I was never very good at maths! At school I was put into a form who were taught New Maths.…
Thanatosis: Or, leave me alone; can’t you see I’m dead!
Thanatosis, or apparent death, is when an animal pretends to be dead! Lizards do it, opossums do it (‘playing possum’)…
Iridescence in insects
Iridescence is when surfaces – such as the wings of butterflies – appear to change brightness and colour as the…
Flies blowing bubbles
The first time I saw a fly with a droplet of water protruding from it’s mouth (or the tip of…
Angry German wasps – Vespula germanica
As I bent down over the wasp nest taking pictures with my mobile phone (below) their mood suddenly changed…
Black and red and poisonous! Burnet moths
What does this strikingly black and red coloured moth say to you? Eat me? Or, don’t touch me because I…
Kittiwakes learning to fly
We are coming to end of the Kittiwake nesting season here in Scarborough. There are still some chicks on the…
Silver-washed fritillary courtship behaviour
The courtship behaviour of the silver-washed fritillary, Argynnis paphia (Heliconiinae, Argynnini), is described in most books or websites about butterflies.…
In praise of Peacocks!
There has been no shortage of Peacock butterflies this summer! People have been commenting on social media about the large…
Just a bunch of weeds? Birds and bees on the slopes of the Futurist site, Scarborough
This site was created following the demolition of the old Futurist theatre on Scarborough seafront. Demolition of the building began…
