Nature's Way

This is one of our newest pages on the Oldmeldrum site. The idea came from one of our readers who wondered if it would be a good idea for people to contact us to report seeing unusual or interesting aspects of the natural environment around Oldmeldrum?

Please contact us if you have seen anything to report.

Our reader starts the ball rolling with a possible sighting of an unusual visitor to the North East...

Unusual green caterpillar found by local school children (30.8.06)

We have planted a willow "tunnel" in our school grounds at Kellands, and I was tidying it up and pruning with the help of some P4 children. One sharp eyed would-be naturalist spotted an amazingly beautiful green caterpillar or larva, crawling through the dry grass. It was a beautiful bright sage green with yellow markings mimicing the veins of a curled up leaf! It looked so much like a curled leaf, it would have been very hard to see, apart from the fact that it was moving. It was about 6/7 cm long and was moving at great speed across the ground near the willow.

Another type of Hawkshead Moth larva similar to the
one seen at Kellands (see also the photo on the main page)

This find was followed by a search of our books and the internet and we think it may be the larva of a hawkmoth,which feeds on willow.This moth is more common in the Mediterranean and N Africa. Has anyone else spotted this particular larva this year? This September there have been reports of sightings of hawkmoths - sent to the Press and Journal (19and 20.9.06). So the moral of this story is to add more willow to our school grounds and get those children out into the great outdoors to enjoy the warm weather and the natural world!

Eds note: For those of you who like it when creepy crawlies are even more creepy, the Hawkshead Moth family includes the moth made famous in the film "Silence of the Lambs" (Acherontia styx):

Mushrooms (2.10.06)

The mushroom harvest seems particularly good this year. The following two specimens (each over 30cm across) were found in a turnip field last week (our source is not revealing exactly where!):

Told by a P2 pupil...

Quesion : Why did they invite the mushroom to the party?
Answer: Because he was a fun guy! (FUNGI)

(ed's note: "I don't write 'em, I only print 'em)