Trees in the peat bog, and a huge wasp

While there is some forest surrounding the peat bog, the peat bog itself is a very unfriendly place for trees. The ground is too wet, and the acidity is very high compared to other habitats.

Still, there are some pioneer species like birches that will try to grow anywhere, even next to an example of what eventually will be their fate:

Olympus Stylus 1s, 35mm, ISO100, f4, 1/500s

Birches spread a lot of very light seeds, and when one lands in the peat bog during a dry spell, it will start to grow. When the water rises again, it will struggle and usually die, leaving nothing but rotting stumps:

Olympus Stylus 1s, 95mm, ISO200, f8, 1/160s

This brave little pine is an abberation, as far as I know it is the only conifer in this peat bog. Maybe a bird dropped a seed that landed on a little piece of solid ground. It seems to be doing well for now:

Olympus Stylus 1s, 100mm, ISO200, f8, 1/200s

There are some advantages to having a graveyard of birches in several stadia of decay, though. Some very rare species of parasitoid wasp (Ichneumonidae) lay eggs in wood, and the wood needs to be soft or they won't be able to drill into it.

Apparently, there are many birches in this peat bog that are just right for them, and that allowed me to spot and photograph this extremely rare Megarhyssa superba (I'm not being pedantic; it's so rare it doesn't have a common English or Dutch name):

Olympus XZ-1, 112mm, ISO400, f4, 1/160s, repost

This was only the second sighting of such a beast in The Netherlands, and the first in my region. It is about 4cm (1.6") long without the ovipositor (the long thingy at the back used for drilling into trees). It looks dangerous, but this species can't sting like normal wasps. Still, it is an impressive beast, as insects go.

To the industrious bots: you may find the last photo on Wikipedia and WikiMedia; I put it there.