Latest news with #nature
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Science
- The Guardian
Country diary: What has the head of an ant, eyes of a housefly and legs of a spider?
I was standing on the verge beneath an oak tree when an insect dropped on to my bare arm. At first glance I thought it was a lacewing, but on closer inspection, something about it didn't look quite right. A quick Google search revealed it was an oak snakefly (Phaeostigma notata), a bizarre insect you've probably never heard of. They are rarely encountered and under-recorded, not because they're endangered, but because they're arboreal and tend to stay hidden high in the canopy, or tucked away in bark cracks and crevices. But wind or heavy rain, like the gusty downpour we'd had that morning, can send them to lower levels. It looked like a composite of insect body parts – a broad, flattened ant's head, a housefly's large compound eyes, spidery legs and damselfly-like wings with intricate venation. The presence of a formidable-looking long, needle‑like ovipositor indicated that this individual was female. Most unique was her elongated neck-like pronotum, which, when she reared up at the approach of my finger, gave her the appearance of a cobra poised to strike. It's this distinctive feature that gives these fantastical creatures their colloquial name. Snakeflies aren't flies (Diptera). They're related to the lacewings and antlions (Neuroptera), but are classified in a separate relictual order, Raphidioptera. They're considered living fossils, as they closely resemble species from the early Jurassic period, about 140m years ago. There are about 260 extant snakefly species worldwide, all found in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, but only four have been recorded in the UK. Their strong mandibles seem at odds with a diet of soft-bodied prey, but they are voracious predators of aphids, mites and other small arthropods, their flexible pronotum enabling them to pursue prey into tight nooks and crannies. A recent stretch of warm weather, combined with high humidity, extended daylight hours and an abundance of succulent new growth, has created ideal conditions for an aphid population boom. Many trees in the locality have curled, distorted foliage – a telltale sign that sap-suckers have been piercing the leaf cuticle. But the oak was virtually unblemished, suggesting that the snakeflies are helping keep this damage in check. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Why travellers in Australia are still blown away when they find out what lies behind this hidden door in the mountains
An iconic hideaway in Australia continues to wow travellers, both local and international, when they discover what lies behind its mysterious mountainside entryway. Within the small Blue Mountains town of Bilpin is a one-of-a-kind holiday rental situated inside a cave. The unique, rustic Airbnb holiday property, located only 90 minutes from the Sydney CBD, is known as ' The Enchanted Cave ' - and it becomes clear why when guests take a step inside. The intimate two-person accommodation has been masterfully built beneath the clifftop of a natural rock platform and claims to be 'the only cave for a couple in the Blue Mountains region'. Upon arrival, access to the holiday stay is via its easy-to-miss, small, round wooden door. The listing charmingly describes this entryway as something that 'wouldn't be out of place in The Hobbit'. Once inside the cosy abode, the cave retreat fantasy truly takes hold. As described in the listing: 'Close the door. The view, the spa, the fire. I am Caveman.' Property owner Lionel, a builder who specialises in environmentally friendly design and construction, says he created the unique accommodation to offer an experience akin to 'a nature bath'. Lionel told FEMAIL that The Enchanted Cave, which is accessible by car, features 'incredibly beautiful views of World Heritage wilderness'. He said past visitors have commented on how 'relaxing and fulfilling' their stay inside the cave was – and how it often helped them reconnect with 'nature and their partner'. Set against the backdrop of the picturesque national park, the external sides of the accommodation feature floor-to-(cave)-roof glass, showcasing the majestic natural setting. Nestled high on the cliffs, the cave overlooks the treetops, with expansive views to be enjoyed from either inside or outside on the carved natural rock verandah. This romantic holiday venue offers couples a rare chance to feel as though they've escaped into their own world – while still