Small scale drama on the ground. By stopping and noticing what was going on by our feet we got to witness an entertaining beetle battle
On a cold and windy Saturday in June we took a bike ride through the Bellicai forrest. The Bellicai forest is a hilly, woodland place, with some farmland in between larger areas of shrubs, trees and country tractor lanes and paths. Lots of bushes, trees, hedgerows and dirt tracks and paths.
It is a place where it is very likely to hit upon flocks of goats and/or sheep trotting along the paths.
Dung beetle paradise
And where there are sheep and goats there is also poop, lots of poop. And where there’s poop, there’s dung beetle paradise. Particularly here it seems, where they are partially sheltered under the big canopies of the trees.
Biking along one of these paths we make a little stop. Probably to take a photo or maybe blow a nose (very cold day in June – yes you would think Sardinia is warm all the time, but absolutely not!)
When we stopped, Sardinian man pointed to the hive of activity on the ground. There, just by our feet and cycle wheels there were a handful of busy dung beetles. Some larger and some smaller.
Dizzy beetle?
One had managed to build up a good (and perfectly round) ball of poop. Two other beetles were trying to steal this ball. Another beetle was working hard on a smaller ball of poop. Rolling around in what to us seemed like an aimless way, but to the beetle it hopefully made sense.
But he was left in peace by the others, I guess the bigger ball was much more valuable to fight over.
The ball was rolled up a little ‘slope’ (just a slant made by the track in the road) by a beetle trying to get away from the others by using speed alone. Only to loose his balance on the top and roll all the way down again. At first he tried to hang on to the ball of poop as best as he could, rolling around with the ball, but as the ball rolled faster he had to let go. For all I know maybe dung beetles can be dizzy too.
Entertaining micro drama
Then as the ball finally came to a stop another beetle rushed in to grab this prize that suddenly presented itself next to him. But rolling it past the other one who had now recovered from his tumble and dizziness was maybe not so smart. So a new fight broke out. With one beetle rolling uphill again and the other trying to roll the same ball in another direction. While the third beetle was lurking in the background ready to punch when the chance presented itself.
I was well entertained by all this action, if it wasn’t for the cold temperature I would have stayed longer to see what eventually happened to this ball and who was the winner of the prize. But in cycling gear it got a bit cold, so we went on our way. Leaving the dung beetles to continue their struggle, battle and street war.
Arrumbia merda – rolling poop
The Sardinian name for the dung beetle is ‘Arrumbia merda’ which they tell me basically means ‘rolling dung (poop)’, maybe not a beautiful name, but a representing one.
We could easily have missed this dung beetle drama unfolding by our feet. If we hadn’t stopped and looked properly at the surroundings we would not have noticed the little ‘street wars’ being fought among the dung beetle community on the ground.
Our own BBC natural drama
It all made me think of David Attenborough and the nature programmes on the BBC. Where he comments on little dramas unfolding on the ground unbeknownst to us humans. How he can make any little insect business into a high suspense thriller story so we are all glued to our chairs just waiting to see what happens next. This was exactly like that. I could vividly imagine and literally hear his voice in my head how he would have excitedly commented along with the dung beetle activity.
That day we did not need the BBC, just to stop, look down and notice this little micro drama.
It hit me that this goes for so many things in life. When we take time to stop, look and notice. I love the saying ‘take time to smell the roses’. Maybe a suitable thing to do around a dung beetle drama.
When we take time to look and notice we could have loads of entertainment literally by our feet (or in the door frame – link to post)
There are little dramas, battles and grand happenings (on a small scale) going on everywhere for those with eyes to notice.
Link to a post about biking in San Giorgio
Link to a MTB track in Bellicai
lots of love,
Bee