Oscar’s Toes Part II

Peering at his captured grasshopper

Oscar’s Toes Part I is here.

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Oscar’s Bugs

Leaping Oscar

Oscar became our best mouser after a summer of bug hunting. His stalking and leaping skills were finely honed. He won't touch ladybugs and continues to enjoy cluster flies. These are three of his favorites from the summer.

Carolina Grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina)

I ended up spending the summer stalking Oscar as he lept after bugs.

Two-Striped Grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus)

Skidding to a dusty stop.

Female Shadow Darner (Aeshna umbrosa)

I managed to rescue the dragonfly above and release it outside. But unfortunately, Oscar often brought in other dragonflies. He ate all but the wings. I never saw which species he would catch.

Oscar, 4 months, relaxing after hopper hunting.

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Oscar’s Hopper Up Close

Dissosteira carolina

This is what one of those flying Carolina grasshoppers with black wings looks like up close. I think this is the only time I got one face on. I usually only get their behinds. I don't think Oscar ate this one.

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Oscar the Hopper Chopper

Yup, that's Oscar, our little yet great grasshopper chomper. Here he is after leaping through the air and catching, in flight, a Carolina Grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina). Those are the big grasshoppers you see during the last half of summer flying with the black wings. We probably all think at one time or another that they are huge butterflies, but they are big, prehistoric grasshoppers. You can view the original photo size here for more detail. After spending the summer learning how to expertly catch these hoppers, Oscar is now the champion mouser of the family!

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Some Random Shots of Summer

One of our day lilies

I am fascinated by the stigma

A geometer moth

Another, different, brown geometer moth

Bumblebee on red clover

Five-toed raccoon track and tiny, round Zorro the Cat
tracks in the mud after a flash flood.

Dwarf zinnia that Ironman successfully planted

They bloomed continuously until the first heavy frost in September.

A Carolina grasshopper

Yellow woolly bear caterpillar

An unidentified warbler

Question Mark Butterfly

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