imagine

Just as I was preparing some elderflower cordial I saw what looked like a little bird from my kitchen window. A maybug! I had been wondering why I had not seen any for some time, so I was really pleased that they were still about. Considering they spend 4-5 years underground as a grub and only come out to fly for a few weeks there is not much time to lay eggs.
I caught this one and put him on a stick to take a close up pictures and after a while he flew off. Nearly to his death as the little blue tit went for him, briefly caught him but he freed himself and fell to the ground. it would have been a nice meal for the little bird, both parents have been tirelessly flying in and out of the nest box to feed their brood, nearly ready to leave the nest. The parents are looking a bit scraggly now with all that hard work!
I am keeping our cats indoors for much of the day and all night, as I would be very upset if she caught the young ones when they finally fly.

Later in the day when I finished off my woodstore, I heard a lot of scuffling under a bush and it was a black bird wrestling with the maybug! I got really close as the black bird was concentrating hard to feed on the maybug. Good job I was not a cat!
They are huge beetles and not easy to crack.
Sad to see this one meet its end so soon, but glad for the back bird. What a dangerous place my garden is....