What do ants, dung beetles, and vultures have in common?
A dead Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) being consumed by the ants. Yep they are a vital part of the ecosystem.
The Rainbow Scarab, well, likes the scat. Shown by the red arrow they had buried deep underneath. In fact they were too fast for me to get a good photo. Moreover I was not going to play in the poop today. LOL. So yeah, like the ants are cleaners! And you get a bonus butterfly, the Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) that visited as well.
Of course everyone knows the vultures have a vital job cleaning up the dead. Well, no photos of their meal today. And I know some of you are saying thank you to that. 😉
Walking by the our old well house, the pair had flown up to the roof. They had been inside.
Then I could see they were expecting!
Today one of the parents continued to sit. So for now I don’t know if they laid another egg. Perhaps this pair are Edgar’s parents, another Black Vulture that was raised in the old well house in 2022. Black Vultures are believed to mate for life and they live up to 25 years.
Of course we will be setting up a camera soon. Indeed what else would you expect. 🙂
Moreover you now know what I think an ant, a dung beetle, and a vulture have in common. They are part of nature’s cleanup crew!
Yeah for the black vultures. Hopefully this year they can raise two babies. That Māori totem is awesome.
So happy to see Edgar’s family (hopefully) back!
I suppose by now it could even be Edgar with a mate? I’m looking forward to your progress reports!