So I chanced a supermarket run early doors this morning and as I was driving, listening to the radio, the Manic Street Preachers' Motown Junk came on. I loved this song when it came out, I was 17 and I saw them play it in a small sweaty pub in Hull about a month later. I seem to remember it being a rather edgy gig.
It also furnishes this post with a title. I am doing my best not to get too bored whilst stuck at home. So late this afternoon had another poke around the garden.
First up was a quick sweep of a patch of Green Alkanet. It turned up this hairy fella. A quick glance at my recently acquired caterpillar guide and I'm reasonably sure it's a Ruby Tiger. Good to see as they appeared to have a poor year last season if my trapping data is anything to go by.
Next was a hoverfly sticking lowdown in the vegetation. There was a gap between the eyes making this a female and I think the grey spots on the abdomen make this Platycheirus albimanus.
Then there was this bug that I was pretty confident that it was a Drymus species but not beyond that. Apparently it's D. sylvaticus (thanks, Skev).
I also found a few staphs in some ejected rabbit nest material. These will need a closer look and dissection before I throw in the towel in and give up.
And here's the song that transported me back 30 years.
