Wildlife Autumn 2007 (spring wildlife Down Under)

[Anthony Darby]

No Paul. Ruddy Ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis) are different from Ruddy Shelducks (Tadorna ferruginea) .

[Lesley Cox]

Paul, you're thoroughly confused now. Anthony's was a Ruddy (red) mine was a ruddy (sanguinary).

[Paul T]

I still have no ruddy idea!!    I'm sure I'll live though. 

[mark smyth]

upland spider

I was up a mountain today surveying a site for a wind farm. Nearly every sedge had a strange spider cocoon among the flowers/seeds. What are they, Anthony?

[mark smyth]

I also found this very shiny dung beetle

[Lesley Cox]

How very undignified!

[Anthony Darby]

Not sure about your spider Mark, but it could be Larinioides cornutus. You one is much hairier than the normal upland species Araneus quadratus.

[mark smyth]

thanks Anthony. I've just noticed an extra leg behind the spider

[John Forrest]

Bit late catching up with all since I posted my pics.
Maggi, Your hair looks good to me and no need to hide it under a Cag. If the colour is from a bottle can you lend me some, together with a bit of a graft for filling in.

Lesley, It's lovely to know that the seed has been successful in your expert hands. I've always found it one of the great joys raising from seed, particularly because they sometimes produce unexpected surprises.

Paul, Nice to know your 'chuckle button' is still turned on 

Mark & Andrew, thanks again for coming up trumps with the IDs. I Googled your suggestions and they all proved positive.

What a glorious colour underneath the Dung Beetle. Bearing in mind its name, I hope you washed your hands afterwards!!

[mark smyth]

up a mountain so I didnt. Those thoughts didnt enter my mind and seldom do 

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, John... hair colour all natural, changing of its own accord... there is plenty of it, I'll send some after next haircut... graft sounds painful so Ill send tube of superglue, too.

Amazing how beetles, whether Irish dung or  Egyptian scarab,have such wonderful iridescent colours...you'd really wonder why, wouldn't you? Mark's one has most of its shiny bits underneath.. what does it do, flash its belly to attract a goodlooking lady beetle? There has to be an easier way, surely?

[annew]

I like dung beetles. Where would we be without 'em?

[Martin Baxendale]

I like dung beetles. Where would we be without 'em?

Anne, sounds like you're unusually reliant on dung beetles! Me, I'm on mains sewerage. 

[Anthony Darby]

Your dung beetle also rejoices in the names Dor Beetle and Lousy Watchman - because it "ticks" and is commonly heavily infested with mites - (Geotrupes stercorarius). It is mainly found on (in?  ) cow dung. You should get a pat on the back for finding it Mark. It is not really related to the scarabs. I remember seeing scarabs in Kenya. Nearly as big as cricket balls.

[mark smyth]

yes it did tick when I kept rolling it over to get an underside shot. No cows where I found it just lots of sheep