Lovely ladybirds

Ladybird goodies

Over the past few weeks we have been on ladybird or ladybug watch. We found several trees covered in hundreds of these gruesome looking bugs - and when I told the children they would grow up to be ladybirds, they just didn't believe me! So we watched!

I'm going to grow up and be a ladybird???

The gruesome bugs became strange looking cocoons - they did look a bit like ladybirds.

ladybird cocoons

And then last week, by precise timing by me (actually complete luck) we watched a ladybird hatching out of it's cocoon and found a newly hatched one sitting in the sun! I didn't realise how lucky we were until I went back the next morning to take better photos on the camera (as opposed to my phone) and couldn't find any at that stage, let alone two different stages. So apologies for the fuzzy photo!
I've been busy making some ladybird goodies after watching these amazing creatures - so I now have ladybird key rings and badges, as well as ladybird mini bunting and bug mini bunting including ladybirds. I just love ladybirds and we are going to have lots this summer!

hatching ladybirds