Early morning urban nature

[urbpan]

I got back to my 6:30 bike rides today, after skipping yesterday on account of weather (bizarre dawn thunderstorms). Before I'd even gotten the bike out of the basement, I found this.


It's a big ol' scarab beetle of some kind, barely alive. I brought it outside and put it on a plant, where it will either die peacefully, snap back to life, or be eaten by a bird. None of my business which.


My new commute cuts through a part of Franklin Park, which has this intriguing ruin of puddingstone steps.




Another ruin--planned to be rebuilt--is this burned Baptist church on Centre Street. I like how you can see the trees and sky through the Gothic windows.




And on the path in front of Jamaica pond I saw this caterpillar inching along--pretty good camouflage for the asphalt, but it won't protect him against shoes and bike tires. I moved him to the other side of the path.

Comments

[candent.livejournal.com]

Franklin Park looks beautiful. Are there more ruins there?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

It is beautiful. (olmsted called it the crowning jewel of the emerald necklace). Old time Boston people are still afraid of it, because it borders a scary neighborhood.

There are some ruins in this part: http://urbpan.livejournal.com/465653.html

[matthewdh.livejournal.com]

my favourite part of the park are the old bear cages (the centre cage has a bas relief of the Seal of Boston held up by two bears)

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

I love urban ruins! I can't wait to visit Boston again next spring for the AAG meetings.

That scarab beetle is very nifty looking - are they in North America, or was he an exotic escapee? We used to get all manner of weird things coming out of fruit boxes (mostly tarantulas in the banana boxes) when I worked at a co-op.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I assume it was a native or naturalized beetle. I caught a female stag beetle about the same size last night. And then there's this:
http://urbpan.livejournal.com/352273.html

[bellelvsbeast.livejournal.com]

Woa the ruins are cool...
Poor beetle I hope he will be ok...
Lovely camouflaged caterpillar! :)

[droserary.livejournal.com]

Is this the same beast? Found mine yesterday on a tree outside.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Looks like a female reddish-brown stag beetle to me.

cottonmanifesto photographed one this week:
http://community.livejournal.com/urban_nature/140579.html

[droserary.livejournal.com]

Excellent ID, thanks!

I let that one go along its way, but its cousins the Japanese beetles all become plant food. MWAHAHAHA!