# 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:** 211
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2026, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4204 "2026-06-14T18:28:23Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I still get impressed by bird vision. Walking along a trail last week, I stepped back off of it to get a better view of a female Western Bluebird in a tree. She then promptly fluttered down near my feet right where I had been walking and picked up a Spiny Elm Caterpillar (aka a [Mourning Cloak/Camberwell Beauty butterfly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphalis_antiopa)) that I had completely missed in the weeds. Very polite of her, to wait to see if you wanted it. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2026, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4205 "2026-06-15T15:10:16Z")
Was the little mammal still alive? ---
**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 15, 2026, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4206 "2026-06-15T15:26:51Z")
These aren’t rare round these parts (Finisterre in western France) but this is a poster child of an example: pyramidal orchid. [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczMW3WcDmSNo-JbDj3IxVziUmAmaVCT1t3ojct13F3oSwmy8gayuJ0VSZlrfxk1jLQPIb96N07c6OAbSMZeEqGwo1tN0S2q8wPLfA6uo8JUqQatpU1M=w600-h315-p-k "New photo · Sunday, Jun 14 📸") ](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOnWYWplqgv0qewuewEe_rvHWv0Oo5BRs3u-iJsoifqdh9NDQIPSmbVA02QNC6s0Q?key=QUZEc2oyQWRtZnhUNDgzMHNPRm1zZkJpTzl2VW1n) j ---
**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 15, 2026, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4207 "2026-06-15T15:34:54Z")
Nice color! We went on a day trip yesterday to the Gulf of Mexico. Didn’t stay long, but I saw a guy catch a stingray and throw it back. [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55336585686_36f9d3023f_b.jpg "Ray") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/45215582@N06/55336585686/) Also saw some pelicans. This one’s turning his pouch inside out for some reason. [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55336798459_4ee4b4bf41_b.jpg "Pelican") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/45215582@N06/55336798459/) ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4208 "2026-06-15T16:13:08Z")
It’s June and time for the Finch Family to bring the kids to the feeder for the first time. As always, there is one who refused to eat on its own. “This is where you get the food.” “No! Feed me!” “It’s right here.” “No! Put it in my mouth! Daaad! Mom won’t feed me!” ---
**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 15, 2026, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4209 "2026-06-15T17:21:39Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Was the little mammal still alive? If it wasn’t immediately dead prior to being submerged, it was at very least out of it in shock - there was zero struggling. But I suspect it was dead pretty much instantaneously. Herons don’t just grab, they’ll spear larger prey using that big bill like a lance. You can see the point of impact after capture in the shot below and I think from the angle it would probably have broken the spinal column. Even if it hadn’t, sudden severe trauma like that would probably have caused the heart to stop simply from the shock. [![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczNG2N-fBeZDMHI_7tcaZLC_1Nzr8AYX331m2C-q3iOqAQKKcJp7BYSWE74ymhyCaO4CoaFd4b6mDBrujdayywwBkHReDMXpHkpDvLhkjQnvDMT42rFzU6fX6fMbS8dWoGLvC6_PkF2Q_2U7uNRv68bC=w1559-h877-s-no) ](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczNG2N-fBeZDMHI_7tcaZLC_1Nzr8AYX331m2C-q3iOqAQKKcJp7BYSWE74ymhyCaO4CoaFd4b6mDBrujdayywwBkHReDMXpHkpDvLhkjQnvDMT42rFzU6fX6fMbS8dWoGLvC6_PkF2Q_2U7uNRv68bC=w1559-h877-s-no) ---
**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 15, 2026, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4210 "2026-06-15T17:39:41Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Also saw some pelicans. This one’s turning his pouch inside out for some reason. That’s something I’ve never actually seen myself (neat picture!), but apparently it is just a yawn that has some utility in also clearing out random debris that might have accumulated in their pouch. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2026, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4211 "2026-06-15T20:16:59Z")
Thanks for the follow up. I know it’s the circle of life and everything, and I’m OK with that, but I’ve gotten to be such a softie in my old age. ---
