Dung Beetle Day

As promised, today is Dung Beetle Day and I found my inspiration on my favorite lol cats site (see Silly Shenanigans post).

Dung beetles, as the name implies, help contain the world's poo.  They eat it, they lay their eggs in it (so the developing larvae has food), and sometimes even fight over it.  But without them, the world would be a much more disgusting place.  There are more than 5,000 species of dung beetles.  Some pack the poo into a nice neat ball and roll it until they find a soft spot to bury it, some just bury it where they find it. and some just live in it where they find it, no additional work needed.  The 'rollers' can move a ball up to 50 times their weight. Wikipedia says they use their sensitive sense of smell to find it, but I wouldn't think you'd need a sensitive sense of smell to find poo!  

Dung beetles play a very important role in the ecosystem.  By burying balls of poo, they help enrich the soil and reduce the number of flies that would otherwise gather.  They are the original nutrient recyclers of the world.  So next time you think YOUR job sucks, just take a moment to give thanks for dung beetles!

Dippy for Downys

I have both bird feeders and suet hanging from the awning over my patio for the many birds that are around.  I live right next to a park so I see all kinds of birds in the area.  One of my favorites are the little downy woodpeckers.  They are so cute and have such funny jerky movements.  One of my bird books says it's one of the tamest woodpeckers and I can certainly attest to that.  The male not so much, but the female will let me get within feet of her.  One day she was at the suet and the delivery man with the kerosene for my furnace stopped by.  He walked right by her dragging the big hose behind him, filled the tank, and walked by her with the hose again and she just sat there the entire time.

The suet is actually hooked onto the drain pipe that's attached to the square metal supports for the awning.  It always amazes me how they can land and cling to those metal supports.  Sometimes if another bird is at the suet, they will land on a different support than the one where the suet is and wait for the other bird to leave.  Sort of like lining up at the grocery checkout line.  I've only seen the downys at the feeder once or twice, but if I hang up a block of seed, they go to that more readily.  It's like they only really like the upright position they use on the trunk of a tree, and sitting at the feeder is uncomfortable for them.

The male has a spot of red on the back of his head, while the female does not.  Here's the male on the metal pole where the suet is.

They don't usually land right on the suet either.  They seem to always land on the pole and then sort of hop down to where the suet is.

This is the female on a block of seed.

I can count on seeing birds every day, but whenever I see the downys, they always make me smile.

Silly Shenanigans

Since I was on my soapbox yesterday, I thought today's post should be a little on the lighter side!  Two of my favorite websites are lol cats and lol dogs, actually two pages of the same website where people post pictures of dogs, cats, and sometimes other animals, with funny captions.  They also have pages for sports, news, celebrities and others, but I usually just look at the cat and dog posts.  They are always good for a laugh, a smile, or sometimes a pull at your heartstrings.  So below are a few of my favorites from those pages.  I've included links if you want to see ALL the pictures.  Enjoy!

Hooray for Horses

This week the World Equestrian Games are taking place at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, the first time ever that they have been held outside of Europe.  And with the movie 'Secretariat' about to open I can think of no better time to pay tribute to horses.

I grew up loving horses.  My friend Lois and I started a Horse Lovers Club when we were in elementary school.  Of course, we were the only ones in it; we never invited anybody else to join.   We would save our money and go horseback riding whenever we could talk our parents in to taking us.  In spite of our enthusiasm and even a few lessons, I never did learn to ride very well, proven by my fall from a horse (at a full gallop) about 20 years ago.  I've only been on a horse once or twice since then.  Here's a photo of me on a horse during my 'I might sort of LOOK like a cowgirl, but I really have no idea what I'm doing' phase.

 

My family and I spent a lot of vacations in Colorado and one summer we stayed at a place that had horse stables on the property.  I was in heaven.  Whenever my family couldn't see me, they always knew where they could find me.  I remember though that when we got back home I was so upset with my mother - she made me throw away my favorite moccasins that I had worn around the stables because she was afraid they MIGHT be 'contaminated' with horse poo!

I still think there are few creatures on earth as beautiful and regal as a horse.  See what I mean?

