Today I’m putting up all the singletons and smaller batches sent to me. Readers’ captions and IDs are indented.
From Allen Jones (I don’t know the species). It’s in the UK; can readers help?
This was at a local bird of prey centre near Edinburgh. The eagle’s perched on me. The owner said that this boy or girl (not sure) would soon be the oldest eagle that had ever lived in the UK. He said it was around 50 years old.
From A. C. Harper:
Ordinary urban pigeons huddling together for warmth… but they are on a support of a bridge crossing an arm of the river Soar at Leicester. This was once open fields, then industry including extensive railway sidings, a foundry, a stone masons, several mills (afer canalization of this part of the river) and wharves for unloading coal. As you can see the industrial areas have now gone and are being replaced with houses and apartments. But the pigeons linger on ready for my cellphone, a Pixel 10 pro.
From Susan Harrison, who promises that there is more to come.
Thought you’d enjoy seeing this big Belizean kitty! He was lounging in the road last night as we drove into the Rio Bravo Conservation Area. He could not have cared less about us, which is always a nice thing to experience with wildlife. Anyway, this is just a teaser, and I’ll send a batch for RWP soon.
From Bryan Lepore.
These little Eastern cottontails [Sylvilagus floridanus] are in mid-ish Massachusetts outside of Framingham, and in my back yard. First photo June 26, second June 29:
From Nicole in Pennsylvania: A wild cottontail that comes to humans for apple slices. Her name is Petunia:
Convergent evolution, pictures by Martin Riddle.
The Hawk Moths, aka Hummingbird Moths [JAC: Family Spingidae] love the nectar in resident maintained gardens at Brooksby Village Peabody, Massachusetts:
Hey thanks, a reprise!
I’m glad to report at least one of the cottontails is very big now, and has been getting whole apples whenever possible.
Honored to be in a great mix today!
😁
BTW
PCC(E)
FYI
I sent a picture of a “singleton” dragonfly back in summer. Maybe you’ll find it – if it made the cut – it was as good a photo I can get currently, using full sunlight. The fly was a dark red/black/brown.
Cheers
Nice pictures: love the singletons!
Such a cute bunnies in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. (I’ll spare you the roll call of the three bunnies that live in our yard—also Eastern Cottontails).
Also, that’s a good picture of an eagle on Allen Jones’s arm. Eagles always look so serious. They need to lighten up!
Re your last paragraph, Allen’s smiling but that eagle is NOT amused. Seeing those talons, I wouldn’t want to get on its wrong side. A very handsome bird.
A wild cottontail that comes to humans for apple slices. Her name is Petunia.
How do you know that? 🙂 (An old joke. “What’s your dog’s name?” “We don’t know, but we call him Rex.”)
Because my friend Nicole not only told me that, but sent me video verifying it.
We have an Eastern Cottontail, Stripey*, who comes up to me and sits by my lawn chair, sometimes under it, when I’m outside reading. I’m sometimes afraid that she’ll jump in my lap and startle us both!
*Stripey may not actually be her given name.
Lovely images. The jaguar in the road is amazing, Susan! I can hardly wait for Part 2. The hummingbird moth is also fantastic. Surprisingly, I sometimes have long arguments with people who don’t believe these mimic hummingbirds.
Or bumblebees. I maybe forget the earlier conversation about them, but I think you said there were hummingbirds that resemble them.
Yes, that’s right. This was debated on photomicrography.net. There really are sphingids that mimic bumblebees, but there are also species that clearly mimic hummingbirds, with green backs and, in the tropics, white markings exactly like a local hummingbird.
Here are North American examples of each:
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/bumblebee-moth-and-hummingbird-moth
I’m no ornithologist, but think that might be a Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). It is the national bird of Scotland.
I agree Martin. It’s me in the picture. After a bit of research I’m fairly sure it’s a Golden Eagle.
Great photo, Allen. I hope you got your arm back!
Martin