NATURE'S DRINKING CUPS FOR THE LITTLE WILD CRITTERS

The stub of a decaying tree limb has become a basin for catching rain water

Nature always provides surprises to a walker along a trail. Recently, a few days after a rain, I moseyed down a  trail close to my home and observed something I felt was a bit different. This was what could be considered miniature watering holes or as I call them -- nature's drinking cups. 

Above is a decayed limb that has a basin-like cavity at the top of its stub. When we have rain it fills and remains for several days. 

Close up of the decayed limb's drinking cup

Here is a close up photo of the tree's drinking cup. As you can observe, clear fresh water is caught in the decayed basin. I imagine that birds and insects love these small places.

Boulder with a natural basin providing a drinking cup that fills after a rain

Another basin like drinking cup. This one is in the hollow of a large boulder. I thought that the two examples of drinking cups displays the ingenious way that nature takes care of its little wild critters. 

PRAYING MANTIS ON MY SCREEN

CHINESE PRAYING MANTIS
Mantis religiosa

A few days ago I was in  my chair looking out the window when I noticed a shadow of some monstrous insect climbing near my window screen. What the heck is that huge thing, I muttered to myself while grabbing my camera and flying out the door. Well, it was something I hadn't seen in a long time --. a very large praying mantis. 

Now these guys are not the friendliest insects to handle unless you know what you are doing. My daughter was mildly bit by one a couple years ago when she tried to pick one up to show her daughter. So I wasn't in the mood to move the insect around for different photo shots, So, the above is the only position I captured. 

There are three different types of praying mantis that reside in Kentucky all falling under a group called the Matids.I identified mine as a Chinese praying mantis or more correctly -- a Mantid. I will use praying mantis and Chinese Mantid interchangeably.

This Chinese Mantid usually grows 3 to 5 inches long, is an import from about 75 years ago, and is the largest Mantid found in our state. The one I was looking at was about 5 inches! He was brown colored which threw me. I had always thought Matids were green. I got online with a few sources and found that the Chinese praying mantis can be either green or brown. 

Fall is the time when Mantids are mating. Now if I was a male I would hesitate to get mixed up with the female for mating purposes. If during copulation the female gets a notion, she swivels her head (which can rotate 180 degrees as can the males) and decapitate the male. Ouch! So much for good sex. 

The female lays between 12 and 400 eggs in a hard-case shell lined with frothy juice in the fall. In the spring the juveniles emerge and oftentimes their first meal consists of a few of their siblings.  Ouch again. 

Overall. the praying mantis is a deadly predator. 

An interesting fact about the Chinese praying mantis is it has an ear in its abdomen area that picks up ultra-high frequencies that possibly might help in finding a mate or knowing a predator is nearby. They are the only known animal with only one ear. 

A little folklore is known about the Mantids. One, is that the Greeks thought they were prophets and two, the Chinese used them for various medicinal purposes.

A beautiful and intriguing insect but deadly for both beneficial and non-beneficial insects.

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To find out other information about the praying mantis I would suggest the following sites:

Cornell Chronicle

University of Kentucky Entomology

This is a Sunday Simplicities post reflecting my outlook on life. Now in retirement I am observing new horizons -- opportunities have surfaced.  Economies have changed as well as my perspective on what is truly important in my simple life.  Stay tuned. 

EASTERN PHOEBE --- LIFE AND DEATH -- Sunday Simplicities

Female Eastern Phoebe Nesting on My Porch

A few hours ago an Eastern Phoebe chick fell to its demise apparently from its nest. It landed on my cement porch. A sad occasion for the parents as well as for me. I had watched the parents from the start -- selecting the site on the top of one of my porch columns -- building the nest- sitting on the eggs to keep them warm, and nourishing them with food once they hatched.

Here is how I discovered what had happened. I heard the Phoebe's urgent distress calls outside my door. I thought some critter was disturbing the nest. When I looked outside the door -- there on the porch was a well developed little bird, not alive. I had been out on the porch about 15 minutes before this disturbance was set off. Apparently, I deduce, it happened right after I went back inside.

For the past three hours the parents have been circling the area constantly crying fee-bee and making a rapid clicking sound. A few times flying to the empty nest, perching on the edge and looking downward into the nest. A nest that was now empty.

I had seen one other baby in the nest -- perhaps he/she fledged and this one just didn't have the wing power when he/she fledged.

The parent's are acting very stressed. And why shouldn't they be. All that love and care they had given their brood.

We are all connected -- no one can tell me differently. Emotions are within all animals. Although, many will disagree, I recognize grief and that is what I saw and heard today.

And as I say these words above, I think of the wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico. In my heart the grief that is emanating from its wildlife is numbing and overwhelming.

THOUSANDS OF FIREFLIES FLASHING -- SUNDAY SIMPLICITIES

SYNCHRONOUS FIREFLY FLASHING, DIFFICULT TO SEE, LOOK FOR TINY WHITE LIGHTS
fLICKR PHOTO: dckf_$êr@pH!nX's

On the first evening of June about 10 PM I was letting my dogs out the front door for their last call.. I usually let them out the back but this night I was being lazy and knew the front door would be quicker. As I opened the door I was greeted with a spectacular phenomenon the likes of which I had never seen before in my life.

I live on a ridge of Bear Mountain and have a surround view of the mountains up to their tops and also a narrow low-lying, flatland fissure that runs below which they call a holler in Kentucky. What I quickly saw in front of me was a light show of thousands of fireflies (lightning bugs) flashing all along the holler below rising upward to the tops of the surrounding mountains. I slowly stepped outside completely in awe of such a remarkable display. I sat watching for about fifteen or twenty minuets, then bid the fireflies goodnight telling them that I would be back tomorrow.

SAL, MR CURIOUS, SITS ON THE PORCH HELPING ME WATCH FOR FIREFLIES

The next evening, I sat on my front porch during the same time and place as last night, but no thousands of fireflies? Fireflies yes, it was the usual number that I see at this time every year. Then I went out again the following couple nights, same time, same place, and again only saw the usual amount of flickering firefly lights. Nothing to even come close to what I saw on that first evening in June. I scratched my head and wondered what type of occurrence had happened on that first night when so many fireflies were flashing like small twinkle lights all up and down the valley heights?

WE SPOT A COUPLE FIREFLIES ON SUBSEQUENT NIGHTS.

Yesterday I received my June/July issue of National Wildlife Magazine and there was an article about fireflies, Photinus carolinus, and their synchronized flashing -- flashing by the thousands. These occurrences were mentioned as happening in the Great Smokey Mountains in June around 9PM to 10PM. Could this be a similar event that I witnessed?

The magazine described the incredible flashing display as starting out in the dozens, expanding to the hundreds and then into the thousands.They flash together for 4 seconds then pause10 to 12 seconds. The flashing is actually a way for males and females to connect to each other -- it's their "come hither" flash that promotes the species.

Perhaps it's a once in a lifetime occurrence for someone like myself to observe? No matter if it was a flashing synchronous firefly show or some wonder of the cosmos, to me it appeared as another of nature's beautiful mysteries.