Staggering Slowly...

STAGGERING SLOWLY…

Every year I take part in a Stag Beetle watch. The species is on the decline in the UK due to loss of habitat. A few years ago it wasn’t unusual to see as many as 40 flying around on a warm evening in late May and mating on the grass, on the shed roof, in the bushes… The last couple of Mays have been disappointingly damp for the crucial days of the stags’ mating season but this year it warmed up in early June and we did see a few. The largest (see photos) was 7cms, a big beast with magnificent horns. If you see any, to contact enquiries@ptes.org and tell them the date and the location.

Last night I was invited to a barbecue in the garden of a fellow Stag Watch enthusiast. “There’ll be lots of them,” he assured me. I had my camera ready and my eyes glued to the skies. He lives near a cemetery which provides an ideal breeding ground. But we didn’t see a single one. Several glasses of wine and a large brandy later, I staggered home stag-less.