The Killing Guilt

[Andestine]

I saved three last night. That's two up to me

[Andestine]

Originally Posted by rangersarah2

That bee looks very cross! Must be very undignified and so embarrassing having to be rescued.

I had him on that plantain leaf on my hand for most of the time. He was pretty relaxed. I love their
Mohicans most of all

Had to get a swift out of one of our ponds. It had managed to get too close to the water so couldn't get out again. It floated very patiently until I could get to it - trousers rolled up, wading through thick gungy clay, everyone laughing . What a feeling when I released it though.......wouldn't swap it for anything.

I couldn't agree more

One of my oldest friends, a superficially rather serious and formal entomologist, once took off his trousers in front of several rather shocked old dears in the middle of his local park so that he could wade out into the lake and save a drowing pigeon squab.

That's my idea of a hero

Cheers,

Andestine

[loripo]

Theres a good thread about tired and cold bees...
RSPB advice to feed tired bees.

Says she , trying to make up for awful jokes

[rangersarah2]

And it was. Very (awful).

[Fritillary]

about tired bees, you remain me that sometimes I give honey and water to small flying insects like bees or ladybugs. More now with ladybugs, they are coming in because of winter

[Norfolk Girl]

What a fascinating post.

I didn't have a problem with spiders until I moved here to Norfolk and couldn't believe how big they are. I have managed to catch most and deposit outside, although one I caught around 5am one morning no sooner hit the back lawn and was eaten by a blackbird!

Recently I tried unsuccessfully to capture a particularly large specimen and ended up leaving about three legs behind on the bedroom floor. I threw what I caught of it outside and spent the rest of the night feeling bad. I wondered if they regrow legs and whether it would come back in the house to find some way of getting back at me.

Years ago I used to use beer traps for slugs. I found a frog had fallen in a trap and was 'sloshed'. I carefully placed it on a brick half submerged in a bowl of water in the back garden. As it was a hot day, I put an umbrella over it and went off to work. When I got home, the frog had recovered from its hangover and gone on its merry way. Whenever I tell people this tale most people think I am completely made

[Andestine]

Originally Posted by loripo

Theres a good thread about tired and cold bees...
RSPB advice to feed tired bees.

Says she , trying to make up for awful jokes

Lori,

What a heartwarming link. Thank you so much for posting it. Daughter and I read through it last night and we've copied it for future reference

Fritillary,

We do as you do I taught my daughter how to feed moths with honeywater on a cotton bud. We can watch them drink for ages. It gives an indefinable thrill to be able to help any living creature out. I've never tried it on ladybugs before, but I will now

Norfolk Girl,

Mistakes happen to me too, and I feel a bit queasy with guilt when legs are lost. I take an age to catch and release crane flies for that very reason. Silly bumblers!

Love your story of the frog with a hangover (You've reminded me to put a related question to the spider forum ) Like Sarah, we have to learn to ignore other people if we want to save the less-popular kinds of wildlife. All I know is that I never want to become that hardened.

Sarah,

See *you* later......elsewhere

I'd love it if someone would write a book about the kind of thing we're doing. I'm thinking that we've all discovered our own ways of doing things, but it would be great if some entomologists etc. could give advice on care and nutrition of ailing beasties.

I know that the vast majority of people couldn't care less and probably think we're nuts, but if we care, there must be others like us around

Just a thought.

Cheers,

Andestine

[Norfolk Girl]

Hello Andestine,

I think you're right about all these tales would make a lovely book. Perhaps written as a childrens' book with illustrations to hopefully encourage more caring souls on this planet.

It is strange how nature works, as I also recall rescuing a beautiful large moth from a busy pavement in Cambridge years ago. I carefully carried it down an alley way where there were some shrubs. I placed the moth in the shrub, when suddenly a huge spider appeared and went to grab it. "Oh no you don't" I said and moved it elsewhere in the shrub. Whether the moth did survive, I don't know, but at least I know I tried my best for it.

[Andestine]

I like spiders too, so I have some difficult moral decisions to make sometimes. Usually it comes down to who looks the hungriest

But I've been thinking about what you said. I'd originally just thought of a kind of instruction book, but I like your idea much, much better

I was thinking how good it would be if such a book was illustrated by folks from WAB, everyone who was interested contributing at least one each. Maybe we should seriously look at that.

I doubt if it would make much money, but any that it did could be donated to a charity agreed upon by all.

Just musing over it. What do you think?

Cheers,

Andestine

[Dutchess]

I think it's a brilliant idea, Andestine. Get Tallus in on the act too, he could draw some cartoons depicting the look on bystanders faces as they watch us "rescuers" risking life and limb to save our charges!

That reminds me of when I climbed up over a "do not enter" area, in order to save a huge Bumblebee from drowning in a pond. It was at a Water Garden centre, you know the type, they have a park-like area with displays of different pond themes. You could almost hear the onlookers take a sharp intake of breath as I clambered over into the hallowed space....and then silence - as they watched me dangle a long reed to bring the bee closer to me, then gawped in amazement as I let it crawl onto my hand (in it's own time). They were probably wondering why on earth it didn't sting me, but I operate on these occasions on the premise that the bee has regarded my hand as a vehicle for salvation and not as a threat - so why should it sting? I carefully laid it on a leaf to dry out in the sun....happy ever after

D.