Hi there
These pictures where taken of Ladybirds that we saw at the RSPB Headquarters at Sandy today. Never seen Ladybirds huddle as they are in these pictures. Is this for them to keep warm?
I have only seen Harlequins huddle like this before!
This was another Ladybird which liked to sit on the RSPB Baord to get our attention. The first picture shows the Ladybird creeping up the board from the bottom (Dave saw it before I did). The second picture the same Ladybird decides show its best side.
I will write up my days report shortly - tomorrow as a bit busy at the moment.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
The Ladybirds have been ID'd as 7 spots.
Still love to know if this is an hiberanation thing they have going. Just to collect as a crowd of Ladybirds as they do? Warmth in a crowd on the end of a dead bit of wood.
Any ideas anyone? Love to hear them?
Hi Blackbird!
Nice pics! This site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/412.shtml says it is thought to be to reduce heat loss.
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
My photos on Flickr
Last autumn, I decided to remove two deciduous spirea shrubs from my back garden, which were only about two years old. First of all, I cut them down in size, to make the job easier.
But then when cutting the branches down into smaller pieces to put into my compost bin, I noticed a cluster of about 10 ladybirds hidden within the old dead flowerhead of one of the branches.
I was quite suprised by this, as I hadn't seen many ladybirds in the garden last year, and had also never seen them huddled together like this!
Anyway, before throwing them into the compost bin, I thought that I had better check all of the flowerheads that I'd chopped off for any more hiding ladybirds - and it's a good job that I did, as I found quite a few more huddles.
I then felt really guilty for having cut down the shrubs and destroying the ladybirds' hiding places, that I decided on the spot (no pun intended!) not to get rid of the shrubs afterall, in the hope that they'll re-grow and flower again this year, giving the ladybirds somewhere to hide this autumn.
Don't worry about what happened to those ladybirds - I didn't put them in my compost bin! I placed the flowerheads back into the part of the garden where I'd cut them from and left them there.
So, for anyone who wants to help the ladybirds, I'd suggest planting a spirea or two in your garden!
I also seem to have a seven spot ladybird convention occurring in my small (4 feet) pine tree. I counted 12 all in a huddle together (and there may have been more hidden underneath the ones I could see!) almost at the top of the tree, 2 more making their way up on the next branch down and another close on their heels just below that. There must be someone who knows enough about ladybird behaviour to be able to give some indication of what that was all about - or am I just being silly and not recognising the ladybird equivalent of the frogs in the pond!?!
I first saw this huddle a couple of weeks ago when there were only a few ladybirds there but as I've been checking more have appeared and still seem to be arriving. I do think that something has to be attracting them to huddle together for some reason.
As we move through the universe may we leave as light a touch as a butterfly wing on the fabric of the environment.
I found this website http://www.ladybird-survey.org/ about UK ladybirds. They have a very good identification sheet, with some excellent photo's. They are also asking for people to send in their own photo's of ladybirds.
They are conducting a ladybird survey, for those who are interested.