So a little observation to take the boredom out of cutting the freakin' grass.
Last Saturday I was mowing the (big) front lawn, when the resident pair of Mississippi Kites showed up.
http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/kites/misskite.html
This is a fairly common raptor that shows up often in hayfields and follows the machines around to pick up any bugs that fly.
Oh Goody! I can watch the birds dive and swoop for the big green grasshoppers that I have been stirring up. :aj:
And for sure; they proceeded to do just that! I would flush out a grasshopper, and here comes the bird at about 200mph. Great fun! The
ONLY chance that the grasshopper has, is if he can get back down on the ground quickly. If he keeps flying; he is toast.
Then a funny thing. After about three passes, the grasshoppers figured it out. They must have an instinct to stay on the ground when birds are around. The grasshoppers would merrily allow me to mow them to bits, but would not fly out of the way of the mower. I would watch a grasshopper crawling in the grass ahead of the tractor, and think "here we go"; but no dice. He somehow knew the bird was about, and stay on the ground.
As I said; smart grasshoppers! :)
Perhaps their "mower" insinct has not yet developed.
Anyhoo; cool stuff! :cool: