chrisjpainter

Bee-eater alert! Seven individuals have turned up in a quarry in Norfolk and it looks like they're settling in to breed. A viewing platform will be created for the public to see them from a safe distance so as to avoid disturbance Bee-eaters nest in Norfolk for first time - BirdGuides

Your missus might not be into it, but if your kids enjoyed the trip, might it be worth thinking about making a rudimentary moth trap and seeing what you can get overnight in the garden? Now's a great time if you're having the same hot weather we are in the south

We had our first last weekend. They're stunning creatures, particularly early on in the season

boo.hoo.

Yes. because it's much better to have a house full of carpet mites, flies, midges, mosquitos, fleas, ticks, wasps and so forth. Fair better to have the spiders and appreciate what they do for the house. Makes more sense to have a brain and leave them be...

Beaut! big ol' female giant house spider

False widow is a general name for several species in the Steatoda genus and we have six in the UK. The one that, if the Daily Fail's to be believed (it's not) is FRIGHTENINGLY DANGEROUS!, causes flesh to ROT IN AGONY! and would probably carry teenagers off by the sack load is the noble false widow, S.nobilis. All those terrifying images of open wounds and scared relatives round bedsides aren't strictly to do with the bite, but more down to either an allergic reaction or more likely bacterial infections, common with spider bites because of what their fangs are doing and where they're going!. The vast majority of these stories seem to run on way beyond the venom's efficacy window and present symptoms that it's simply not able to do, because it doesn't have the right necrotic (flesh killing) toxins in it. Like bees or peanuts, having an allergic reaction to something's an altogether different affair, but then again the symptoms are anaphylaxis-related, not toxin-related Red back spiders are indeed a species of black widow (again, there are a few of them), from the genus Latrodectus - the true widows. This includes all the black and brown widows all over the world. They're far nastier than the false widows. The toxins in the venom work in a similar way (called latrodectism) to the false widows, but are far more potent and do pose serious health risks. But again, they don't do this whole flesh rotting/infecting thing; that's a secondary infection and nothing directly to do with the spider's venom. Latrodectus species do occasionally show up here. The European Black Widow can get into anything imported from the Mediterranean, but Southern African and redbacks from down under also show up. Interestingly, Steatoda grossa, aka the cupboard spider and one of the false widows we have here, actively preys on true widows. We have at least two of the false widows living in our house and garden. S.nobilis, The noble false widow from the conservatory and S.grossa (cupboard spider) who's lurking in the shed The one I'd love to see in the UK is S.paykulliana, because that goes the whole hog in trying to look like a true widow. Sadly they're mostly just an accidental import, but you'd do a double take if you saw this'un in your fruit bowl...

I watched the card tonight. Lauren Price looks like she could be one to follow. She was good in the Olympics and I think turning pro is only going to make her better. The one that really caught my eye was Richard Riakporhe v Fabio Turchi. I don't know much about Riakporhe - other than he's a Londoner who supports Crystal Palace and is undefeated at cruiserweight. Anyone see the fight? I found it...odd...to say the least. Turchi probably nicked the first and looked settled. All of a sudden in the second he crumples to the floor after a body shot. He gets to his feet, but the towel's thrown in by his corner. He's by no means green. Coming into this he had a 20-1 record, but he went down like he'd been shot. Rolling in pain and going all foetal. He then beats the count and only then does the towel get thrown in at which point he goes back to his haunches wincing. The blow in question? A glancing shot across the side of the ribcage, so by no means a clean hit. Maybe I'm being cynical, or reading too much into it, but boxing's got a bit of a reputation for odd things happening in it! Anyone else catch it. Here's the replay of the actual punch.

It sounds like a big female giant house spider species? There's an outside chance it's a cardinal spider, but they're super rare, so safe to bet it's the former. Good at keeping pests down, but seem to be a bit vulnerable to cellar spiders!

Sorry I'm confused. Are you after an air arms magazine as per title or a HW mag? Or do you have an air arms magazine you'd like to swap for an hw mag? In which case what calibre?

Has anyone watched it? The film's obviously peerless, but I'm intrigued by Sky's serialised version. I might have to give it a go

September. I just hope Adalaide Byrd isn't one of the judges...

Do you lose anything if you get a quote? As I understand it, they're often more hassle/expensive than they're worth - unless you've got the perfect roof for it. They're great for your ideal roof (unshaded, south-facing with a big expanse) but the efficacy drops alarmingly as soon as you start to compromise on any of those criteria

I can see the thinking behind Hydrangea, but the face of the leaves is smooth and waxy, not wrinkled.

Anyone got any suggestions? My plant ID app says Green Hellebore - Helleborus viridis - but I'm not convinced. The leaves seem too broad and I don't think it's flowered yet, which'd rule that. Looks Helleborean, but any other ideas welcome

Yeah, didn't you know? Giraffes under the door usually follow

I wouldn't take anything off it. It might have been starved of light and growth, but it's also been protected from the elephants. Weakening it further by removing stuff could be fatal. I'd go with @ditchmanand give it nutrients at the base It will thicken over time and now the available light is from the other direction, should straighten out and give a more even canopy, which'll help with stability. Certainly worth a go at saving

Only beaten by a war! Mad result

er...

Yeah and I take your point. It's just that there doesn't seem to be a better way to end it. You need a winner, so how do you get there? Cricket had a similar problem in the World Cup Final in 2019. England Vs New Zealand. The match ended in a tie. The super over, used to split teams after a tied match, ended in a tie. So it was all left to the mathematicians, who counted back through the match and England were declared the winners by virtue of hitting more boundaries in the game. The outcry afterwards was so great that they ditched it after it. They tried golden goal. It was rubbish. They tried silver goal. That was worse. Playing to a goal would be hated by managers and players as it's an injury-risk nightmare. Liverpool still have some massive matches coming up and wouldn't want to lose players to a never ending game.

They tried it for a few years. Honestly, it was rubbish. That extra half an hour for extra time with the golden goal was just awful to watch. No one committed to win, just in case they over committed and lost.

My dad thinks they're ridiculous and a stupid way to end a big tournament. But then he's also never come up with a solution that works. Playing until a goal is scored, no matter how many players actually die from exhaustion just doesn't seem like fun. I love them. The absolute tension, unbearable pressure and the boiling down of football to its basic element: can you kick a ball into the goal, or can you stop the ball going in? When the skills haven't split the teams, when the diving's failed and the cynical fouls have come to nothing, it all comes down to a game of bluff and bottle. Top one today and am pleased Liverpool won. Big save from Alisson to deny Mount

Yup. Reading FC played three seasons in the Prem. Only on two occasions as a season ticket holder I sat and watched us completely outclassed. Once when we got beaten 4-0 by an Henry-led Arsenal and once where Ronaldo and Rooney took us to the cleaners on their own. We only lost 2-0 but seeing the absolute quality on display was amazing, even if it was whilst Reading were on the receiving end! Incredible. The whole stadium applauded Ronaldo and Henry when they were subbed. Just too good.

But it's fine to call people who like football footytossers? That was an incredible game. In fact both legs were a treat.

All sports have their downsides. It's unfortunate and winds me up no end, but beyond that, I find it a great sport to follow.