Hi Robert
I've been putting off sending this message, but the awful truth is that the little fellow passed away recently. Obviously being as I am not an Entomologist I have no educated idea as to what / how caused this, but I did notice a few days ago these tiny (only a couple of millimetres long) black insects crawling on him (and they seem to live around his body) - so I wonder if they were the culprits. I know he didn't make it, but considering how close he came to a fiery end all those months ago, I'd like to think his life was better for the turn it took. We will never know for sure how old he was, but being as Huhu's entire live span can be up to three years, he could have been "born" as early as 2008.
Thanks for letting me share his story via your blog.
RIP Howie.
M
I'm sorry I didn't get to see Howie flying free. You were a great caregiver to him, M and you'll be sad too, that he didn't make it through to beetlehood. Still, you're bound to find another grub, now that you know the kind of habitat they enjoy. Perhaps you'll dub him, Howie2 and he'll go the full 9 yards. I wish you luck!
Rob
2 comments:
Poor wee Howie, see Bobby I should have used him for bait, at least he would have acheived something in his now known to be worthless life.
I remember a few years ago when a mate and I were doing a bit of spotlighting in the Kaiangaroa for deer, we hit a swarm of bloody big huhu bugs, they got down my swannee, bit me a little, they were in my hair etc etc, ..shudder...
Got 2 deer that night but ;-)
Ah, Lofty - your 'swarm' story explains so much about you - you girlish terror of insects for a start. Mind you, I always told you that wearing your hair in floor-sweeping dreads was going to bring you trouble one day.
Howie's life was far from worthless - for a start, we got some great photos. Aside from that, Howie and his dad gave me a chance to run a wee serial, akin to Coro Street, featuring a creature with more good features than most I see on television.
We remember Howie - some grub!
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