A Pinch and a Punch for the First of the Month

Now that it is October it can no longer be denied that Autumn is well under way and Winter will soon be upon us. October is often a very pleasant month but today is wet and grey.

Frankie and his mother, Susannah, are on holiday, narrowly avoiding Hurricane Matthew. 

A blurry photo taken with my phone of a fast-moving Frankie 

 'Follow Mummy, Frankie.'

You're never too young to learn the rules of queueing.

Susannah was anticipating a twelve-hour flight from Gatwick with some trepidation but her fears were unfounded and Frankie behaved impeccably. There is still the return journey, of course . . .

The birds have not returned to the garden, sadly. Maybe when it is cold and wet and the cats don’t wish to go out they will come back to feed.

Life continues on a smaller scale.

This little creature is a Hairy Shield bug, (Dolycoris baccarum) so called because it is covered in short hairs. It is about 11mm long and widespread, though becoming rarer in the north of the country.

There have been many Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) in the garden. This one, appropriately, is feeding on a buddleja, a plant often referred to as the butterfly bush.

Meanwhile, the cats continue to enjoy and explore the garden. 

Isambard

Jellicoe

Herschel

Lenny

Solomon

They go out first thing in the morning and often stay out until dusk or even, in the case of Susannah’s cats, dark!

There have been no more squirrel casualties though the dragonflies, mainly Southern Hawkers, (Aeshna cyanea) do not learn from experience. 

Southern Hawker female laying eggs

They are large, busy predators, hunting insects and catching them mid-air. They can hover and also fly backwards but they cannot escape the claws of cats!

One benefit of the shortening and cooling days is the excuse to have a fire. Today is cold, tomorrow may be warm – the weather is capricious.

I am linking with Eileen's 'Saturday Critters' and Misty's 'Camera-Critters'