Antsy critters!

[pgn]

Now having spent my school years in a hot country, I am used to all sorts of ground-hugging and aerial creepy-crawlies, including several thousand large flying ants coming into my bedroom through a gap in the blocks of the roof on my bedroom one year (!). 

That said, I have hardly ever seen a flying ant in this part of the world. Yes, little red or black critters marching head-to-tail around the edge of the lawn, or a nest while capping turf in the peat bog in July years ago, but not the winged stage.

Yet this year, there are hundreds of the blighters, just caught this one contending with the gauze lid on the firepit we had out yesterday for a marshmallow toast:

It's a sign, not sure of what yet, though... 

I read recently of clouds of them across GB big enough to be visible on satellite imagery, so: what gives? 

[TallTrees]

Can't see it at all @pgn
Yes that's a cricket on my waterbutt. Get crickets too. They don't get much of a chance to get making sounds here I think the birds get them.

[gmarkj]

We have had several lots of the flying ants this year across different days - unusual as it used to all be on the same day.
Not a fan of them to be honest, especially when they are inside!

[TallTrees]

Meant grasshopper @pgn
On waterbutt.
I love the sound of grasshoppers @Cleoriff
Don't know whether you enjoyed it in Spain.
When we were talking about the Sounds of Summer.....that's another.

[TallTrees]

We have hundreds of ants ..mainly wood ants as I live in a woodland .. we have starlings which pop in to eat them as well as green woodpeckers never make much impact on them though..and like you @gmarkj don't like them inside suppose they lose their way! In the main woodland nearby the wood ants build homes about meter high 😱 Wise to avoid those.

[Cleoriff]

@TallTrees 

It was just the sound of Spain in the evening. Add that to the smell of Hibiscus and Jasmine and it was all pretty glorious

[TallTrees]

Pretty wonderful @Cleoriff

[pgn]

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@TallTrees wrote:
Can't see it at all @pgn

---

Here it is, cunningly disguised:

(and zoomed-in a bit!) 

And I knew you meant "grasshopper" on the waterbutt 👍

[TallTrees]

That is truly amazing camouflage @pgn thanks for zooming never would see that.

[Cleoriff]

Surprised myself that I saw it before the zoom (Particularly as I couldn't read that joke board the other day).

[pgn]

Ah yes, @Cleoriff, as I found out: bi-curiosity has nothing to do with pedals 😁