Nature Photography (Formally Spring is in the Air)

[Lanthanotus]

Quiet here for some time, though spring is really in the air, at least here in Germany. After doin' some clean up (cutting back rampant black berry) in several lizard habitats I finally took a camera with me yesterday afternoon. Nothing too special, but some random shots of Podarcis muralis doin' the usual stuff they do in spring (filling their empty bellies and mating).






There's always one weirdo.... this one swallowing on a lizard tail while lacking its own tail. It is a particularity of this population, that many, maybe most, of the adult individuals lack their tail and/or have a regenerate. After seeing this I suspect that the lizards themselves bite off the tails of other lizards rather than dropping them/getting them bitten off for snakes or birds. The population is very strong, so quarreling over territory may be the reason.

[Doug Watson]

Quiet here for some time, though spring is really in the air, at least here in Germany. After doin' some clean up (cutting back rampant black berry) in several lizard habitats I finally took a camera with me yesterday afternoon. Nothing too special, but some random shots of Podarcis muralis doin' the usual stuff they do in spring (filling their empty bellies and mating).

What a pretty little lizard, I am once again envious here in lizard free Ottawa. Apparently someone let 12 loose in Vancouver in 1970 but they haven't made it to here yet or the thriving population in Ohio that was released in 1950 starting with 10 individuals. Do they eat earwigs? I could use them in my garden to get rid of that other european import.

[Lanthanotus]

Hi Doug,... earwigs, I'd guess so, though such are mostly nocturnal and hide during the days, so could be hard to find for the lizards. Gardeners here in Europe appreciate and support earwigs with providing hiding places as they feed one large numbers of plant louses.

[GasmaskMax]

I saw a wild river otter running around in my yard last friday, odd as im not near any bodies if water suitable for an otter like that.  Im worried it might still be around and that it will get into my fish pond.

[Lanthanotus]

It's spring, so it most likely was a young male on the look for an own territory and/or females. If your pond just has fish but nothing more suitable for an otter habitat, then you'd need not worry, it probaly is already gone for miles. Otters travel wide distances on the look for new homes or mates. Would that my near environment was in any circumstance suitable for otters, but unfortunatley it is not.

[Doug Watson]

Gardeners here in Europe appreciate and support earwigs with providing hiding places as they feed one large numbers of plant louses.

Isn't that strange, I hadn't heard of that benefit here. Over here they are only considered a pest since they feed on our garden vegetables and flowers. It could be we lack a predator over here that exists over where you are because at the height of their season if you lift a board or spray water into the cracks between boards they pour out in the hundreds. They destroy young vegetable seedlings and strip the leaves of my marigolds and roses especially. I had to stop using mulch in the garden because the mulch would be crawling with them. They only arrived in this region some 37 years ago.

[Newt]

Some weeds:


Field Pansy


Yellow Wood Sorrel and Widow's Cross


Henbit

More to come. Also: spiders!

[Doug Watson]

Some weeds:
Field Pansy
Yellow Wood Sorrel and Widow's Cross
Henbit
More to come. Also: spiders!

Flowers already....show off! Our tulips are only just pushing their way through the frozen ground.

[ZoPteryx]

Some scenes from the California's "Super Bloom"!  Photographed in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.




And it wouldn't be spring without baby bunnies...



...and birds singing giant raptors strutting their stuff!

[CrypticPrism]

Are those secretary birds in a zoo? Or roaming wild ?

[ZoPteryx]

Are those secretary birds in a zoo? Or roaming wild ?

San Diego Zoo Safari Park 

[Halichoeres]

I'm so jealous of all the people enjoying the superbloom! I'll be out there in June, but by then it will all be gone.

[Newt]

Flowers already....show off! Our tulips are only just pushing their way through the frozen ground.

Our tulips have come and gone; the iris and lilacs are in full swing. It's 85 F here. 

Some wildflowers:


Bloody Butcher


Yellow version of Bloody Butcher


Mayapple


Early Blue Violet


Pawpaw


Shooting Star


Jack in the Pulpit


Dwarf Larkspur


Little Sweet Betsy


Virginia Spring Beauty


Meadow-rue


Star of Bethlehem


Wild Rose


Northern Dewberry (with supernumerary petal)


Miami Mist


Widow's Cross

[ZoPteryx]

Came across one of my favorite insects today!  The Diabolical Ironclad Beetle! 



To quote Sam Wells Bug Page:

Ironclad beetles are the tanks of the insect world. They are famous (or infamous) for walking away after being stepped on. There are even reports of species being run over by cars without apparent harm. To an entomologist, they are notorious for the challenge of getting an insect pin through their thick skin (cuticle). What usually happens is the first attempt bends the pin. The second attempt bruises the thumb and forefinger to the bone. And then with a combination of anger and grit (and with two hands gripping the shaft) the pin is forced through the reinforced exoskeleton. With luck it has gone through straight and without popping the legs off on the other side. Very often it doesn't – as verified by any number of oddly pinned specimens stuck to the bottom of unit trays in the museums of the world.

[BlueKrono]

Came across one of my favorite insects today!  The Diabolical Ironclad Beetle! 



To quote Sam Wells Bug Page:

Ironclad beetles are the tanks of the insect world. They are famous (or infamous) for walking away after being stepped on. There are even reports of species being run over by cars without apparent harm. To an entomologist, they are notorious for the challenge of getting an insect pin through their thick skin (cuticle). What usually happens is the first attempt bends the pin. The second attempt bruises the thumb and forefinger to the bone. And then with a combination of anger and grit (and with two hands gripping the shaft) the pin is forced through the reinforced exoskeleton. With luck it has gone through straight and without popping the legs off on the other side. Very often it doesn't – as verified by any number of oddly pinned specimens stuck to the bottom of unit trays in the museums of the world.

That thing is a BEAST! Thanks for sharing!

[Ravonium]

I wish we had insects like this where I live. 

[Lanthanotus]

Never heard of that beastie before, looks like one tough beetle.

Nothing I found in spring neither in my usual environment, but I thought it somewhat fitting here.... cannot say what species (though it's very recognizable probably, but I have no field guide for Aussie insects), but a hard nut to swallow for potential enemies I bet. The first beetle I ever saw with spikes, nothing alike living in my area...

[Cloud the Dinosaur King]

A Carolina Devil Scorpion and a Six-spotted Tiger Beetle. Sorry for the terrible lighting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsuDrM85KUw&lc=z12xufjoixyleteme223szzjfybsdxscx&feature=em-comments

[Doug Watson]

Flowers already....show off! Our tulips are only just pushing their way through the frozen ground.

Our tulips have come and gone; the iris and lilacs are in full swing. It's 85 F here. 

Some wildflowers:

We are finally getting some warmth up her in the 60s and it is supposed to reach 79 tomorrow which isn't the norm.
Beautiful shots of spring flowers Newt. That Bloody Butcher is interesting the White Trillium is Ontario's flower, we also get a Red and a Painted but no variegated leaves.
I have never seen an actual Paw Paw, by the way were you.......Picking up paw-paws; put 'em in a basket.

[Doug Watson]

Never heard of that beastie before, looks like one tough beetle.

Nothing I found in spring neither in my usual environment, but I thought it somewhat fitting here.... cannot say what species (though it's very recognizable probably, but I have no field guide for Aussie insects), but a hard nut to swallow for potential enemies I bet. The first beetle I ever saw with spikes, nothing alike living in my area...

That thing is amazing!