Swift Half update - 2nd May 2011

• Other than the swifts, what else g'wan at "Swift Half" right now?
• Well - our four frogs seem content enough in the pond - the two tiny frogs sit with each other (sometimes on top of each other) in the weed, during the day- at night they disappear and out come the two big dogs (sorry, frogs).
• The newts are getting all terrestrial again - some are clambering around the rocks and logs surrounding the pond. That said, the water itself is still boiling with palmates of all shapes and sizes.
• A female FFFB (Feather footed flower bee) has set up home in a hole in the privy - accessible via an air brick on the side - I aim to get a shot of her soon enough...


• Our annual sighting of a garden hedgehog (seems to be only once or twice a year) occurred last night - photos accompanying this post - please click twice to enlarge. This appeared to be a young hog - born last year only and the best-looking hog I've ever seen - clean as a whistle with no appreciable ticks -  sweet little thing. Thanks to Anna for finding it, whilst I was busy being a Swift peeping Tom!
• We have had one BBC (broad bodied chaser (dragonfly)) emerge from the pond as an adult, out of at least four. The others are exploring the shallows of the pond also, which they tend to do when they are ready to become adult -they seek warmer waters in the shallows and then climb up a reed to break out of their larval case.

• This would be fine normally, but in this wind, I'm not sure many will be able to cling onto their reed whilst changing into their adult form. Lose their footing whilst trying to unfurl and dry out their newly-emerged wings - and plop back into the pond they'll drop - only this time to drown (as their tracheal tubes will be useless as an adult). I hope this wind drops SOON, so we can have a safe large hatch of my favourite dragonflies!