During my Washed Up World Tour performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall, I wanted to hear funny accents, so I did a Q&A session. Someone asked what’s the most common thing I find washed up on the beach. I said, “Sand.” A big, ugly bastard with bad hair started to boo and others joined in. […]
camouflage
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Looks Can be Deceiving
Last week I mentioned a large shiny black bee that visited my rosemary plants. In all my field guides the only large shiny black bees are carpenter bees, genus Xylocopa. Although there was a definite similarity, something wasn’t quite right so I investigated further. With the help of some online friends and resources, I learned […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Safer to Look Like Crap
First day out with my new Canon 6D Mark II today and so far I’m happy. I used my Sigma 150/600-millimeter lens and, after a slow start, managed to find a few subjects. I watched as a smallish dragonfly searched among the willows looking for someplace to dine on its catch. As soon as it […]
Posted inNews
HumBug: Beauty
The other day, while waging my perpetual losing battle against garden weeds, I glimpsed a shadow. It was a dragonfly cruising my yard for an afternoon snack. I kept watch and it changed its flight pattern from actively hunting to slowly browsing the bushes near the ground for a place to rest. When it finally […]
Posted inNews
HumBug: Neglected Damsels
Whenever I give a talk on dragonflies, I point out that there are two subgroups to the order Odonata. The dragonflies (anisoptera, which means “same wing”) and the damselfiles (zygoptera meaning “different wing”), which I am told refers to the sizes and shapes of the front and hind wings. I guess because they’re bigger and […]