Let’s go down under for a moment


“Oh, boy!” you say, “Al’s finally done a trip to Australia [pronounced “Olls-TRAYYLL-yer” of course] and is going to feature something truly exotic for a change!” But no – Al’s still too strapped for cash to pull that one off (damn expensive mics,) and didn’t even leave the backyard for these. What I’m referring to read more

Per the ancient lore, part 19


Before we go any further, I’ll let you drink this in and try to fathom just what it is you’re looking at. The only thing I will say is, though I cropped it a little tighter to draw more attention to some details, I didn’t remove anything that would help explain it more.

I’m thinking the only things that are recognizable, and perhaps not even then, are the snails, which is read more

That’s not true!


There is a plethora of different aspects that are going to come up in this post, which is perhaps amusing, because the topic is rather trivial. Bear with me a moment.

But right now, look at that image up there and tell me what’s wrong with it, or what “doesn’t work” or what have you – I’m talking from an aesthetic standpoint and not whether the species are anachronistic read more

What do nature photographers carry?

This is a followup post that I’ve been meaning to do for a while, since the first part appeared here. I was finally inspired to finish it off after reading an article about what flight attendants carried for their job. Of course, that article title and mine are both read more

A last lingering look

This has been hanging out there for a lot longer than intended, but here, finally, is the last of the posts regarding the Topsail Island trip. I think.

As I said, fewer photos this time around, because we were doing more “stuff” – not as much time to be chasing subjects, and also less optimal conditions. We actually had some weather this time, mostly in the form of grey read more

Let’s play catchup


By about this time in the past few years, I would have posted roughly four thousand mantis pictures. I am definitely behind those numbers this year, so let’s see if we can rectify that.

To begin with, I was super-prepared this spring, having ordered a bunch of Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) egg cases – called “oothecas” if you want to get technical or simply confuse read more

Why’s it so herony?


I went back to one of my old haunts a short time back, meeting with a student that lived nearby, and arrived a little early, so I poked around a bit because it’s very professional getting soaked in sweat when you’re about to meet with someone new, you know? Let them see you at your worst, and everything afterward will always be better. I usually don’t brush my teeth either.

Anyway, read more

Per the ancient lore, part 17


This week we’re back in the Beach folder, but what we’re doing here and how we might escape, no one can tell. What can be told is where this was taken, because like damn near the rest of the Ancient Lore pics so far, it was taken at my wading area on the Indian River Lagoon (hey, don’t give me shit – an awful lot of my arthropod photos in the past read more

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