  Source: best-horse-photos.com

Source: best-horse-photos.com

I'll be the first to admit that watching a horse race is exciting, but when I do I always hold my breath until the race is over afraid of that gut-wrenching moment when you see a horse break down.  I do not understand how we can put a man on the moon, but have yet to figure out how save a horse with a broken leg.  Have we bred horses with blinders on with such a focus on speed that we have compromised their health?  It seems like the sight of an injured horse on the racetrack happens way too often.  For months, the nation followed the unbelievably valiant effort to save Barbaro before that story too had a tragic ending.

Besides injuries there are a few other things wrong with the horse racing industry.  Like any other relationship between humans and animals, there are always a few bad apples that refuse to be responsible for those that are entrusted to their care.  As long as a horse is making money and being successful, they are usually well cared for.  But what happens when the horses get too old to race (most horses are retired at age 6 or 7, but can live into their 20s) or just don't have what it takes to win?  The classic case of irresponsibility is the shameful story of Ferdinand, a horse that won the Kentucky Derby, the Breeders' Cup Classic, was named Horse of the Year, and earned close to $4 million dollars, but his life ended in a slaughterhouse in Japan.  And he's not the only famous racehorse whose life ended that way (see the link below to The Exceller Fund).  But fortunately because of their stories, some horses' lives have improved beyond the racetrack and there are caring people out there who try to find new jobs and caretakers for ex-racehorses.

Source: best-horse-photos.com

Another horse issue is the fate of our country's wild mustangs.  The Bureau of Land Management ("BLM"), who's job it is to protect these horses, has never really had a viable management plan.  They too are controlled by the almighty dollar and their policy has been removal rather than protection because of local ranchers who want (and pay for) access to public lands for grazing cattle.  In the 1800s over 2 million horses roamed the American West; that number has dwindled to only about 30,000.  And that number will be reduced even further if the BLM has its way.  While some mustangs have been adopted and found new homes, over 200,000 have also ended up at a slaughterhouse.  How you could send ANY horse to a slaughterhouse (or any animal, for that matter) is beyond my comprehension.

Horses are an integral part of the American landscape and I can't imagine a world without them.  They have given us a mode of transportation, help us with our work, and given us companionship.  I admire their beauty, intelligence, and courage.

Here are a few links to organizations that help horses in the racing world:
Friends of Ferdinand, Inc.
Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation
The Exceller Fund

Here are some organizations that are dedicated to protecting America's magnificent wild horses:
American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign
The Cloud Foundation
Return to Freedom
The Humane Society

If you would like a book of stunning wild horse photographs, along with a more detailed account on BLM roundups, policies and procedures, check out the following:
Wild Hoofbeats by Carol J. Walker

Delicate Dragonflies

I don’t know what fascinates me so much about them, whether it’s their lacy iridescent wings, or the way they dart so quickly from place to place, but I love dragonflies.  Maybe it's because they are one of the oldest creatures on earth, having been around some 300 million years, but yet have very short lifespans in the form we know so well. Sometimes I see them in my yard visiting the butterfly bushes.  Since doing the research for this post, I’ve realized it’s all the OTHER bugs that are attracted to the fragrant blooms they’re interested in, not the flowers themselves. One showed up while I was hanging clothes on the line, landed on my shirt, and rested a bit.  I considered it a gift and a privilege, perhaps because in its short lifetime it decided to spend a few seconds of it with me.  The other day I saw one hovering over my car in a grocery store parking lot.  I saw it again when I came back out with my groceries and wondered what would attract a dragonfly to a huge cement space full of cars.  I’m still not sure of the answer to that one as dragonflies are usually found around water because that’s where they lay their eggs.

