Turning ON Blogyear 2013!

Happy New Year!

 Let's hope that we are more blessed, happier and more contented from now on! Further hope that our environment and earth conditions will slow down its response to our irresponsibility, and maybe forgive our transgressions! 

I have not been on-line during the holidays. The internet was sacrificed for the natural, earthly, more mundane activities. But i did not forget my camera, it was always with me daily, my constant companion. I had a lot of photos, different angles, different white balance, etc, etc, even if they are of the same subjects! Our area has strong biodiversity, only appropriate lens and tripod limit their capture. I will start with a simple caterpillar, unfortunately I am not aware of its name. I will just call it a looper, which is only about more than an inch long. I used a 34mm digital Zuiko macro lens. 

 I saw this yellow-green looper standing on a leaf edge. It seems motionless, so i touched it with a leaf tip. It signaled probably danger, so it immediately walked frantically from the leaf to the branch.

 I was so intrigued how it looped its body with only the front and back feet touching the twig. The wavy occlusions of the whole body was also nice to watch. I can really see the tension with it.

 It tried this above position, stopped a few seconds as if waiting if it is already safe! But it realized he is so obvious there, so it moved frantically again, from the big branch to the smaller branch, look at that right green branch on the right. How it managed to get on it, inverting its position, i failed to capture with the camera, sorry about that!

Now it's already on that smaller branch, it is again frantically looping its way to the top. I wonder how it managed to determine which is the top or down. That small brain could have been equipped with a lot of sensing mechanism! Amazing creature!

I somehow realized that it previously sensed the tip of that branch is cut! Can you imagine how that is done? I might not have read yet the habits and intelligence of loopers, but this creature at the moment is teaching me a lot! It is now checking the tip of the branch if he is correct! The tail portion wiggled a few times for something i can't decipher the significance! I thought that instance that it was confused and might turn back, but it didn't. 

It stabilized its tail grip once more, while sensing the end of the cut twig.

 I realized, it could have been sensing the distance from the tip and at which part will its tail end will attach itself. When the tail end stopped, it's the head portion's turn to wiggle. It could be also sensing the tip of the branch, or maybe sensing if there are predators in the vicinity. How clever, this looper is!

Finally, with all the conditions checked, it stopped right there. It again resumed the motionless stance of a cut twig that it knows is the safest stance it should adopt. I waited long for it to move again, it didn't change its position anymore. I didn't stop there! I again prodded it with a leaf tip. But it didn't let me bother it anymore, it remained motionless, only swaying slightly with the twig as the wind blows. Maybe it is saying, you cannot fool me anymore!

The looper already solved its  problem, but it left me with a lot more, even more than when i first found it! Now I am searching either the net or some persons to teach me the manners and thoughts of loopers! I wonder if there are people who knows, I am afraid there's none!

Outdoor Wednesday