@ashwhiffin.bsky.social
Hey Ash, would you be able to help I.D. these beauties?

Irelands largest scarab beetle.
The cockchafer. 💚🪲

Still plenty of male frogs looking for action in my ponds.
🐸🐸💚💚💚🐸🐸

Male frogs become extremely competitive over any female or perceived female who enters the water in breeding season. All this rat had to do was enter the pond & swim around until a male frog approached it in an attempt to mate. You can see his left arm try to grab the rat below.

Intresting observation in one of my wildlife ponds last night. A rat predating on a male frog.
Rats are incredibly resourceful and intelligent, this one has figured out that male frogs are so preoccupied with breeding that they become easy prey.
Cage trap will be set tonight.

Rhododendron removal.

Perfect moult for this Asian forest scorpion. Interestingly, the discarded exoskeleton still fluoreses under U.V. light.