The order Odonata includes both dragonflies and damselflies.  Dragonflies are of the suborder Anisoptera, and are important members of the insect world because they eat mosquitoes (they’re not nicknamed ‘mosquito hawks’ for nothing) and other biting insects that carry diseases. They also eat flies, other small insects, damselflies and sometimes even other dragonflies. Dragonflies spend the majority of their life in their larval stage, which can last anywhere between a few months up to five years.  The lifespan of a full adult is only a few months. Because the larvae depend on good water quality, they are good indicators of a healthy ecosystem. And speaking of darting, did you know a dragonfly can fly in six directions?  Up, down, forward, backward, and side to side.  Their wings can also move independently of each other.  There are over 2,800 species of dragonflies worldwide.  Here are a few:

 Roseate Skimmer, Source: Wikipedia

Azure Hawker, Source: British Dragonfly Society

Orange-winged Dropwing, Source: Wikipedia

Calico Pennant, Source:  Bugguide.net

Broad-bodied Chaser, Source: Wikipedia

In some European cultures dragonflies are often considered a bad omen.  I much prefer the Japanese traditions where dragonflies are seen as a symbol of renewal, strength, courage, and happiness.

Accolades for Aye-Ayes

I promised the bizarre and what better way to start off my blog than with one of the strangest-looking creatures on earth – the aye-aye.  A few years ago I had a job interview at Duke University.  I didn't get the job, but while I was there I got to visit a place I'd read about and was fascinated by - the Duke Lemur Center. (How I would have loved to work THERE, but my interview was for a job in their development office.)  The Center is one of the few places in the world that I know of where aye-ayes live in captivity, and has the largest captive population.  Our Center tour guide approached a somewhat darkened room, and this is the face our group saw looking back at us.

 

Source: Duke Lemur Center

Were you thinking he looks kind of familiar?

Source:  Lucasfilms

Hmmm.

The guide on the tour told a great story about their aye-aye, Norman.  Aye-ayes have a specialized longer middle finger used for tapping on trees to find hollow areas where grubs may be hiding.  It then uses its ever-growing incisors to chew away at the bark, and use that middle finger to probe inside and get the grub out.  The building where the lemurs are housed is made of cement block, and, of course, cement blocks have a hollow center.  Can you tell where this is going?  Exactly!  They had to put up metal plates in the aye-aye living area so they couldn’t dig their way out of the building.  That middle finger is also very handy for digging out the meat of coconuts.

Aye-ayes (pronounced eye-eye) are in the lemur family and lemurs are only found in Madagascar, an island off the eastern coast of Africa.  While they might look like they’re more related to raccoons or squirrels (or Jedi masters), lemurs are primates.  Aye-ayes are the largest nocturnal primate (hence those big eyes) and live in the rain forest canopy.  They are a threatened species due to not only habitat loss, but also because of their reputation with the local Malagasy people.  Because of their weird appearance, the majority of superstitious locals think aye-ayes bring evil and death and are sometimes killed on sight.  A little good news – for that same reason they are not hunted for food.  More good news is that there are 16 protected areas where aye-ayes live in Madagascar.

Of all the lemurs I saw that day at the Center, Norman definitely stole my heart.  How could you not love a face like that!

Links to more information on aye-ayes and other lemurs:
Duke Lemur Center

Primate Info Net, National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin – Madison

Because lemurs are indigenous to Madagascar, there are many lemur species that are also endangered.  There are many conservation organizations that are working to prevent these wonderful creatures from becoming extinct.  The Duke Lemur Center supports some conservation projects.  Here are a few more:

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

Conservation International
The Wildlife Conservation Society

Madagascar Fauna Group

Reason for Being

When describing a tranquil paddle in a canoe around Green Turtle Pond on a sunny Sunday morning, my friend Lynne commented on HER blog that she was ‘worshiping in the temple of nature’.  (My favorite place to worship as well.)  Thus the title for MY blog.  My purpose is to celebrate things in our natural world.  On a day when he was feeling invaded by the things, my cousin commented to me, ‘What good are flies!’  I tried to answer his question.  I’m not sure I convinced him, but I attempted to point out that every living creature on this earth does, indeed, have a purpose, even if we're not sure what it is sometimes, and usually more than just being brunch for something higher up on the food chain.  My posts will include some personal favorite things from my own backyard, but the majority will be about things definitely NOT in my backyard.  These musings are strictly my feelings about the ordinary that we may take for granted, the awe-inspiring, the bizarre, and sometimes even the disgusting, according to our human sensibilities (stay tuned for spider week, my salute to slugs, and dung beetle day!).  I hope you enjoy the journey and find it interesting.