I had seen records of the Garden Tiger on the web so I knew the adult moth was on the wing, but I had not expected to encounter this larva on the path at Dunwich Heath last weekend. It hardly seemed real, even when we looked closely. The white hairs seemed so long!
I was particularly pleased to find it as I have poem in my chapbook (The Holy Place, co-authored with John Dotson) about the metamorphosis of a Tiger moth.
Not hairs this time, but spines! We went outside two nights ago and were thrilled to hear a munching noise under the Silver Birch tree, and, yes, there was a hedgehog making its way along the back of the fence. We didn't want to disturb it, and in any case, it was not easy to see: the photo above was taken in the dark, hence the 'cropped' appearance!
We also saw our second Common Frog of 2019 on the reserve...
... and I say second because a few days before, we had found our first in our own back garden. It was a first not only of the year but for my home patch species list. Perhaps it likes our all-too-tiny pond!
I mentioned Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT). We are members of the Trust, and I am excited to report that we are off to the SWT Nature Summit later this week. It should be a really interesting evening.
3 comments:
what lovely wildlife sightings, Caroline - the caterpillar is amazing!
Hello,
Beautiful wildlife sightings. The Tiger Moth is amazing. Wishing you a happy day!
Beautiful sightings.
All the best Jan
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