You know those times when you go for a walk on the beach and there are heaps of bluebottles washed up on the high-tide line along the shore? Well, we found the same thing while walking on the beach the other afternoon. But because we live in some sort of fairyland, instead of bluebottles there were hundreds and hundreds of lady beetles!
I've never seen anything like it before. It was so very very odd. But pretty and enchanting at the same time.
It raised many questions; What were they doing in the water? Why were there so many of them together when we're so use to seeing them solo? Do they usually travel across the sea in swarms?
Most of them hadn't survived, some had. But they weren't sharing any answers.
So curious...
(p.s. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, bluebottles are a type of, um, stinging jellyfish I guess. Except they're not jelly, they're like little inflated air sacks, and blue in colour. Photo's here and here).
Sadly I have no photo's of the lady beetles on the beach. Sorry. You'll have to attempt a painting of that one yourself. :)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
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14 comments:
That's amazing, and a little sad at the same time. I love ladybeetles.
I have heard about this. I think they get caught in strong winds that take them out to sea and then collapse after flying back to land...so sad...
It's funny, but that sometimes happens all the way up in New York, too. We're right on one of the great lakes, and sometimes we get masses of them on the beach, if not in the water.
Wow, I've never heard of that before. It is very fairylandish....in a dark faerie kinda way...
That is very odd. I wonder what happened. I do know how you feel about being inland. A friend here is frightened by the wide open spaces of inland the same way I feel all set adrift near the sea but love and embrace hils, and dry lands and rives.
It's a shame you didn't get a photo, you could have submitted it to the catalyst survey http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/ladybirds/
hey ya, I just read your blog and well done on being a wife!! i too was a sceptic- but its tops isn't it. And also thanks for making Agatha a favourite on etsy.
Cath x
I've seen ladybugs in swarms, usually during the mating season. It's very cool. :p
And I hate hate hate bluebottles, or their cousins Portuguese man'o'wars which we get in Hawaii. Nothing like diving blissfully into the waves, and coming up with strings burning into your face. Argh!
I've only seen this once and you're right, it is very strange.
Happy holidays to you :)
Nature is strange and awesome indeed! Happy Christmas to you and yours x
i so wish you had of taken photos!
How bizarre! I've seen heaps of bluebottles along the beach, even heaps of bees on the tide line, but never ladybugs. Odd.
How weird!! I have seen bluebottles (damn pests that they are), but the ladybugs. Wow, that would have been a sight. Poor ladies.
I haven't seen blubottles in my life!! They look great!
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