Unexplored Corners

Every garden has them, small areas where debris collects or where the shrubs 'take over'. They are quiet spots, and though often overlooked they make perfect homes for some of the smaller garden inhabitants. I've been meaning to post about this first little fellow for some time. It inhabits a leaf (well it may move between a few of them), disappearing at night (under a leaf?) but back the next day.
Green shield bug

Just along from the shield bug we maintain a compost bin. It only contains garden cuttings which makes it less attractive to rodents. There are of course hundreds (thousands?) of brandling worms, spiders and other crawling creatures in there, but among them there's a small colony of slow worms. Generally they live below the surface and will dive under cover (at quite remarkable speed) if disturbed. This one was enjoying the relative warmth of the day and stayed put while I took the photo.
Slow worm among the compost

I mentioned garden debris. If you are sweeping shaded corners watch out for what might be living beneath the fallen leaves. It might be a newt (we've found frogs and slow worms in the past).
Smooth newt

We've plenty of spiders, but one I've been looking for over recent weeks in the nursery web spider. I found several today on some dense ground cover plants.

Fallen fruit is another fruitful area to explore, though some care may be needed. Wasps love rotting apples!

And all the while overhead, impossible to ignore, the herring gulls circle and call…

Nature Blog Network
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 40D and EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens with the exception of the gull which was photographed with the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens.

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This Post Has 8 Comments

  1. SittingFox

    29 Aug 2010

    It really is amazing what can be hidden in the garden. That spider is excellent :bug: I wish we had slow worms, but I think the local cats have eliminated them (we try to keep cats away from our garden, but of course the slow worms have to come from elsewhere).

    Great shot of the bug!

  2. gdare

    29 Aug 2010

    A care is necessary with all kinds of fruit now, fallen or still hanging on a branch: wasps, bees, ants and a lot of other insects are around. Too much of a temptation for them 🙂

  3. Words

    29 Aug 2010

    Adele, I'd forgotten how small the nursery web spiders are. Good news on the slow worms… I saw one of the babies today! I'll post a picture later (not that it's especially impressive or cute, more like a lank bit of straw). And I can confirm that the bug does move. It was on a quite different leaf today, about 6 inches below its usual spot.

  4. Words

    29 Aug 2010

    Darko, it's feast-time for the bugs. They must love this time of year… so much sugary food to eat. :chef:

  5. Ukwildlife

    31 Aug 2010

    Nice photos, love the shieldbug

  6. Words

    1 Sep 2010

    Neil thanks. The shield bug is great. Always in the same place. I'll miss it when it's gone.

  7. Words

    1 Sep 2010

    Thanks Erwin!

  8. Wulpen

    19 Oct 2012

    Very Nice Photos

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