Worts and all

It's the time of year when cinnabar moth caterpillars are to be found all over the ragwort on the common and the National Park volunteers were out in force today on the first day of their biannual ragwort removal mission. When I read up on cinnabar moths after taking this picture I discovered that they are dependent up ragwort for their very existence and if the plant is removed, the caterpillars lose their host and don't then complete their life cycle to point of becoming moths. This doesn't seem a good idea from the point of view of environmental diversity but ragwort has such a bad name that few people would argue with its removal. However, it seems there are two sides to the story and, having posted this photo on Twitter, I've discovered that Friends of the Earth and other parties with an interest in the environment and entomology are very much on the side of the ragwort.

The herdsman told me that cows don't eat the ragwort and they certainly do seem to ignore it and as the common isn't near enough to any residential (or other) properties to potentially contaminate them with said plant I'm not sure of the reasoning behind the work the volunteers are carrying out.

Other than the walk over the common and a swim first thing I've been grappling with my stats again. They're nearly okay now but I still have a small discrepancy to resolve and I'm hoping for a eureka moment tomorrow. Before that can happen, though, I have to go to work (my hours have changed again this week as Kyla is away).