Barking up the right tree

In between meetings today I managed to get outside for half an hour and stretch my legs. No sieving today, I needed some exercise and a reasonably fast walk. 

I ignored the few flies I saw, but eventually got tempted to pause when I came across this fallen log with peeling bark. Now I know what you are thinking but no, I haven't whacked the exposure setting up on this image. The sun was actually out and doing its thing. So much so that my hat came off, which for a bald man means that the season may actually be changing.

I had a rootle around and easily found a couple of the tenebrioid beetle Nalassus laevioctostriatus. One was rather quick on its feet, the other shuffled about looking vaguely embarrassed. At least it allowed me to take a pic.

There were also a couple of Anthobium unicolor hiding in small rot holes and a dead Bruchus rufipes with its hind leg at an odd angle!

Bruchus rufipes

Anthobium unicolor

As I trundled back to work I noticed this small spider sat on a fence post. I'm hoping Alan will be along shortly to tell me what it is again :)

Let's hope this spring-like weather lingers...