Subject: Cuckoo for caterpillars (Food Chain) Location: Louisa Co., Virginia, USA August 17, 2016 10:24 am I have a 9-year-old honeylocust which this year has the most glorious infestation of some apparently delicious caterpillars. I am an avid birdwatcher and have contented myself with mostly listening for the shy, elusive cuckoos that appear in my … Read more
Subject: Spider’s Nest?? Location: Mount Washington, Los Angeles, California May 7, 2015 11:16 PM Hello Daniel, I need your help to identify a scary nest in my garden. It is dangling from a trailing geranium that hangs from the rear deck. Perfect ventilation! At first, I thought it might become a small bird’s nest but … Read more
Subject: What is this Western Bluebird eating? Location: 40º18’14,10″N, 121º52’22.43″W December 29, 2014 1:16 pm Dear Bugpersons, I photographed a Western Bluebird as it foraged with conspecifics in a huge oak woodland in Northern California at 783 meters elevation. It carried a larvalike thing onto the road surface and proceeded to whack it to death! … Read more
Subject: Need ID of Insect ASAP Location: Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR, Colorado July 1, 2014 12:54 pm Hello! I’m a professional photojournalist. I recently photographed an owl eating an insect I have not been able to identify. I’d greatly appreciate your help in determining the identity of this interesting bug. See the attached image. The … Read more
Subject: Butterfly Survivors Location: Coryell County, Texas February 18, 2014 4:38 pm I’m sending photos of what I think are a Variegated Fritillary and an Alfalfa Sulphur, each with damaged wings. I’m also sending a photo of The Usual Suspect. Signature: Ellen Hi Ellen, Just last night we were reading the beginning of a small … Read more
September 7, 2012 Mount Washington, Los Angeles, California Gentle Readers, I spoke of this wildly imagined theory to Julian this evening and I want to spread the word to you cat owners. This morning, as the sky was dark and moonless and the stars abounded, around 5:30 AM, I took out the compost pile from … Read more