A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Awesome Joan, I can only echo Mayra, Wow!! This is something I have never seen before, and your notes educated me because I did not know that grasshoppers shed their skin. If I learn nothing else new today, I have at least met my goal of learning something new every day, and this would be it. Keep up the awesome nature spotting.
Awesome Joan! I guess they probably are turning purple early due to the early seasons we have had this year, coupled with the heat and lack of rain you all have had up there. I have not found any that have turned down here yet.
I agree, this is an absolutely stunning bird. Thanks for the pictures.
I was so upset the other evening because I accidentally killed one of these beauties. I was letting my dogs back in after letting them out several minutes before. When I opened the sliding glass door, the little gecko fell to the deck, dead. I guess when I let the dogs out, it tried to come in and I closed the door on it.
I am glad yours only got shot by your camera and is presumably still alive.
Johan,
I read that on another site and referred to it. I do not kill unless it is to eat, however. If they start threatening my food supply, I might have to reconsider, but for now I have not seen evidence of an over abundance of them or that they are eating anything but Spider Mitrs around my place. I have a problem with Spider Mites right now, so for me, they are doing me a favor.
Seriously though, thank you for the post. You are right, of course. As I stated in my notes, with few natural enemies, they are bound to get out of control. This is what happens when humans mess with nature. This is not the first example where a seemingly harmless creature got out of control due to human interference. I am sure that where they originated, nature provides a preditor to keep them in check. About the only preditor they have here are birds but they taste bad so few birds mess with them. At some point, this issue will need to be addressed and hopefully it is before it is too late to do anything about it. I do not use pesticides, that is why I have a Spider Mite problem, I could easily get rid of them, and probably the Lady Bugs in the process, but I also would do harm to bees and butterflies and other good creatures. I guess I will just have to let nature take care of itself here unless something is suggested that does not involve killing or poisoning. I have plenty of lizzards around here and they eat the ladybugs, I have witnessed it.
