Whoa!

That was my reaction on spotting this HUGE black beetle in the garden today, slowly making its way up the side of the house foundation.  Had no idea what it was, other than very large (about 1.25-1.5 inches in length), so approached with caution ... and a macro lens.  I got it to climb on a stick and then moved it to a small pot of mums nearby so that I could get a good look at it.  After photographing it from every angle imaginable, I returned it to where I found it, and it continued on its way.

Quick Google search gave me an ID.  It's an American Oil Beetle (in the Blister Beetle family) and it's quite fortunate for me that I didn't touch it as it emits an oily substance that contains cantharidin which can cause blistering of the skin!  Otherwise it's harmless if you discount the fear-factor.  Unlike many beetles, this species is flightless and moves slowly.  Anyway, it was a cool find for the day and gave me a perfect blip-subject.  Another view HERE on Flickr

Heard a yellow-bellied sapsucker in our woods today - several years ago we had a male who stayed in our yard all winter, frequently visiting the bird bath and suet feeder.  Maybe we'll get lucky again this winter...  

Acorns continue to drop at an amazing rate in the yard and woods behind our house.  The squirrels and chipmunks can be heard and seen rustling through the fallen leaves gathering nuts - leaving the feeder on the patio fully to the birds.  Here's a shot of a chippie with a cheek full of acorns, sizing me up.

It was another blissfully summer-like day, but starting tomorrow highs will only be in the 50's, so this may be the last insect for a while...  

Dinner tonight (thanks to HelloFresh) is Sole en papillote with mushrooms, croutons and brown-butter caper sauce.  Doesn't that sound yummy?  I'm still doing both Blue Apron and Hello Fresh for meal-ingredient delivery.  We're finding that it totally eliminates food waste and gives us a wonderful selection of fresh, nutritious menus during the week.  And because there's no waste, I think I'm actually saving money on groceries...

Happy Thursday, people...