Creature feature

10 - 11 April 2020

It is spring, and fauna and flora abound! 

 This is a monster cricket in a broom shrub.  At least 5 cm long.  As I tried to take the photo, it scuttled round its stalk, avoiding me.  Camera-shy!

 The new hibiscus plant has started well, throwing out a fabulous flower.  We really enjoyed hibiscus tea when we were in Egypt, so I need to research picking and drying these blooms.

 Our first dragonfly!  We were very excited to see this, as we do hope dragonflies will find their way to our pond and colonise it.  

 While clearing round one of our young hazel trees, I found a hazelnut.  We had no idea that either of them had managed to produce any nuts yet.  There was no kernel, so it was not a brilliant effort, but a hopeful development.

 We caught the white cat tormenting this little snake, so Dave liberated it.

 The next day, I  moved an empty sack that had contained gravel, and this lovely thing was resting underneath it.  It stayed very still while I frantically waved Dave over to look and managed to take a photo.  It was about a metre long.  Dave said, 'that's not a snake - it's a legless lizard'.  After it lazily wandered away, we checked.  He was absolutely right - the European Glass Lizard can grow up to 140cm.  Who knew? (Other than Dave, of course)

The pond lilies are chucking up flowers like anything.