Loving the Unlovely

While it can be relatively easy to get people excited about all the cute, cuddly and obviously beautiful wildlife, it is more difficult when we are talking about creatures that are seen as ugly or that generate loathing.

I well remember as child visiting the Sun trap Centre in Epping Forest, on a school trip and seeing a Kestrel for the first time. I pointed it out to the teacher and that thrilled everyone. I then, to the obvious horror of the teacher and most of the other pupils, took a large Beetle to the teacher to show her. But the tutor, probably an education officer, at the Sun Trap centre was thrilled as it was a male lesser Stag Beetle. It was a quickly learned lesson that the majority of people don't like many of the creatures we share the planet with. Also as several of the boys and a couple of girls, tried to grab the beetle as they wanted to stamp on it. This incident lead to me having a fight at school a few days latter, well not a fight but where I was beaten up by a girl as I refused to fight. I had always been told never to hit girls.

So while I had been praised for spotting the Kestrel, I became a figure of ridicule for like and protecting a beetle. Add to that I had been beaten up by a girl. It has never been easy being Green. Kermit and I are soul mates.

As I have grown up and older, I have discovered just how selective people are about what creatures they love. I have know people who love their pets, yet in their gardens they wage war on every insect that walks and flies. When it comes to slugs its genocide. Even with a beast as magnificent as an Eagle or a Harrier they suffer because of what they are perceived to do, at the hands of some.

So while I value each and every aspect of the Flora and Fauna we share our globe with, I don't particularly want to share my home with beasts like flies, midges or beetles. Just as I do not want a fox coming into my house. They are better in their habitat and me in mine. Nor do I use insecticides to kill flies in the house, not least because I don't want to breath in these chemicals myself. That's partly why I tolerate a spider or two in my home. Another creature that seems to generate loathing and hatred in some. My Ex who never wanted to harm anything would run screaming from the Bathroom if one that had fallen into the bath. I earned my hero status many times with women by rescuing many spiders from a watery grave. On a similar note recently on a bus I rescued a wasp that get trapped on the bus. While it didn't cause any screaming, everyone moved from one side of the bus to the other as the wasp flew around trying to get out of the windows. As I had one of my test tubes in my pocket that I use for collecting insects or other environmental samples, I was able to catch the wasp and release it at the next stop. The Bus driver told me that I should have just killed it.

Even my window cleaner thinks that I should clean up my yard, although he never told that to me, it a village and these things get back to me sooner or later. But if I had a neat and tidy yard it would also be sterile and I doubt that I would have a newt and a frog in my yard. Nor would my resident Robin find the insect food that keeps him there and feed.

Well here is a film clip of a House fly Musca domestica feeding on the nectar of Hawk weed. I think it is a beautiful critter, in its place.

However, to placate the folks that don't share my definition of beauty, here is something I am pleased to share too. From a podcast that I listen to Birds and Nature from a Pittsburgh radio station, I heard of this Blog by a woman called Monarch Chaser who is currently down in Mexico with the monarchs where they overwinter.