Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

What the heck is that?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    What the heck is that?

    Most of the year I pretty much live outside. I figured that I've pretty much seem all the local wildlife, but this year I've actually seen critters that I've never seen before...

    A couple of weeks ago, somebody hit a bobcat with a car in front of my house. I knew they were out there, but the dead one in the road is the first time I've seen a wild specimen.

    Lizards aren't very common in Michigan, but this year, for the first time ever, I've seen skinks with vivid blue tails in the woodpile and around the house foundation.

    And then there's this little beauty:







    It's about the size of the first joint of my thumb. We saw it hoovering around the butterfly bush where it was flittering from place to place like a hummingbird. And we figured it was a hummingbird, but it wasn't like the ones we normally see around here.

    So I took a few pics, and when I looked at them, I noticed that this hummingbird has a few extra legs, and wings that show a pattern, like a butterfly or moth.

    It turns out that this is a Hummingbird Moth - it's a moth that seems to mimics a hummingbird. You can find more about Hummingbird Moths (with better pictures) here:

    http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ec...gbird_moth.htm

    Amazing little critter....
    Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.


    #2
    Re: What the heck is that?

    Wow! That is really cool. Looks like a cross between a hummingbird and a lobster.
    sigpic
    Can you hear me, Major Tom? I think I love you.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: What the heck is that?

      Yeah, my first thought was "Holy crap, that's a flying mutant lobster! From SPACE!"
      "Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others."
      -Thomas Jefferson

      Let a man never stir on his road a step
      without his weapons of war;
      for unsure is the knowing when the need shall arise
      of a spear on the way without.
      -

      Comment


        #4
        Re: What the heck is that?

        woah! that is way cool Corbin!
        Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
        sigpic

        Comment


          #5
          Re: What the heck is that?

          Awww, it's so cute & fuzzy!
          The forum member formerly known as perzephone. Or Perze. I've shed a skin.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: What the heck is that?

            ooooh!!! I have one!

            ...not as pretty though...

            Its the bark of a Hackberry tree.
            Attached Files
            Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
            sigpic

            Comment


              #7
              Re: What the heck is that?

              Wow...I think I would have freaked out a bit if I'd seen that in person, Corbin.
              Great Grandmother's Kitchen

              Comment


                #8
                Re: What the heck is that?

                Yeah - it looked JUST like a little flying lobster - the bands on the back look like the joints on a lobster's tail, and the end of the tail spreads out just like a lobster or crayfish.

                DeseretRose - nah... you'd have thought it was cute and fuzzy, like Perzephone (I mean the bug is cute and fuzzy, as Perzephone said, not that Perzephone is herself cute and fuzzy, although for all I know, she may well be ).

                Thalassa, how close were you to that bark when you took the picture? That's some heavy duty texture on that hackberry tree!
                Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: What the heck is that?

                  Really cool!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: What the heck is that?

                    That's just amazing Corbin! Thank you so much for sharing!
                    www.thewolfenhowlepress.com


                    Phantom Turnips never die.... they just get stewed occasionally....

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: What the heck is that?

                      Originally posted by B. de Corbin View Post
                      Thalassa, how close were you to that bark when you took the picture? That's some heavy duty texture on that hackberry tree!
                      I know, right?!?!? I've never seen a hackberry look *that* wrinkly and warty! I'm guessing its because its probably pretty old (this tree was MASSIVE--I think it would take at least 2, if not three people to get their arms around it). I was probably about 6 inches or so away with my close up setting. I have another other pics of the bark, from more of a head-on view, and its a bit harder to see exactly how deep it was.

                      Though, I hear you can make some good jam with it.
                      Attached Files
                      Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                      sigpic

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: What the heck is that?

                        I have never seen one before, very neat!
                        sigpic

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: What the heck is that?

                          Originally posted by thalassa View Post
                          I know, right?!?!? I've never seen a hackberry look *that* wrinkly and warty! I'm guessing its because its probably pretty old (this tree was MASSIVE--I think it would take at least 2, if not three people to get their arms around it). I was probably about 6 inches or so away with my close up setting. I have another other pics of the bark, from more of a head-on view, and its a bit harder to see exactly how deep it was.
                          I don't think we have hackberrys up here... at least I've never heard of them.... so I'm not sure what they look like normally.

                          But while I was camping this weekend, I saw a plain old white pine with unusual bark. I was going to take a picture of it for you, but I got distracted by this:



                          If you are looking at that picture and not seeing anything interesting, that's exactly what you should be seeing. I'm going to take the same picture and hit it with some highlighter so you'll know where to look -



                          It's a nice little walking stick (stick insect)!

                          These aren't exactly rare, but, as you can see, they are hard to find. I was able to find this one because it was on a window screen instead of on some sticks where it should be if it's smart.

                          Here it is on my wife's hand and back (aren't you glad you didn't end up married to somebody like me?):



                          Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: What the heck is that?

                            OOOOOH!!!!

                            I love stickbugs! That is AWESOME!
                            Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                            sigpic

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: What the heck is that?

                              Yup - stickbugs and praying mantises... so cool, I get excited everytime I find one!
                              Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X