Furry Little Visitor

Bright Colored Visitor

Found this wonderful guy while wandering around Mount Calvary Cemetery in Parsons, KS.  He was a good 2 inches long.

This is an Alutacea Bird Grasshopper.

Grasshoppers Assaulting Me!

These guys were everywhere I went yesterday.  Every step I took and tons would fly up.  I was pelted in the face more than once by them.

Mourning Dove

Ahh Babies!

Came across these beauties while out looking for cemeteries in Madison County Arkansas.

Signs To Watch Your Step

I will admit I would much rather find this than the snake that left it behind.

Velvet Ant

Spotted this little guy while photographing markers at Mt. Sherman Cemetery. 

Red Velvet Ant or Cow Killer

They are actually wingless wasps, not ants and have a very painful sting. Females are wingless and covered with dense hair, superficially resembling ants. The red velvet-ant is the largest velvet-ant species, reaching about 3/4 inch in length. They are black overall with patches of dense orange-red hair on the thorax and abdomen. Males are similar but have wings and can not sting.

This Little Guy Was Visiting Too

This Little Northern Mockingbird was hanging out at Shady Grove Cemterey while I was there taking pics.  Couldn't help but snap a picture of him.  Cemteries are great place to photograph birds.

According to the Encyclopedia of Birds of North America, the number of birds' songs that the mockingbird can imitate is 39, along with frogs, crickets and squeaks of items such as squeaking gates. It has been theorized that the mockingbird has more brain matter devoted to song memory than most other birds do.

Links about the Northern Mockingbird:

Texas Parks and Wildlife

About

If your interested in some folklore about Mockingbirds here are a few links:

The Rooster and the Mockingbird

Folklore

The Robins Have Come For A Visit

Folklore about Robins
An interesting belief about the robin is that if it finds a dead body, it will cover it with leaves or moss. This belief  led John Webster to write in his play, The White Devil (c.1608), the following lines.

Call for the robin redbreast and the wren,
Since o'er shady groves they hover,
And with leaves and flowers do cover
The friendless bodies of unburied men

Also in a Thomas Percy poem of 1765, describing the robin's role in his story's tragic ending:

Thus wandered these poor innocents,

Till death did end their grief;

In one another's arms they died,

As wanting due relief;

No burial this pretty pair

Of any man receives,

Till Robin Redbreast piously

Did cover them with leaves.

A Little Off Topic...

I know this is a bit off topic but I thought it was a bit interesting and wanted to share and see what you think it is.

I always like to photgraph the old buildings that are around the cemeteries.  There are some very interesting old building still standing.  This is a building I photographed in Washington County Arkansas.  This isn't a great photo I took it through the windshield of the car. But you can still see what I'm talking about.

Ok, so here is the interesting thing.  Do you see the flying creature above the house? It's rather large and odd looking.

I swear wasn't there when I took the picture.  Neither I nor my friend Theresa saw it when I took the photo. I didn't even notice it until I uploaded the pic onto my computer.  Odd hu? I know logic tells me it had to be there but still neither of us remember seeing it and Theresa took a photo at the roughly the same time and it wasn't in her photo.

  I'm still not sure what it is. It doesn't look like a bird. Wings are too smooth for it to be a bird.  I thought it might be a bat.  I researched bats in Arkansas and the Hoary Bat has a 16.1 inch wingspan so that might be it. But isn't it odd for bats to be out in the day time?

What do you think it is?

Surprise Visitor

The Ravens and Crows Came To Visit

Call me weird but I love seeing Ravens and Crows in the cemeteries.

There are many beliefs about Ravens in cemeteries and their association with death. Just google Ravens or Crows in cemeteries and you will find tons of information.  For example: The crow is said to carry the spirit of the dead to the after-life. Many old pagan beliefs teach us to watch the crows and ravens in cemeteries as they are considered the messengers of  "Morrigan", mistress of the underworld.  Also, in Welsh folklore tells us the raven is an omen of death.  If the raven makes a choking sound, it is a portent of the death rattle.

These are just a few of many associated with these beautiful creatues that I often see in my cemetery travels.  So next time you see them you might want to consider why they are there visiting the cemetery.

I've been trying to catch him at every cemetery.... The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Almost every cemetery I have been to this summer I have seen this same species of bird.  He has flown away everytime I get my camera up and ready.  But I was victorious yesterday!  Here he is in all his splendor.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Another Reason To Watch Your Step.

Here's what they turn into.

(Picture taken from Wikipedia. Link at bottom of the blog.)

Many birds nest on the ground and graveyards are a great place for them to nest.  This is a Kildeer nest that was located in between the markers.  The mother bird was doing the I'm hurt dance so I started immediately watching for the nest.  If you are not familiar with Killdeers they have an interesting response when you get close to the nest. They will stick out one wing and act like it's broke and if you approach them the will run a little ways and do it again. This is how they draw predators away. 

Kildeers in Wikipedia

Creepy Crawly Spider Friends

Just some beauties I found.  Oh how I miss my various lenses.  If I had them these would have been much better.