Archive for the 'Predator Prey' Category

05
Sep
08

Spider Eating a Walkingstick – Sept 5, 2008

As I’m heading home from work I notice this spider eating a walkingstick just outside the nature center. This seems like quite a good size meal for this spider.

Spider Eating a Walking Stick

25
Mar
08

Why did the Turkey Vulture Cross the Road? – March 25, 2008

On our way back from helping teach the homeschool program at Camp Amigo , my assistant finds a turkey vulture and a bird of prey(immature redtail hawk?) feasting on this road kill rabbit. We turn around to see if we can get a picture and the hawk takes off. But we get a few pictures of the turkey vulture.

Turkey Vulture - March 25, 2008

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25
Aug
07

Insect larva in a mud home with 2 caterpillars for food – August 25, 2007

Insects in a mud home with 2 caterpillars, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.

I find these “gems” in a 1/2 inch wide mud “home” that is attached to a tent that is left outside to dry. The caterpillars are still alive but can’t move very well. I assume that they are stund by a wasp like creature to be food for the small green larva (in the center of the picture). The mud structure looks like a vase. It’s pretty amazing! The small black piles are probably fras(insect waste) from the caterpillars. When I broke this “vase” open I had no idea that I would find this!

Here what the opening of the mud structure looks like.  The bottom and right side are broken from me removing the structure from the tent.  It reminds me of potter shards that would be found at an archaeological dig. 
Mud

01
Jul
07

Nature Camp 2007

What a blast! The campers learned so much!

Here’s a list of some of the many things that we did:

Get to know you games
Camping out
Fishing
Canoeing
Fire Kites
Bug Suckers
Bird Calls
Bird Adaptations
Water Slide
Archery
Swimming
Swamp Hike
Campfire Songs
Gift of Nature, God, Ourselves, & History

 

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Picture 137

Picture 389

Picture 390

Picture 403

02
May
07

Ant hill and Antlion trap – May 1, 2007

Ant hill and Antlion trap

Predator and prey living right next door. Ants have made a mound in which ants are moving in and out. Near the bottom of this photo is an antlion pit which traps ants so has a nice food source. Its like living next to a restaurant

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Here you can see the antlion at the bottom of its pit.