enjoying all the amenities for a comfortable stay. There's a pleasant fire place for the dual purpose of atmosphere and warmth - best enjoyed with a cheese board and a glass of wine in hand while a sunken two-person hot tub has been positioned next to a huge window to take in the majestic bush views. A kitchenette in the corner of the cave is complete with a mini fridge, oven and cooktops to whip up a delicious meal. It's best to come prepared with supplies, as this certainly isn't the type of venue easily reached by an UberEats driver. With not another person in sight from high above the tree canopy, privacy certainly won't be an issue. The intimate two-person accommodation has been masterfully built beneath the clifftop of a natural rock platform and claims to be 'the only cave for a couple in the Blue Mountains region' There is a toilet too - but it's worth noting that it is a long-drop compost toilet due to the remote location, which can take a little getting used to. For those who love the idea of an 'off-the-grid' getaway but still want a touch of creature comfort technology, the venue includes a television beautifully built into one side of the cave wall. But with no Wi-Fi and limited phone signal, the idea is to disconnect and truly revel in the back-to-nature experience. And of course, there's a big, soft bed near the cave entryway. Be prepared to wake up to the sound of birdsong. For those keen to venture out, the property is on the doorstep of the world famous Blue Mountains National Park walking trails. For those who love the idea of an 'off-the-grid' getaway but still want a touch of creature comfort technology, the venue includes a television beautifully built into one side of the cave wall The cost of staying at such a rare property does attract a higher price tag. A minimum two-night stay starts from $1,230 per night. The cave retreat has rave reviews from past guests, with an average rating of 4.84 stars. Among the comments from previous holidaymakers are descriptions of the property as 'magical', 'dream-like' and 'memorable'. 'Cannot recommend highly enough for those seeking an escape from the usual city life. It is a truly unexpected and unique space, one in a million,' read part of one review. 'Highly recommended for anyone seeking a beautiful place to disconnect,' confirmed another. A visitor earlier this year described the cave retreat as the place to go 'to reconnect with nature', adding that it had 'everything you needed to completely unwind'. 'Release your inner child (cave person or hobbit) in this most extraordinary cliff dwelling,' stated another. Many couples commented about choosing to visit the romantic cave abode for a special occasion, like anniversaries. Although many comments were positive, it's worth noting that some visitors were not prepared for just how rustic the stay would be. In the bush, things like errant bugs, the drop toilet (and its slight odour!), outdoor residue and other quirks are all part of the secluded bush location experience. But what it lacks in standard luxury resort amenities, it more than makes up for in uniqueness and breathtaking natural beauty. And being located less than an hour and a half from Sydney means that just when you're starting to yearn for the buzz of city life, you can be back there before you know it.
Times
12 hours ago
- General
- Times
Roaming peacocks divide village where they run wild in streets
'There have been six on top of my car. I've had up to 18 of them in my garden. They look nice but they're a nuisance.' Les Gladwell, 75, is talking about peacocks. Lots of them. In the North Lincolnshire village of Hibaldstow, the residents share their streets, rooftops and gardens with up to 30 wild peafowl — and opinion is split. To some, the birds are charming neighbours. To others they are noisy vandals with a fondness for shiny cars and shredding flowerbeds. Peafowl, the collective term for peacocks and peahens, are not native to the UK but with their showy feathers have long strutted across country estates and farmyards. They can live to 25 years old. In Hibaldstow they have roamed freely for decades and some locals believe the first pair came from a nearby farm in the 1970s. In recent years numbers have soared. Given the population of 2,400 people, there is an estimated one peafowl for every 80 villagers.
CTV News
16 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Moose family swim: Mom teaches two calves
Northern Ontario Watch A video taken in Killarney, Ont., shows a mama moose swimming with two tiny babies trying to keep up behind her.
