Digger Alley Update

A few more days have passed, so it must be time to update everyone on the progress being made along Digger Alley.  Pantaloon Bees are being very industrious, lots digging out burrows along the path (invariably near the top of the path edge-slope - they seem to like the grass roots to help give structure to the soil, doubtless because their holes are a bit bigger than the wasps').

And the little Green Eyed Flower Bees seem to be having a really good year, there are loads about!

A few more Weevil Wolves are around now (aka Sand Tailed Digger Wasps) - though there are also quite a few setting up home in the carpark of all places!

Not all the honeybees being taken by the Beewolf are being accommodating, this one was being a right nuisance.  The Beewolves will slurp the nectar from their captive bee like a carton of juice, should the bee have a last meal on board & I think that's what she's attempting here

The dustmen are being kept busy clearing away the Quality Control rejects

And flies are taking advantage of the odd Cinnabar casualty

There's always something new along the Alley as well - not seen one of these Sulphur Beetles before

Ornate Tails are far more familiar though, and they too were struggling a bit at the weekend.  The wind was making it a bit difficult for them, although she did eventually manage to pick up her cargo again and make it to her burrow

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  • I thought I would do an update to the update - for a change.  Rather than fill up the Minsmere pages with new threads all the time!

    Weevil Wolves (Sand Tailed Digger Wasps) have been busier this week, bringing in weevils by the dozen

    Some are surprisingly large & juicy

    Ornate Tails too have been busy - this one was struggling to find her burrow

    And this little chap was clearly feeling extremely amorous - hitching a lift whilst she was bee hunting!

    The Oxybelus Fly-stabber was scuttling around with her captured fly stuck on her bottom

    And with all the other activity, it was no surprise to find the little Jewel Wasps up to no good

    Pantaloons...

    and Green Eyed Flower Bees were much in evidence

    But you do need to keep your wits about you - checking the trees occasionally rewards you with the odd spider catching flies

    Together with weird Chafer bugs lurking in the undergrowth.

    But we still come back to the Beewolf.  They really are irresistible.  It's an eventful little piece of path, Digger Alley.....

Reply
  • I thought I would do an update to the update - for a change.  Rather than fill up the Minsmere pages with new threads all the time!

    Weevil Wolves (Sand Tailed Digger Wasps) have been busier this week, bringing in weevils by the dozen

    Some are surprisingly large & juicy

    Ornate Tails too have been busy - this one was struggling to find her burrow

    And this little chap was clearly feeling extremely amorous - hitching a lift whilst she was bee hunting!

    The Oxybelus Fly-stabber was scuttling around with her captured fly stuck on her bottom

    And with all the other activity, it was no surprise to find the little Jewel Wasps up to no good

    Pantaloons...

    and Green Eyed Flower Bees were much in evidence

    But you do need to keep your wits about you - checking the trees occasionally rewards you with the odd spider catching flies

    Together with weird Chafer bugs lurking in the undergrowth.

    But we still come back to the Beewolf.  They really are irresistible.  It's an eventful little piece of path, Digger Alley.....

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