Monday 28 June 2010

Larval webs.


As we walk around the fields we keep seeing webs across the hawthorn in the hedges.
Yesterday I took some photographs and sent them to Stuart (Donegal Wildlife - see my blog list) and he has kindly identified them.
He says they are ' almost certainly the larval webs of the Small Eggar moth'### a moth which is struggling to survive as so many hedgerows have disappeared.
So now, on his advice I have sent the photographs on the another naturalist. If you are interested in wildlife I do recommend that you pay a visit now and then to Donegal Wildlife as Stuart has such interesting facts about a variety of natural history.
Here on the farm today has been our Poetry afternoon - at the farm. Only seven of us today but what a wealth of poetry we read. We had Rupert Brooke, Cavafy. Betjamen, Pam Ayres, Pablo Neruda, Tennyson, Chesterton. What is so good about our meetings is that we hear poetry read aloud and often poetry we would never think of reading ourselves. Incidentally I missed out Alfred Noyes - Jenny read The Highwayman and Sylvia read another of his poems about Dad falling into the pond. I had never heard the pond one before although I do remember the Highwayman from my school days. Interestingly Noyes didn't die until 1959. We had a super afternoon.

### After further research, thanks to Stuart's help, I now find it is more likely to be the larval web of the small ermine moth, as the eggar is not usually found around here.

17 comments:

Jinksy said...

You've just nudged me to go and read the Highwayman again. Thank goodness, a computer finds poems in a flash with no need for searching through books, or I'd have probably still been searching for it, instead of writing this comment!

Unknown said...

That sounds such fun.

mrsnesbitt said...

Oh the Highwayman - my all time favourite to read aloud in class! When I was teaching I would rush round the classroom and do all the voices - I trust all children have recovered by now! lol! Yes Pat, thanks to you I have mastered the printer - can you let me know where you get your paper from? Thanks Dxx

Eryl said...

I have seen webs like that and wondered what they were, I'll be extra careful not to disturb them from now on.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely loved The Highway Man. It was my favourite poem, during my literature class years at Secondary School.
Your photographed webs are delicate looking yet they survive much of what Nature conjures up, if they are anything like spider webs.

steven said...

what a treasure trove of writers! each with their own gifts and perception. rupert brooke . . . . i love his writing especially. steven

Cloudia said...

lovely afternoon






Aloha from Waikiki

Comfort Spiral

Pondside said...

Did we all have to memorize The Highwayman? I remember it very well.

Crafty Green Poet said...

we saw a lot of those webs in and around Pitlochry.

Acornmoon said...

Thanks for the link to donegal-wildlife.blogspot. I may well ask your friend a question or two.

I love your signpost poem below.

Heather said...

Amazing photos - the honeysuckle is a perfect specimen. I saw similar webs last year in Cornwall. Your poetry afternoon sounds such fun and covers such a wide variety of tastes. Definitely something for everyone.

Arija said...

I've had a very pleasant few minutes catching up onyour doings and concerns. Sorry I have not visited much lately, health concerns have lately shifted to the Prof. Ah, what it is to be growing older.

Hope your back problems are resolved and the summer finds you in the best of health.

Dave King said...

Interesting mix, your poems for the reading. It does sound fun - and very stimulating.

Unknown said...

Hello Weaver,

Super honeysuckle header pic! Glad you enjoyed the poetry afternoon too. I must look some of them up!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Having e mailed various people and done a bit of research I now find that the 'cobweb' is most likely the larval web of the small ermine moth - the small eggar is extremely rare and not found round here.

Thanks for the comments - glad to hear how many of you love The Highwayman and are re-reading it.

Reader Wil said...

this morning I saw similar webs in a very high bush near the shopping centre. Tomorrow I have to go there again and shall have a better look. Lots of luck with the poetry! I am going to read the Highwayman!

DCAja said...

nice webs!
skodi