Well, I have to say I saw things of interest this week.....just not always nice things.
The lone "manky" duck left at the wetlands was showing off a spotty look....must be molting.
I've never seen it with white mixed in the black and green feathers before.
A feather left behind.
Still a few small butterflies around.....a skipper of some sort.
A Pearl Crescent
A Buckeye
I enjoy the small flowers just for their own beauty without the butterflies :-)
While looking for turtles and such, I spotted this frog/toad? sitting quietly in the water. It was his obvious shape that drew my eye to him down there in the water.
It was a fairly warm sunny day so many turtles were out.
We all know that I enjoy the turtles :-)
This little guy had his own log, but seems to be looking at the other turtles rather longingly.
Two that brought the duckweed out with them.
A couple of very clean ones.
That all would be my "good" for the day.
This is one of the many skunks that visit our house daily.....usually in the dark of night, but this one was out early and I sneaked a few photos without getting too close. They do make you nervous even though they seem very gentle!
One rainy night two showed up and one was our beautiful almost all white one! I'm always amazed when I see this one. It is really beautiful....even when wet.
The black skunk is with it on the left.....much harder to see.
Those would be the "bad" part of my post....if you don't like skunks!
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DON'T GO FURTHER IF YOU DON'T LIKE INSECT VIOLENCE
The "yucky" part of this post
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It seems like once a year I stumble into some insect being violent to another. One year it was a hornet attacking a spider, another year it was one dragonfly eating another (on my shirt no less) and this year it is a Praying Mantis eating a poor Monarch butterfly. By the time I spotted them it was already too late for the butterfly if I had wanted to interfere. I don't like stuff like this, but I guess the photographer in me and the naturalist still wants to see what is happening and take photos. I thought it was interesting the way the mantis gripped the butterfly by the wings and held them while he systematically ate his way through the body. Yuck........but I learned something about nature's "bug eat bug" world.
He didn't like me moving a piece of flower that was in the way, so he decided to take it away. Sorry if this offends anyone, but I did warn you not to look. I did spare you the close-ups.
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15 comments:
Hi Mary, I've noticed the different colors in our skunks also. We had an almost white one last year... They look around for the spilt birdfeed at night... Most times, I don't smell them---thank goodness.
You have a great set of photos... Glad you are still seeing some butterflies... The turtles are cute!!!!
Hugs,
Betsy
Hi Mary..I love the feather on the Lily pads ..and still some lovely butterflies around!
I had a Skunk that was around that looked very much like the white one you have..not what we usually picture a skunk looking like !!
The Praying Mantis has to eat to, although we don't like it...it didn't bother me ..that's the food chain!!
Nice photo's and post!!
Grace
Excellent photos, as usual Mary. (Yes I've been watching, even when I wasn't posting.) I'm like you, it's hard to look at that stuff, but very interesting at the same time. I would have photographed it too!
I am *finally* trying to get posting on my nature blog again. I've decided to just start posting where I am currently and not worry about all the stuff I missed, unless I find spare time to work on it. I made my first new post today, and I had a blog award to share, so I gave it to you. Congrats! You deserve it.
WONDERFUL PICTURES OF THE TURTLES AND SKUNKS! ONCE IN A WHILE i POST A 'YUCKY' PICTURE, TOO. THAT'S JUST THE WAY NATURE WORKS! HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
Nature can be just as cruel as mankind. Love your resident skunks, especially the white one. Will they still visit in the winter when it will be easier to photograph the black instead the white one?
Where do I begin? Those algae covered turtles are pretty good,and I like the lone feather. Now an almost white skunk,that must be a rarity,and he is quite pretty. About the bug eat bug scenes,well, that is just nature i guess.Great shots.
I enjoyed all of your pictures, even the bad and yucky ones. We need to be reminded at times that our world can be yucky.
I really enjoyed seeing your skunks. I rarely see one anymore unless it is roadkill.
When I was young and lived on my parent's farm we had a family that had it's home under our chicken coop. There were many days when we would see the mama leading her little brood out across the field. Such fun memories! Your almost white one is georgeous!
I agree that the almost white skunk is gorgeous! I have never seen one like that! Although I do tend to smell them rather than see them...
I sometimes see butterfly wings, but have never wondered why the body was gone. Now I know.
NOTE: Actually the almost white skunk isn't that unusual. We have one here nearly every year and I Googled them once and found out it was one of the several color patterns. We have a mostly black one, a mostly white one, a common looking one with the stripes coming down the sides further. I would love to befriend one....if it wasn't for the little "odor" problem they have. My cats would never forgive me.
This is a great post Mary...I can't help but think everyone will be interested in those last pics while maybe repelled at the same time. Instead of a dog eat dog world, maybe it should be it is a bug eat bug world.
Just love those skunks, Mary! Your bug eats bug photo is amazing ... but I feel just the same way as you. Monarchs are such magnificent butterflies.
We have just moved from south west Wales to the east of England, so I'm looking forward to some new photo challenges ahead!
Love your white skunk! What a delight to have them come in by your house often though I know you have to steer clear of them. Loved the big brown toad, and the great bird photos! Didn't mind the insect violence...it's all part of our world, right? And how often do we get to observe something like that? Wonderful post.
Bug eating bug is part of God's plan. I don't think the photos were that bad either. I heard a Praying Mantis eats hummingbirds too. Not sure if that is true though.
Really enjoy the turtle photos, since I am a turtle person too.
I love taking walks with you Mary. Such beautiful colors in the Fall, and you still have butterflies. We never did get many again, and all my Monarchs died. LOve the beautiful duck too.
B.
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