave goodbye. Today we captured some water fleas, but not much else. 

To the left of the pond, however, the meadow has been cut back to remove the excessive summer growth and we were able to flip some wooden planks and note a variety of insects.

Next stop the log pile and we found two froglets and two toadlets -  all enjoying the damp, cool atmosphere beneath a stick pile.

While flipping logs in the usual fashion (careful to replace in the way we found them), a small party of nature hunters shuffled into view, escorted by a council worker at the reserve. They were on a mission to find animal tracks and other identifying marks that suggested certain species were present and active. We decided to accompany them and, using the chart provided, began to spot and identify various examples of footprints, hair and feathers.

On moving to the lower field and entering the woods we noticed something on the floor that, at first glance, appeared to be a stick. Something was different about this woody apparition, however, and closer inspection revealed it to be a huge caterpillar from the Hawk Moth family. At the time i wasn't sure exactly which one, but a quick check at home revealed it as Deilephila elpenor or The Elephant Hawk Moth. They like eating willowherb and bedstraw, so i assume there was plenty around. Certainly this example had eaten its fill !

Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar in typical snake pose

This species has a head adorned with four large painted eyes, effective weapons in scaring away hungry birds, and the typical Hawk Moth Caterpillar spike at the end of the body.

As a child i found an Eyed Hawk Moth - huge and beautiful like all the members of this genus - but i had never encountered a caterpillar. The wonderful thing about having kids is the new found motivation to get out and help them learn about the world. When you start looking all sorts of treasures will come your way. This one comes a close second to the Grass Snake.

The Best Things in Life are Free

We take so many things for granted in this modern world. Everyday we drive past trees, animals and changing weather conditions without stopping to marvel at the beauty of it all. It is a miracle that we are here to view life, we beat insurmountable odds to stand and draw breath.

We were driving back from a visit to my wife's Nan when the most amazing sky erupted around us. Sunset is often a stunning time of day but i had to grab my phone and take a quick snap of the view in front of me. Amazing. The boys were sound asleep in the back as the Sun stroked their faces with reds and pinks then waved goodbye for another day. 

Our Own Little Moon

We own a pair of  Australian Spotted Pythons (Antaresia maculosa). The male is about 5 years old and the female 18 months. As children my brother and I kept snakes and lizards; we have always been fascinated by reptiles and i have been lucky enough to work with a number of species. Earlier this year my brother produced a lovely litter of Boa Constrictors - some albino and some normal phase. We aim to breed our Spotted Pythons next year when the female is properly mature.

I was 6 when i had my first snake, a Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis), so yet again my children got in that bit earlier. They love having the pythons in their room and are very keen to show friends and family. My brother has a much larger collection and at one time housed around ten different species - Uncle Paul's house remains a wonder emporium for the children.

One of my friends keeps Reticulated Pythons, the longest species of snake in the world, and a female in his collection is absolutely enormous. See some pics at http://www.imperialretics.co.uk/.  He does fantastically well with their husbandry and has enjoyed many breeding successes but we are only interested in small, easily housed, species. This allows us to focus on the aesthetics of their terrarium and one master stroke involved connection of a moonlight strip to the roof of the tank.

With the light turned on it is easy to view the pythons, who are nocturnal, and it also doubles as a reassuring night light for the kids. The effect is truly magical and the wood chippings are bathed in a silver/blue glow like the brightest of moons.

If i need to sit with the kids, because one of them can't fall asleep, it is very relaxing listening to the trickle of the waterfall as the pythons begin foraging in the lunar ambience.

The Little Bulldog

Jack, our French Bulldog, is now 6 years old and doesn't handle long walks easily on account of his small trachea and shortened airways. He is truly multum in parvo - short, chunky and very strong - but the stamina is lacking.

Admittedly many French Bulldogs breathe ok but he was rather unlucky. Nonetheless we are now approaching autumn and winter - Jack's best exercising seasons - and he will have lots of fun wading through the fallen leaves and barking at foxes!

The Wooden Snake

We happened across this wooden snake while visiting a nature show out in the sticks. The man who carved it was round the corner working on some other interesting objects. I was amazed at the reasonable price for amazing and unique bird tables and will post the weblink when i can find it. It was a rainy day but that didn't stop everyone having lots of fun. You find these things when you take a chance and just head off into the wilds come rain or shine - i would urge everyone to do the same.

It is grey and raining but we don't care!

The Grass Snake

The kids love visiting Nanna and Grandad - they are very important to them. She only lives about 30 mins away but the trip is always an adventure, we head through miles of country lanes to reach our destination and have seen all manner of wildlife along the way. Grouse bustle into the bushes as the car approaches, squirrels fill the trees and acres of farmland straddles the view.

On arrival there are toys aplenty and fantastic soft drinks made with things like elderflowers. The boys love it and so do I.

A regular fixture of visiting Nanna and Grandad is a trip, on foot, through the semi-rural roads to visit the duck pond. We pass the honey man on our way - a very nice fellow who keeps bees and ferrets in his back garden and produces delicious honey on a regular basis. Try to support local efforts like this; so much better than buying Australian honey at the supermarket. The feathered inhabitants are normally ready for food and the extremely keen will exit the water under wing power in a desperate attempt to reach the prize.

We have found a number of interesting things en route - various fallen nuts and leaves, all manner of mini-beasts and once a dead shrew.

As we headed home after emptying the bag of bread Nanna suddenly cried out "quick a snake". I turned to find a tiny specimen winding its way across the dirt track. I quickly identified it as a  Grass Snake (Natrix natrix). Everyone was very excited - not just because we are fascinated by reptiles and have a pair of pythons at home - but because it is the first wild snake i have ever encountered in Britain. As children my brother and I would often catch common lizards and slow worms (a type of legless lizard) but never encountered a snake. It took me three decades to enjoy this moment but my boys have beaten the record by a considerable margin! It was special indeed.