Dangling by a thread

Better detail in large.

Normally, I'd take a shot of a caterpillar inching along, focus on the face and call it good. But, when I went out to get the mail today, I saw this fuzzy creature dangling from a tree near the garage (over the trash can, but I managed to keep that out of the shot). With the morning sun lighting up the furry spikes and glistening off it's silk thread, I was pretty happy I had my camera around my neck. Though, it wasn't as easy to shoot as I had been thinking it would be. This caterpillar was working it's way upwards and boy did it wiggle and twist the whole way. Autofocus kept loosing it so I switched to manual. Even then it was a battle to keep it in the frame and in the plane of focus. I tried shots from all sides, but I love this belly perspective. :) I've never studied the belly underside of a caterpillar before and found it interesting that it was climbing with the smaller feet near the face. And I believe (from other slightly blurry shots I got) that it is eating the silk as it goes... The back legs appear to have the suction cup function where as the front ones seem to be the grippers.

This tent caterpillar will turn into a moth and even though they are relatively cute, they actually are considered a pest around here. They form tents in the Y of a tree and hundreds of eggs hatch for each tent. About every 9 years their numbers become alarming. Three years ago, we thought that all of our trees would die... the tent caterpillars ate them bald... not a leaf remained. They were everywhere and dropping out of the trees constantly. You could even hear the plunk, plunk of the caterpillars if you paid attention. You couldn't walk 2 feet without seeing several. (Have I given you the heebie jeebies yet?) I couldn't make a trip to the mailbox without, later, finding one in my hair... (Did that do it?) Okay, I'll stop...

Anyway, this year they aren't bad at all and I can handle being near this dangler... heck, even call it cute. But, if I've soured you on caterpillars, check out the Momma Mallard and her eight little ducklings. There's no denying that they are cute! This morning they were all hanging out on our dock. Of course as I descended the stairs to the lake, they became concerned and scooted into the water. (Around here, the waterfowl are very skittish and not used to humans so a close shot is almost impossible.) But, I moved fast and made it to the dock before they were too far. It was quite funny to watch once they heard me; they reminded me of ball bearings being controlled by a magnet. (You know, when metal ball bearings are scattered on a surface, then as a magnet moves under the ball bearings they clump together and from then on move as one.) Momma was the magnet and the ducklings became the clump of ball bearings moving together as if they were one being. Adorable doesn't quite cover it.

There, did that help you forget the creepy crawly feeling? :)) I haven't stopped itching yet...