# 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:** 212
**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, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4224 "2026-06-16T19:57:08Z")
That’s great. Wish I was on vacation too! ---
**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 16, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4225 "2026-06-16T20:06:13Z")
Nice! ---
**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, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4226 "2026-06-16T22:20:38Z")
Very! j ---
**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 18, 2026, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4227 "2026-06-18T20:24:15Z")
Here’s something that I think of as typical of a beach in Brittany - and it’s not the flower I’m talking about. Click through for the interesting part of the photo. [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczO7-T4c1rXaB3p7aZjt45llacnDuDTwPoNkPNTuTbZZao8BG6fPWFLGJmHwIcfEhhnC5eOU4j6nTDqYH6KscLAB1HIZYGfnYfAsB64bxfQcl2UdF3A=w600-h315-p-k "New photo · Thursday, Jun 18 📸") ](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNNWAnkimw08DgN5YGg6g2T3HtXG2wNl-4NcoHZziIai_ZT3xl1hvVjzrmg2eFOMw?key=TDFCUHFVWmItbVktU0IwLXJKMzY5SWNvZlZmNWdB) It seems like on every beach round here, where there are dunes or sandy scrub, tall plants get festooned with snails. I gather it happens elsewhere (reports, anyone?) but I think of it as very much a Brittany thing. So how come I haven’t googled the phenomenon before today? Dunno. But today I found an explanation on the web. In brief, spring is bad news for snails. The ground gets dry and hot. If you’re off the ground you’re at least away from the worst of the heat. So they climb something tall. And then they seal themselves up and do the summer version of hibernation. Source: > **[The long summer sleep of the snails](https://www.discoveringdonana.com/long-nap-snails/)** > > Why do snails cluster in summer on top of plants and fence posts? We will try to explain it to you. 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 18, 2026, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4228 "2026-06-18T20:43:14Z")
I’ve never seen such a thing in my life. Of course, around here, the humidity is really high. ---
**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 19, 2026, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4229 "2026-06-19T01:21:25Z")
I sure haven’t seen anything like that either, ever. Even our (usually) ever-present (and invasive) leopard slugs are absent this year. It’s been very dry. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4230 "2026-06-19T03:38:39Z")
I _have_ seen it before…in photos. Look on Google Images for snails on fence. (Probably other search terms that will work, too). Look at some of the photos on this page: > **[CSIRO study finds snails like red, dislike garlic](https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/News/2024/July/CSIRO-study-finds-snails-like-red-dislike-garlic)** > > New research has revealed ‘unexpected’ insights that could one day be used to manage pest snail species impacting Australian crops. ETA: Here’s Texas https://embed.reddit.com/r/snails/comments/nmi0nq/can_someone_please_explain_this_to_me_why_are/?embed=true&ref_source=embed&ref=share ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4231 "2026-06-19T18:40:33Z")
Today I learned what mobbing is in relationship to birds. I was sitting in the backyard and a big hawk flew across the yards with a few little birds flying next to it, making a lot of noise. I looked it up to see what was happening and saw that it was mobbing. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4232 "2026-06-20T18:13:58Z")
Dragonfly flittering around landing on various places. I started taking photos around 10 feet out, slowly sneeking up to see how close I could get. Turned out to be very close, with the last couple so close that it didn’t fit in the frame. Here’s the last full photo. [![](https://i.ibb.co/csMF2MV/IMG-20260620-121325312-HDR.jpg) ](https://i.ibb.co/csMF2MV/IMG-20260620-121325312-HDR.jpg) ---
**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 20, 2026, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4233 "2026-06-20T18:30:56Z")
Good shot! I just took several close-ups of my rose bush, but failed to capture the hummingbird that was feeding all over it. ---
**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 20, 2026, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4234 "2026-06-20T19:15:35Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Here’s the last full photo. Very cooperative for a dragonfly! Looks like a female [Common Whitetail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_whitetail), which common or not I always find neat to see. Really, I don’t see them all that much. Every year I guess, but probably one for every twenty Blue-eyed Darners. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4235 "2026-06-20T19:28:09Z")
No picture, but I just saw a bottlenose dolphin at the beach in Scotland. First time I’ve seen one since I moved up here. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4236 "2026-06-20T20:00:37Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Very cooperative for a dragonfly! I’ve had them be more cooperative. [![](https://i.ibb.co/Myf3m9xN/dragonfly1.jpg) ](https://i.ibb.co/Myf3m9xN/dragonfly1.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4237 "2026-06-22T14:52:10Z")
