# Today in nature I saw **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 20, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854 "2020-07-20T18:22:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 102
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2023 "2023-02-21T00:12:26Z")
Went outside to see what the dog was barking at and saw this on the other side of the fence. [![](https://i.imgur.com/cg89z7E.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/cg89z7E.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2024 "2023-02-22T16:15:21Z")
Today in nature, riding my bike on a path alongside a stream, I was pelted in the face by a swarm of midges. Yep, spring is definitely coming. Better signs of spring include early daffodils by the roadside and even a single primrose on a sheltered, south-facing slope. @Galactus - I’m not from 'round these parts, so I gotta ask - what is it? j ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2025 "2023-02-22T16:20:42Z")
Virginia opossum _Didelphis virginiana_ > **[Opossum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opossum)** > > Several; see text > Opossums (/əˈpɒsəm/) are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia (/daɪˌdɛlfɪˈmɔːrfiə/) endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North America in the Great American Interchange following the connection of North and South America. > The Virginia opossum is the only species found in the United States and Canada. It is often simply referred to as... ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2026 "2023-02-22T16:23:11Z")
Ah. Cool, thanks! j ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2027 "2023-02-22T21:10:22Z")
That’s the critter. Strange that it’s out this time of year in Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2028 "2023-02-22T21:25:45Z")
Its been a strange winter here. Was very warm until today, and will warm up again tomorrow. I have only worn my winter jacket about two weeks this year. It’s no wonder the animals are confused. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2029 "2023-02-22T22:47:42Z")
Today, my eagles have a nest full of snow but mom is sitting firm on her eggs. Yesterday, she and her partner brought in food and fur and tore the fur bits apart to help line the nest against the weather. I got to watch via the camera as they worked on it. All animals that can hunker down have done so. It’s blowing a big, white hoolie out there. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2030 "2023-02-24T00:41:52Z")
Here’s a **[link](https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/dnr-eaglecam-birds-covered-in-snow/89-9ca8130f-2962-4748-892a-343baa5d3a0b?ref=exit-recirc)** to a story on the eagles and a the video feed from early morning. We have a windchill warning out for overnight. Good luck my bird friends! ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2031 "2023-02-24T03:07:07Z")
Right now it’s 20F warmer here in central NC than it is in Los Angeles. Our air conditioning just came on. The fruit trees are starting to bloom. I hope the flowers don’t all get frozen off in a week or two. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2032 "2023-02-24T11:30:54Z")
It was 70 yesterday, 30 today. Crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2033 "2023-02-24T13:19:46Z")
Here in Florida, highs have reached the 80s for a couple of weeks now. I think winter’s over. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2034 "2023-02-24T15:38:00Z")
In September 2020 we had a very cold day with sleet. I was driving and saw an Eastern Box Turtle on the road. Their Conservation Status is currently “Vulnerable” which is a category of “Threatened”. When I was a kid, they were very common. This was the first I’d seen in a while. I stopped and picked him up, afraid he’d get smashed on the road. He did not look good. He was dehydrated, and felt too light. I took him home, warmed him up, soaked him in warm water. The next day I gavaged some water. A few days later I gave fenbendazole (a dewormer). He passed some nasty stuff, then began to look better and move around more. I began to think he might survive, but it was too cold to release him. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/vfg5mMK.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/vfg5mMK) I set him up in a kiddie pool in our basement and began offering food. After a few weeks he began eating In the spring of 2021we took him for a hike to an area where I thought he would do well; where a wooded area met a meadow, and released him there. A year later (April 2022) we were walking our dogs and they were investigating something. It was the turtle, about 30 yards from where we originally released him [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/ZWgykO3.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/ZWgykO3) Cool! He looked healthy. There were some defects in his shell and beak that made it easy to recognize it was the same turtle. Yesterday it was 70 degrees out, so we took the dogs walking. I’d forgotten all about the turtle, but the dogs spotted/smelled him once more in the same general area, about 50 yards from the release point. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/BHSGxVI.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/BHSGxVI) I hope he continues to thrive. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2035 "2023-02-24T15:47:17Z")
That’s wonderful! He’s so lucky it was you that found him. ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2036 "2023-02-24T16:55:33Z")
Does this count as nature? [![](https://i.imgur.com/U2ykszi.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/U2ykszi.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2037 "2023-02-24T20:14:30Z")
A fossil? Of what, do we think? Today I was riding on a bike path through an industrial estate, and heard a woodpecker drumming real close by. And again, ten or so seconds later, _really_ close. I stopped the bike to look around, and he/she flew out of a tree pretty much directly above me - I had passed within not much more than a meter (horizontally, you understand; and another four or five vertically). No wonder the noise was so loud! j ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2038 "2023-02-24T20:30:44Z")
I believe it’s a Petoskey stone. Found it in SW Michigan. > **[Petoskey stone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petoskey_stone)** > > A Petoskey stone is a rock and a fossil, often pebble-shaped, that is composed of a fossilized rugose coral, Hexagonaria percarinata. Such stones were formed as a result of glaciation, in which sheets of ice plucked stones from the bedrock, grinding off their rough edges and depositing them in the northwestern (and some in the northeastern) portion of Michigan's lower peninsula. In those same areas of Michigan, complete fossilized coral colony heads can be found in the source rocks for the Pet ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2039 "2023-02-24T20:36:45Z")
Cool! j ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2040 "2023-02-24T22:25:27Z")
> [@Galactus](#): > > I believe it’s a Petoskey stone. Found it in SW Michigan. I think you are right. I was just about to search for a link to describe the stone in your picture. They are so cool. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2023, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2041 "2023-02-26T01:58:48Z")
[![](https://i.imgur.com/KCUXNsD.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/KCUXNsD.jpg) [![](https://i.imgur.com/st3kdUi.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/st3kdUi.jpg) The forces of nature apparently approve of my recent retirement. Shot from my back deck just now. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2023, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/2042 "2023-02-26T12:30:35Z")
Cool! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=101) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=103)