# 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:** 185
**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:** [June 10, 2025, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3684 "2025-06-10T14:18:51Z")
I’m sure it did. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3685 "2025-06-11T21:40:26Z")
Cue the Edward Scissorhands music: ---
**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:** [June 11, 2025, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3686 "2025-06-11T23:45:19Z")
OMG! Is it not June where you are? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3687 "2025-06-12T00:02:28Z")
Yes! But - that’s not snow, it’s Cottonwood fluff! And, a lot of it. ---
**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:** [June 12, 2025, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3688 "2025-06-12T00:04:19Z")
😊 My sinuses might hate that, but it sure is beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3689 "2025-06-12T00:24:46Z")
There’s a BBQ place a short walk from the cottage. I was having lunch there the other day, and there was puppy who kept snapping and chasing the fluff. I remarked that it sure must be nice to get so much pleasure out of something so simple. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3690 "2025-06-13T02:06:27Z")
[![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/WxEYK8d.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/WxEYK8d) Anyone know what he is? ---
**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:** [June 13, 2025, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3691 "2025-06-13T02:19:12Z")
Looks like a scrub jay to me, but I’m sure no expert. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2025, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3692 "2025-06-13T04:39:41Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Anyone know what he is? > [@romansperson](#): > > Looks like a scrub jay to me, but I’m sure no expert. Yeah and they’ve relatively recently been split. If this is in the southwest it would be [Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Woodhouses_Scrub-Jay/overview). They’re very subtly different from California scrub jays, but you should be able to mostly separate them by geography, as the range overlap is narrow. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3693 "2025-06-14T02:17:21Z")
SW Colorado. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2025, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3694 "2025-06-14T02:17:52Z")
The Mayflies are, um, flying… ---
**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:** [June 14, 2025, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3695 "2025-06-14T21:03:32Z")
This evening we strolled along the estuary of the Odet river (Brittany) and watched fish jumping and common terns fishing. Terns fishing is an exciting but slightly mystifying watch. They do an awful lot of (seemingly unnecessary) flying before they dive, and then abort (I would guess) at least ninety percent of the dives. It doesn’t look terribly energy efficient. Still, I suppose they know what they’re doing. Plus it’s a mighty entertaining show. j ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2025, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3696 "2025-06-15T21:13:38Z")
I saw a hawk swoop down, trying to catch a sparrow. The smaller bird landed next to a house with a several bushes, spaced apart. The hawk landed and chased down the sparrow on foot. It covered several feet, at least, and then caught the sparrow and flew off. I’ve never seen anything like that, even on a wildlife TV show. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2025, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3697 "2025-06-15T22:20:29Z")
I looked out the window and saw this nice skink. I went out to snap a photo, and I thought he would just zip away, but he just cocked his head to give me the stink-eye: [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/KASvQHO.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/KASvQHO) Later, my wife and I went up to Purgatory to look around, and found a picnic bench in front of this nice waterfall, where we had some cake: [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/iMJ1lGa.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/iMJ1lGa) [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/ylYf0Pi.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/ylYf0Pi) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2025, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3698 "2025-06-15T23:08:22Z")
We have a neighborhood cat with leopard spots and bright green eyes. It was in our driveway this morning as we were headed out to breakfast. He ran off to the side of the house and hid behind some plants while I tried to get a picture. [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczPARKIUDxkOD7u5e2XD_WELGcfKIFab5C_BL1ng5r27YV2rLSNV6NGT46hRH5Vwyxqlca2cCDtUqr_7PzPYU4NY-TbMHQsiOu4bJ17BrLr17-lHuoM=w600-h315-p-k "New photo · Sunday, Jun 15 📸") ](https://photos.app.goo.gl/Tq4geCXDda4RG2DB9) ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3699 "2025-06-16T21:15:31Z")
We live in a boring suburban neighborhood. I’ve prevously posted that we used to see A LOT of fox. Now the fox seem far less evident (tho I saw some scat this a.m.). But now we are seeing a lot of skunks, possums, and most recently raccoons. Yesterday our stupid doodle treed a coon in our backyard. I laughingly call him a coonhound - but I sure don’t want the idiot to think he can mix it up with one! ---
**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:** [June 17, 2025, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3700 "2025-06-17T00:12:54Z")
The lightning bugs are here! So cool to watch them when it’s getting dark. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2025, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3701 "2025-06-23T03:12:26Z")
[![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/ogMOUVL.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/ogMOUVL) ---
**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:** [June 23, 2025, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3702 "2025-06-23T12:37:07Z")
Nice rack! There is a very small fawn living in my yard. It must have been born here because I don’t see how it could have gotten in over the fence. I actually thought it was a fox at first. Anyway, I looked out the window yesterday and it was having the zoomies out there. So cute! ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2025, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/3703 "2025-06-24T21:37:22Z")
So I ran across some ‘ugly ducklings’ (aka cygnets) the other day. I only had a very long lens, so the first shot capturing the tableau is a not great zoomed in cellphone shot. I didn’t want to get close enough to bother them (or get chased by an angry mute swan): [![](https://i.imgur.com/oFwTVSa.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/oFwTVSa.jpeg) I always fine it a little shocking how quickly they get huge. These are 100% fuzz, but already larger than even a large duck and swan eggs are big, but not that big: [![](https://i.imgur.com/DwQXXu6.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/DwQXXu6.jpeg) [![](https://i.imgur.com/MaUqIkk.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/MaUqIkk.jpeg) Dad (likely), having a quick bite while keeping an eye on me: [![](https://i.imgur.com/KKafFLv.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/KKafFLv.jpeg) And of course for contrast some genuine ducklings learning how to skim-feed from mom: [![](https://i.imgur.com/d2JLihc.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/d2JLihc.jpeg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=184) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=186)