# 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:** 216
**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:** [July 26, 2026, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4304 "2026-07-26T19:18:54Z")
[![](https://i.ibb.co/XxLnRHKy/IMG-20260726-085137215.jpg) ](https://i.ibb.co/XxLnRHKy/IMG-20260726-085137215.jpg) Not the best picture, but in person, we were able to count ten points. Unfortunately, that magnificent rack is apparently a signal of great nutrition: This fellow (along with the harem of does he undoubtedly has) has been devastating Mom’s garden. ---
**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:** [July 28, 2026, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4305 "2026-07-28T18:31:51Z")
A couple of days ago, I was thrilled to find this guy on my driveway…a real live dung beetle! I had never seen one in the wild before. He’s very tiny, but he’s got his shit together. [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55426744460_9f97b56b92_b.jpg "Driveway db") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/45215582@N06/55426744460/) I also took this picture of a very scary spider in the rafters of our barn. She only comes out in the evening and the light’s not very good. It may be a marbled orb weaver. [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55425376427_629db8e221_b.jpg "Weaver") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/45215582@N06/55425376427/) ---
**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:** [July 28, 2026, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4306 "2026-07-28T20:52:28Z")
Excellent! And… Today, whilst climbing a steepish hill on the bike, a roe deer crashed out of the hedge on the left and ran across the road about ten meters in front of me. _I bet there’s another,_ I mused (this not being my first rodeo). Indeed there was, closer this time as I was moving (slowly) up the hill, Which close encounter was all very charming. Only later did it occur to me, if I had been going _down_ the hill that would have been terrifying and extremely dangerous. 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:** [July 29, 2026, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4307 "2026-07-29T01:33:22Z")
Where are you? I didn’t know there were any dung beetles native to North America. > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > He’s very tiny, but he’s got his shit together. Indeed he does. ---
**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:** [July 29, 2026, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4308 "2026-07-29T01:54:20Z")
There are dung beetles found all over the U.S. (though of course our @Dung_Beetle is one of a kind!). Naturally they like to hang out where livestock do. ---
**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:** [July 29, 2026, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4309 "2026-07-29T19:38:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Where are you? North Florida. I didn’t know we had them either! ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4310 "2026-07-29T20:12:31Z")
If it’s late July in Maryland, purple passionflowers are blooming. [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55429134324_72272b59ff_b.jpg "20260720\_190311") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/31573076@N00/55429134324/) At the same spot, I also saw some American goldfinch in full breeding plumage, so it was a good day. Unfortunately no photos of the birds though. ---
**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:** [July 29, 2026, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4311 "2026-07-29T20:13:30Z")
Those are so awesome. Like, did Dr. Seuss create these flowers? ---
**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:** [July 29, 2026, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4312 "2026-07-29T20:18:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Where are you? I didn’t know there were any dung beetles native to North America. Around 90 species. > **[Dung Beetles are our Partners in Pasture Management - Southwest New York...](https://swnydlfc.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=1551&crumb=livestock%7C10)** > > Dung Beetles are our Partners in Pasture Management from Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension a component of Cornell University. With (traditionally) massive numbers of bison it would be weird if we _didn’t_ have them. My grandmother’s generation called them tumble-turds. ---
**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:** [July 29, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4313 "2026-07-29T20:25:31Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Those are so awesome. Like, did Dr. Seuss create these flowers? They always look fake to me, like they’re made of plastic. That they’re not always feels weird. They’re almost in the uncanny valley of flowers. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2026, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4314 "2026-07-30T15:10:34Z")
They truly are extraordinary plants. And they are a native species in my area ! ---
**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:** [August 1, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4315 "2026-08-01T21:30:45Z")
Forgot to update on Thursday, we saw a bald eagle soaring around above my inner-ring suburb. Don’t have any good pictures, but it was pretty clear what it was in person. ---
**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:** [August 4, 2026, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4316 "2026-08-04T17:24:40Z")
In the picture thread I thought that was a wild bergamot flower. Very pretty I don’t believe passion flowers would survive Michigan winters. Today I saw, actually don’t know what it was I saw it moved so fast. Too big for a squirrel too agile for a woodchuck or raccoon, while it gave feline like attributes in a long tail and it’s low to ground slinking towards the den under the deck I really doubt it was a stray house cat. Coloring was mottled gray/brown, that tail was long and black tipped. Keeping an eye out for it. The den under the deck gets used by many species. This was a new one. IDK ---
**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:** [August 4, 2026, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4317 "2026-08-04T17:27:52Z")
Grey fox, perhaps? ---
**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:** [August 4, 2026, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4318 "2026-08-04T17:35:07Z")
Ears were not prominent, moved very close to the ground. It might’ve been a weasel! ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2026, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4319 "2026-08-04T21:32:48Z")
Pine marten? ---
**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:** [August 5, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4320 "2026-08-05T15:51:28Z")
Elusive but a a rare possibility. And it’s also in the weasel family. At first my mind went to juvenile cougar, but DNR doesn’t think they are in the lower peninsula, I think they are here, but… I hope I see the weasel faced critter again ---
**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:** [August 7, 2026, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4321 "2026-08-07T21:41:59Z")
Wednesday night, Mesa Verde Nat’l Park: [![](https://i.postimg.cc/L4YFL6sQ/DSC-5162-edited-low.jpg) ](https://i.postimg.cc/L4YFL6sQ/DSC-5162-edited-low.jpg) ---
**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:** [August 7, 2026, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4322 "2026-08-07T21:45:29Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Wednesday night, Mesa Verde Nat’l Park Gorgeous shot at one of my favorite places. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4323 "2026-08-07T23:52:29Z")
Holy crap. With all due respect. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=215) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=217)