The worm course people said now is a great time to do field studies of worms. They are busy little critters in these conditions.
The next two assignments are field based. One was to find casts, middens, cocoons or burrows. I wanted to find cocoons (small lemon-shaped things) but I think I only found hawthorn seeds.
I searched for casts at the Reserve, but didn't see any in amongst my chainsawing. So I looked when I went for a trot in the fields.
Thrilling, huh?
Mind you, I feel rather clever as I thought that the unploughed edge of the field would be the best site - the football compacts the earth and the plough damages the burrows. I was right. the edges were like a worm Piccadilly Circus!
Mind you, so was the park - that's the shot on the front cover.
I did find a cast in the copse near my poplar.
And I did find what is not a worm.
Millipede of the family Julidae. I think Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus.
Good pic of the millipede against your hand-background! I wonder how it feels to have all those legs. Maybe some are "spare" legs. Grin. I am dually impressed by the amount and size and volume of castings you recorded at diff. sites. What is the light green curvy thing in lower left of the first pic? Is it a germinating seedling, or ...?