Hello folks who wonder what was the response to the first person who said okay to a request,

All animals leave tracks wherever they go as they journey through life. Only the really good serial killers cover them up afterwards. Some animals leave their tracks by consuming everything in their path.

One such example is the nostalgic game "Pac-Man" which sets unrealistic standards. It shows a maze lined with pellets that the main character who is always hungry must consume before the ghosts can eat its soul. The game shows that no matter how much you eat you still remain the same size. That is not how it works in real life. Just ask my pre-pandemic wardrobe.

This is how the game should have ended instead.

Leaf miner is the larval stage of some flies, beetles and other insects. This is how it works. The mama insect deposits her egg in the leaf tissue in plants. The egg hatches and the hungry larva starts chomping its way around that leaf. During this all-you-can-eat adventure these caterpillars mine some of the plant tissues and leave visible tunnels behind. This is a great strategy since they are not only surrounded by food but also protected from predators. It's like eating all the ingredients of the subway sandwich without eating the bread. No thanks, that is a little too healthy for my taste. (Need another reason why I don't eat salads? Read about it here)

These feeding channels are tell-tale signs that a leaf miner was/is on that plant leaf.

Below is one which I caught in the act of mining a leaf.

Below is a lacewing larva toss and turn while building it's cocoon before it can transition to its next chapter in life as a pupa. (Why lacewing larvae are so fascinating?)

Now that winter is approaching, it is hard not to think of how we usually spend the hot summer days. Be it sipping cold lemonade/beer, visiting a water park, walking through neighborhood sprinklers or periodically sticking your head in the freezer. Humans are spoilt for choices on how to deal with the sweltering heat. Alas, the birds are not that lucky as they cannot afford the same luxuries.

So how do the birds deal with it when the mercury's rising?

Some birds will pant since that is how they can get rid of the excessive heat. But panting can result in large amounts of water being lost, hence birds can be spotted frequenting bird baths to effectively deal with heat waves.

Some water birds like the Green Heron will rapidly vibrate their throat which promotes intake/exhalation of air thus facilitating cooling.