**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, 2026, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4212 "2026-06-15T23:20:27Z")
Speaking of gophers, I think I may have seen one on my walk around the neighborhood. It went running across the street in front of me. We have lots of gray squirrels and a few rabbits around here. This thing was roughly squirrel sized but had a short tail and the fur was more brown than gray. Since it was running across the street away from me, I didn’t get a real good look at it. Maybe somebody’s pet critter escaped? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4213 "2026-06-15T23:24:59Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Thanks for the follow up. I know it’s the circle of life and everything, and I’m OK with that, but I’ve gotten to be such a softie in my old age. Personally, I tend to root for the predator, in these matters, because they have more at stake. When the hawk beats the squirrel, you lose 0.01% of the local squirrel population. But if the squirrel wins a few times in a row, you can lose 50% of the local hawk population. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2026, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4214 "2026-06-15T23:35:56Z")
True enough but hawks have such an overwhelming advantage - it’s not exactly a level playing field. Sometimes I can’t help but root for the underdog. I don’t think it’s unfair, nature being red in tooth and claw and all that. Who knows, maybe I’m just feeling guilty about all the hunting I did in my younger times. Or maybe, like I said, I’m just a big softie these days. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2026, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4215 "2026-06-15T23:47:57Z")
Today in my yard - it was not there yesterday - was what is apparently Dog Vomit Slime Mold; [![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/fcc4337d-e42a-444f-bb2f-83f18f89e675_l.jpg) ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/fcc4337d-e42a-444f-bb2f-83f18f89e675_l.jpg) [![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/174e26fc-141a-4cf5-b4cd-98caec0690e6_l.jpg) ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/174e26fc-141a-4cf5-b4cd-98caec0690e6_l.jpg) It’s quite a bright yellow. ---
**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 15, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4216 "2026-06-15T23:51:52Z")
OMG, so not a fungus, but some kind of amoeba collective! Neat. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4217 "2026-06-16T01:20:49Z")
I think there was some of that outside of my apartment a few weeks ago, too. I didn’t get a picture, though. Well, either that, or actual dog vomit. I wasn’t inclined to investigate closely enough to be certain. But I think it was the weird one. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4218 "2026-06-16T09:41:56Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Or maybe, like I said, I’m just a big softie these days. Prey reproduces fast because it is hunted, so when it is not hunted you have a problem. Search for “mice infestation Australia” and you see what happens when there are no longer enough predators around because they were hunted as vermin. > **[Mouse plague terrorising farmers in Australia](https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c62rjpr00yvo)** > > A mouse plague is impacting farmers across Australia, with rodents running rampant around homes and ravaging fields of grain. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4219 "2026-06-16T14:01:54Z")
Saw fireflies/lightening bugs last night first time this season. ---
**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 16, 2026, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4220 "2026-06-16T17:55:09Z")
Today in nature we saw…. the fabulous coast of Finisterre. Zoom in to see the maze of inlets [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczPrYB0oGKWYMtvpfWwAJ-J1xgjtdCPAgMOs3nX4BQhfCxGnDt-RUluJZmb0YT8UXLQMH7vGl5GYrMjz1EvFFef8CogHFoPILcVlsaJ1QcN9fl6iK4k=w600-h315-p-k "New photo · Tuesday, Jun 16 📸") ](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPkz-VQE_z72mBB08mh7qVuadkgrCq70_hZ7A3RWc3lVTLXcIoE-1VVF7C_1Kdjyw?key=Vi1MVmpkNFB5VVpyS1dnei1XYjRNQzNxdkI4dGdn) If anyone wants to locate it, the lighthouse(s) is/are the Phare de l’Île Vierge j ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4221 "2026-06-16T18:19:27Z")
Ooh, I need to be keeping an eye out in the evenings. We’re about due for them here, too. ---
**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 16, 2026, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4222 "2026-06-16T18:22:30Z")
Nice! Are you on vacation? ---
**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 16, 2026, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4223 "2026-06-16T19:41:53Z")
Sure are. Normandy to catch up with friends and then on to Finisterre. It’s a variant of a trip we try to do most years. j [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=210) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=212)