Hubby and I went up to the Lecht yesterday to collect blaeberries, as I'd got a great haul there last year - big, juicy and plentiful! However, it was a little disappointing this year as they were less plentiful, smaller and to add insult to injury another family arrived to pick whilst we were there - very demoralising! However, we dug deep and managed to gather about a kilo and a half of berries, which are now in the freezer.
Whilst we were there, we saw loads of this particular type of caterpillar, and so I got a photo of this one in order to google him when I got home. It seems he's a vapourer moth caterpillar, also known as a rusty tussock, and he has venomous spines. We left them well alone!
It does look wicked! Good thing you took the picture and then left it alone. I had never heard of blaeberries so I did a search of the word. I’m familiar with the name ‘bilberry’ but not the berry itself. Good old Wikipedia gave me other regional terms as well as the Scottish ‘blaeberry’—‘urts’ and ‘hurts’ in Cornwall and Devon will interest my Celtophile husband, as will the etymology of ‘frauchan’ (Anglicisation of the Irish ‘Fraochán’.) I love learning new things—even stuff I may never have occasion to use!
Extraordinary caterpillar but he sounds vicious! I think we all get a bit territorial about ‘our patch’. I remember last years pick….don’t tell anyone where!
We have other kinds of tussock moths around here- they are all spikey and they are all poisonous. If you inadvertently touch them, you'll end up with a nasty rash or worse depending on how allergic you are to them. So the spikes turn out to be a good warning! Good shot. Glad to hear the berry picking was successful!
Fabulous detail. I know, so speedy, it's so quiet outside because our swifts have left - always feels like the end of summer even though there's a month left.
It's still a good result. I don't like to pick blueberries, because blueberry bushes are a haven for mosquitoes and other insects. I am always very bitten.
August 1st, 2023
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Pity your batch wasn't as good as last year