When I cut off the tops of strawberries, I throw them in the side yard for the chippies, bunnies, and whoever else wants to eat them. As I was walking past the strawberry top area, I saw a chipmunk holding an entire top, flat like a Frisbee, leaves included, in his little hands, munching away. It looked like a picture right out of a children’s book. Unfortunately, I had one of the dogs I was trying to wrangle after he saw the chippie and couldn’t get to my phone quickly enough to get a picture. One of the cutest things I’ve seen! The only thing that would have made it cuter would be if he were wearing an upside-down flower for a hat! 🐿 🍓 ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4238 "2026-06-22T15:40:16Z")
Yesterday I saw what looked like a Giant Stag Beetle moving a nut (picture of what it looks like.. [Giant stag beetle | South Carolina Public Radio](https://www.southcarolinapublicradio.org/show/naturenotes/2023-07-10/giant-stag-beetle) ) It was wrapping it’s mandibles around the nut, and lifting it up a little. Move a little, and the nut would drop and it would pick it up again and move some more. At least that’s what it looked like. I don’t know why it was doing that. ---
**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 22, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4239 "2026-06-22T16:13:58Z")
Just showing off, probably. 😁 ---
**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 23, 2026, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4240 "2026-06-23T13:47:34Z")
I’ll take your opinion on that as authoritative. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4241 "2026-06-26T01:07:16Z")
Not our problem bear. Just another backyard visitor on a Thursday. She had at least one cub who popped out of the woods for a moment, but was too camera shy to get snapped. Our problem bear seems to have disappeared. Not been sighted in our yard for at least 10 days. We are aware of at least three different other black bear visitors this month in addition to these. The others make regular appearances and are all appropriately shy. First mama and cub though. [[Album] Backyard Visitor Thursday June 25. ![](https://i.imgur.com/2sEClMS.jpeg?fb "Backyard Visitor Thursday June 25.") ](https://imgur.com/a/aj3Z8UL#2sEClMS) ---
**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 26, 2026, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4242 "2026-06-26T12:55:13Z")
One of my aunts often has bears in the yard, too. She has some disco balls hanging from trees as decorations, and she’s caught bears on video just standing there playing with them. ---
**Author:** ![oligArchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oligarchie/32/21546_2.png) [@oligArchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oligArchie)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4243 "2026-06-26T18:49:18Z")
We freed a little fawn this week that had gotten stuck in my garden fence. I was at my home office desk working while listening to college radio, and I heard the sound of a baby (human) crying. I heard it a couple of times and, at first, I thought the sound was being used as a sample in the unconventional college radio music on air at the time. To satisfy my curiosity, I changed the station, and the crying didn’t go away. My next thought was that perhaps the painters in our kitchen were using it as a ringtone or other alarm of sorts. As I stood up to go inquire, my ears pinpointed the sound, and I turned to look out the window. About 30 feet away the little guy was stuck, and I could see him crying with the little tongue sticking out and all. I ran to the kitchen and -as calmly as possible-, “can one of you give me a hand? There’s a baby deer stuck in our fence out here.” One of the guys ran outside with me, and we found the poor deer’s head stuck through one of the 2" x 4" rectangular squares that make up the metal fence. I tried to pull the metal wires apart in an effort to give some room for movement, but was not successful. I exclaimed to my rescue partner, “Keep him as calm as possible, I’m going to get the wire cutters”. As I started to open the door, I hear a ruckus behind me and turn to see the fawn running off. Whew! I was very relieved. Later that evening, we saw the fawn and momma running across the neighbor’s lawn. I’ve seen them thrice since, so I think they’re ok. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=211) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=213)