Here today...gone tomorrow

[iguana_tonante]

She doesn't need to. Everything I do, I do from a purely scientific point of view.

Ultimately, biology is a science too, innit?

 

[rhubarbodendron]

Don't ask me - being a biologist I am somewhat prejudiced

Back to the thread's topic: when I was a child we used to have plenty big brown May-beetles and tiny June-beetles. I haven't seen the first in years and of the latter there's none to be seen either, this year. I fear all their larvae have drowned in last year's flood

Aren't they pretty?

maybeetle:

junebeetle:

 

[LMFAOschwarz]

I have several finch feeders hung in my back yard and the little goldfinches are gorgeous in their courting colors. The males are only bright yellow during mating season.

Yeah, in the winter they turn sort of gray-ish. Those lil buggers will hog the feeder all day!

I started to pay attention to birds about 15 years ago. Putting up feeders, keeping track of what was what. I've identified about 75 varieties now, whereas in the beginning I'd recognize Cardinals, and that was about it. Now? I spot Finches, Cardinals, Orioles, Blue Jays, Towhees, Chickadees, Mourning Doves (my personal favorite, I could listen to them for days), Black Throated Warblers (who seem to favor nesting in the rafters at Home Depot!), Pileated Woodpeckers, Rose Crested Grosbeaks, Hummingbirds (you know Spring is here when they arrive! ), Robins, and a whole bunch of others.

Back to the thread's topic: when I was a child we used to have plenty big brown May-beetles and tiny June-beetles. I haven't seen the first in years and of the latter there's none to be seen either, this year. I fear all their larvae have drowned in last year's flood

You reminded me there of the very first time I saw Star Wars.
In the late 70's we had one of those Japanese Beetle years, they were everywhere. Late one afternoon, there was a car accident on our street, and the power was knocked out. Having nothing else to do on a summer afternoon, my brother suggested we go see Star Wars.
During the movie, I kept having to scratch an itch on my leg. It didn't let up, so finally I went to the men's room to find out what was up. Turns out there was a Japanese Beetle crawling around in my jeans, seems he landed on the clothes line and was in my jeans the whole time!

So, whenever I re-watch the movie, when Ben is shutting off the tractor beam, I think of that day (that's when I left for the men's room!)!

 

[rhubarbodendron]

The Force was strong with that one, apparently