Category: Animals

  • Lightning bugs

    Ahh, another one of those quintessential summer things, lightning bugs… So, I was wondering if the difference between lightning bug and firefly is regional. I’ve always heard them called lightning bugs around here, and many other areas, but some places we’ve traveled, they seem to be fireflies. Anybody know?

    Anyway, while the drought is most definitely keeping mosquito levels down (no complaint from me there), the lightning bugs seem to be extra prolific this year. I’ve been out the past few nights after sunset, and have been amazed by the numbers of neon yellow flashers floating around. The closest comparison I came up with is that it’s like standing in a dark stadium with thousands of camera flashes (which, incidentally is a complete waste – most flashes only illuminate several yards in front of the camera, so that action a hundred yards away? Makes me laugh every time). I wish I could take a picture or video to capture it, but unfortunately, cameras aren’t quite as awesome as the human eye, so the only option is to experience it in person. The natural world is pretty cool.

    One thing I’ve also noticed is that the flashes appear to be getting shorter. When I was younger, it always seemed that the light was more of a slow pulse (which made it easier to track and catch them), while now it’s more of a quick flash. Maybe it’s just because you move so much quicker when you’re younger, so everything seems slower. Or some unfortunate by-product of global warming.

  • New neighbors

    Earlier this spring while I was working outside one evening, I heard an eerie call from deep in the woods. It stopped me in my tracks, since I’d never heard anything like it before. Over the course of the next few weeks, I heard it several more times, occasionally echoed by a similar call coming from even deeper in the trees. I figured it was some kind of owl, but not like any that I’d ever heard. Eventually I decided to do a little digging and discovered that we have a resident (or two) barred owl, which, as it turns out, have a very distinct call.

    A couple weeks ago, I actually got to meet one of the new neighbors. I was outside after dark a couple weeks ago, and heard a call coming from close proximity. I pointed the flashlight up just in time to a ghostly, silent figure glide into another tree. I was able to follow it, and caught up when it landed. The owl was on a fairly low, unobstructed branch, so I had a nice view, and even had time to get some binoculars. It sat for many minutes, long enough to have a nice chat. I inquired about what drew them to the area, how the culinary landscape was, and if there were any family plans in the future. As when talking to the dogs, I got nothing more than a blank stare. It was good fun though, and I’m always excited to see a wide variety of flora and fauna in the area. At least until they start eating my flora.

    Click here for a sample of what the barred owl sounds like (scroll down a bit).

    Copyright Ed Schneider

  • A trip to the zoo

    If the title didn’t give it away, we went to the zoo last weekend for S’s company picnic. We’re fortunate to live so close to one of the finest zoos in the country, and I’m glad we were able to take advantage of it. I hadn’t been there for years, and I’d forgotten how much fun it could be. C also enjoyed it, though he still seems to think that most animals should bark. He was pretty impressed by the size of the elephants (as was I – I haven’t seen one up close for a long time), and enjoyed the condor that kept coming at us with wings spread wide.

    There were a couple new exhibits, including the recently opened Elephant Crossing. As is usually the case, a lot of the animals were just lounging around in the sun, so there wasn’t a whole lot of action. But, you can count on the monkeys to have some entertaining displays. One group included a juvenile monkey that kept bugging the older ones (funny how life imitates nature…), and C really got a kick out of watching them chase each other around. The weather was a pleasant surprise – they were calling for clouds and rain all week, and when we got there, and not a cloud in the sky. Those forecasters never know what they’re talking about…

    Oblivious to the four-ton monsters behind him, he's more interested in the sparrow.

  • Swallowtail caterpillars

    A couple weeks ago, I noticed some little black caterpillars on my dill. I didn’t see any damage yet, and I had a hunch as to what they were, so I let them be. Sure enough, they’ve grown into what are clearly swallowtail caterpillars. They look pretty similar to monarch caterpillars, if you have any experience with those, but instead of milkweed, swallowtails are attracted to plants in the carrot family, like Queen Anne’s Lace, fennel, and dill. I’d have much preferred that they’d picked the Queen Anne’s Lace, but it’s fun to watch caterpillars grow up (we used to ‘raise’ monarch caterpillars sometimes when we were younger), and I like swallowtail butterflies.

    Of course, since they’re growing so much, they’ve ravaged much of my dill, which I’m not too excited about, but I did pick some to dry when I noticed they were on the plants. I’ll probably replant a few and see if I get anything else before winter. I’m chalking this one up to an attempt to coexist with nature, and not fight it. And maybe one of the butterflies will stop by and visit next year. With rainbows. And unicorns.

  • Lions and tigers and…

    Toads. I know it doesn’t quite fit with the theme, but we’ve had an influx of them so far this summer. Though the sightings have slowed in the last few days, for a while I’d see at least a handful every time I went out. I’m not sure if it’s related to the wet spring we had, but there sure are a lot. Hopefully a few of them make it to adulthood, and can help take out some of the little nasties that could otherwise wreak havoc on the gardens.