The Guardian
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Death is complicated and kaleidoscopically beautiful': Jerskin Fendrix on his emotional new album – and life after Oscar success
The sun is shining, birds are tweeting and a river gently flows just yards away as Jerskin Fendrix tells me about his love of growing up in Shropshire. 'It was so gorgeous and majestic,' he says, sitting in the garden of a friend's house where he spent a lot of time in his youth. 'It was nature, forests and hills and then just normal teenage life. The combination of this numinous, big landscape and getting wasted in a cornfield with your mates listening to Kanye West on a Bluetooth speaker while seeing a massive sunset.' Such vivid scenes fill his latest album, Once Upon a Time … in Shropshire. The opening track, Beth's Farm, captures an idyllic scene where animals roam and rural teens party. 'I thought it was a really nice symbol of this naive innocence,' he says. 'Trying to get across how bucolic and heavenly this was before it starts to get corrupted.' The corruption he speaks of is some recent personal turmoil that has at once intensified, sharpened and darkened the reflective lens he's looking back through. 'A close friend of mine killed himself,' he says. 'Then more stuff happened, and more people died.' He wrote about it as a means of dealing with it, along with exploring the complexities and contradictions of grief. 'We're taught by songs or Hollywood films that someone dies and then there's very slow strings and you cry for six months and it gradually gets better,' he says. 'That's not how it works. Sometimes it's not as bad as you think, sometimes it's way worse. It can be trivial, funny or sometimes it's these massively different combinations at the same time. Death is the same thing as life – it's as complicated and kaleidoscopically beautiful.' Once Upon a Time … in Shropshire reflects these vast, knotty emotions. It's bold and dramatic, heart-wrenching, vulnerable, intimate and funny. From eruptive post-rock to sweeping chamber pop via avant classical explorations, tender ballads and group sing-alongs around the family piano, it's a singular piece of work. Joscelin Dent-Pooley was assigned the name Jerskin Fendrix as a joke by a friend at school and it stuck. A trained pianist and violinist, he moved to London in the late 2010s to be in the band Famous, but soon began playing solo shows and collaborating with the likes of Black Midi. His 2020 debut album, Winterreise, touched on hyper-pop, warped electro and leftfield baritone ballads. It was a cult record but it caught the ear of acclaimed film director Yorgos Lanthimos, who has since employed Fendrix to score three films: Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness and the upcoming Bugonia. The former even landed Fendrix an Oscar nomination and he's buzzing about the next one. 'It's gonna be sick,' he enthuses. 'It's a wild film. I'm very proud of it. We got a 90-piece orchestra, so it's a big fucking score.' However, we are deliberately back on home soil to talk about his latest record. Which is not always an easy process. One of the people Fendrix lost during the writing of the record was his father, whose death was sudden and unexpected. Before many of his answers, he takes a long inhale and sits in silence before answering. He tailgates cigarette after cigarette, blazing his way through a pack of Camel Blues. While the album is rich and joyful, it also contains real pain and anguish. Fendrix stretched his voice to new places, both emotionally and in terms of its register. 'I really pushed myself,' he says. 'To have gone through so many things that were so unusual, new and testing, and then to make music that was safe and comfortable … it wouldn't have been reflective.' You can hear on some songs that he is close to breaking. 'I wanted to record it myself in my own little studio, and that was fairly brutal for my emotions,' he says. 'This was not very long after my father had died, and it was probably a good process, but it was a pretty heavy thing to impose on myself. There are some takes that just felt like self-punishment. I was very isolated, but I always felt people were with me. Having those ghosts there, of the living as well as dead, was almost conversational.' Experiencing such loss so close to home, Fendrix basked in memories of growing up nestled around a close-knit group of friends and family, being daft, 'getting ratted in the kitchen' at parties, and extracting beauty from the simple things you sometimes take for granted. 'A lot of people who grow up somewhere remote are like, 'Oh, it was shit and there was nothing to do',' he says. 'But being bored is fucking great because you invent things. Even if that's just being a dumbass. One has permission to find their life beautiful and not a lot of people give themselves that, regardless of what your environment is. And that's not necessarily somewhere idyllic or utopian but just to find a real deep, beautiful meaning in what's happened to you.' At the beginning of our conversation, Fendrix said to remind me to ask him about the river in front of us, as it was important. So as our conversation wraps, I bring it up. Another deep breath and long silence. 'My friend who died, we had his wake here,' he begins. 'And he really loved nature.' With eerie synchronicity, we are now cowering in a corner because the heavens have opened. Fendrix sucks down one last cigarette while looking out at the droplets hitting the flowing stream. 'A thing that happened that day really stuck with me: the water came all the way up to here, and the entire town was flooded overnight. It was like the river rose up to come and get him.' Once Upon a Time … in Shropshire is released via Untitled (Recs) on 10 October
