Forest Bug

I was supposed to be meeting Kathryn in Stamford this morning to scout our remaining Walkshop route, but a forecast of heavy rain caused us to change our plans. For once the forecast was correct, and we had steady rain for several hours, though not the torrential downpours and thunderstorms experienced by those further east.

I took the opportunity of an unexpected quiet day to fill the cupboards and was able to give Ben a lift home from work, which was just as well as he hadn't taken a coat - it was fine when he went in to work at five o'clock in the morning. I stopped for a herb tea and admired the progress he and Sarah have made with their small garden, which is now really coming together. The sunflowers I gave them are huge, and put our rather miserable specimens to shame. Although they are only about a mile away, their soil is much better than our difficult heavy clay.

The rain eased off after lunch and I made a start on cutting back some of the dead and dying plants in the garden in the hope that they'll re-shoot this autumn. I later found this Forest Bug in my hair - I thought it deserved a quick photoshoot as I released it back into the wild.This species overwinters as young nymphs, which feed mainly on oak. Alder, Hazel and other deciduous trees are also used, including Apple and Cherry, both of which are present in our garden. Adults are partly predatory, feeding on caterpillars and other insects as well as fruits. When disturbed they emit a characteristic odour that stayed with me for some time after the bug had gone!