What is Slugyard? Slugyard is a window to the world around you. Most of these photos were taken from in or around my yard. I hope they encourage you and your family to pay more attention to the world outside your door.
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By Mike B., on December 23rd, 2011 
The Boxelder Bugs have been back. Recently I saw a bunch of them resting on the side of my garage and house. But were they really resting? Probably not.
As I posted about a year ago, Boxelder Bugs look for warm places to hide for the winter. In the past few days the temperatures around here have been cold, so I’m sure they have either found a warm, safe hiding place or else they won’t be seeing another spring.
Take a close look at the photo above. Boxelder Bugs have two large, red eyes- they are easy to see. But, can you see the other two eyes? They are smaller and are between the large eyes on the top of the head. According to Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America by Arthur V. Evans, the large eyes are compound eyes which have many lenses and can see images. The smaller eyes are called simple eyes and they have only one lens- they can’t actually see images, but they can tell the difference between light and dark.
Speaking of large eyes, I found this fly just a few feet away from the Boxelder Bug. They are both insects, but of course they look very different from each other. But how are they the same?
- They both have six legs- all insects do.
- They both have wings. The Boxelder Bug actually has 4 wings- the second pair of wings is folded down and hidden (and protected) beneath the colorful forewings that can be seen in the picture. Flies only have two wings, and they are both very easy to see. Check out this previous post about what happened to their other wings…
- The ends of their legs look similar to each other. The end of the leg has several very short segments. This is called a tarsus.
- They also both have femurs and tibias, which are what we call our own human leg bones too! The femur is the long leg segment closer to the body. The tibia connects the femur to the tarsus.
Can you see anything else?
Related posts:
By Mike B., on December 16th, 2011 
This time of year some strange things start growing out of the ground. What are these?
They are a type of Polypore Mushroom. Polypores generally have tough skin and can survive frosts and winter weather. What are they growing out of?
Like many polypores, these are growing out of old, dead wood. This is the remains of a cherry tree root from a tree that died several years ago. These mushrooms do a nice job of “eating” the dead wood and breaking it down.
Taking a closer look, we can see that the top surface is actually hairy. See the hairs?
The underside is smooth though.
These mushrooms are a very welcome addition to my winter yard.
Related posts:
By Mike B., on December 8th, 2011 
The hornet’s nest I posted about the other day has finally split up- and man does it look cool inside!
Inside are tons of cells that once had hornet larvae growing in them.
The outer covering must do a nice job of protecting the insects that grow inside.
This is a piece . . . → Read More and See Photos: The Nest Breaks…
By Mike B., on December 2nd, 2011 
A Starling was sitting atop my neighbor’s tree. See all of the spots? As I’ve posted before, Starlings lose their spots by the end of winter.
Above the Starling was this flock of geese flying in V-formation.
And here we put both together. See the Starling in the tree? The geese fly . . . → Read More and See Photos: Flock in a V
By Mike B., on November 24th, 2011 
My son and I were walking down the street and noticed something hanging in this large maple tree in the park.
A nest or hive of some sort!
It is pretty large- probably bigger than a football. What creature lives there? Based on photos from this University of Idaho website, I believe . . . → Read More and See Photos: Stirring Up a Hornet’s Nest
By Mike B., on November 4th, 2011 
I haven’t posted about my Walnut Tree (see previous Tree Year posts) in quite a while, mainly because it was covered in leaves all summer long. Not much to see! But, now that the leaves are changing and falling I can see the squirrels high in the branches.
Why are they up there right . . . → Read More and See Photos: Squirrels Having a Field Day
By Mike B., on October 31st, 2011 
My Son's Pumpkin
Welcome to the Halloween edition of Berry Go Round! I am very proud to be hosting it for October and very much enjoyed reading this month’s entries.
My Other Son's Pumpkin
OK, now that I’ve shown off my sons’ handiwork, let’s get to the carnival. Since it is Halloween, I . . . → Read More and See Photos: Berry Go Round – Halloween Edition
By Mike B., on October 21st, 2011 
This post is written for my son’s class to remind them that cool things can be found outside even in fall and winter…
Autumn is now here in full force. The days are getting shorter, it’s getting a little cooler outside, and the rain has returned here in Oregon. Many plants are fading or . . . → Read More and See Photos: Life Near Mrs. H’s Class
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