I’ve seen quite a few posts which include funny (or sad) stories, with Observations as proof/illustration. There are also many Observations that speak for themselves, such as this one: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/7560054
Some stories span multiple Observations: a larva becomes a pupa becomes a moth, or a lesson learned from one Observation is applied to another.
I don’t see a thread which serves as a place to share funny or thought-provoking Observation-stories.
Here’s mine (it’s not amazing but it’s what sparked my idea): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/34695313
I know there are far funnier, more dramatic, and more photogenic Observation-stories. Share yours here!
While flipping through my observations almost every one triggered a story-like memory for me. Not that interesting for everyone else, but worth doing with your own observations once in a while.
I’m resurrecting this thread because I couldn’t resist sharing the story of this jackrabbit, which I saved from a terrible fate, while its mother menaced me: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/130268900
Has anyone else had experience with black-tailed jackrabbits showing aggressive maternal protection behavior? I know domestic rabbits can get very defensive - I still have a scar on my hand from when I was a kid and one of our rabbits caught me checking on her nest, but those were also newborns, not half-grown and out of the nest like this one.
A female Bufflead took off running across the water. In the middle of the inlet she stopped and looked back ( https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/106387592 ). I couldn’t see what was disturbing her, though a big of wood was floating in the water – no, swimming! Swimming energetically toward her. What could it be? A pair of Mallards swam closer to investigate. If this mammal was trying to catch the Bufflehead, it ought to be an otter, but the amount of brown mammal visible above the water’s surface was only about big enough for an otter’s head. Size and the rapidly churning legs so close to the front end also ruled out nutria, muskrat, and beaver. Could this possibly be a rat? I think so! ( https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/106387593 )
While the Bufflehead kept a careful distance, the Mallard closed in on this intriguing object. They didn’t actually touch it, but they kept close, especially the female Mallard. The rat gave up on the Bufflehead and turned back toward shore. The Mallards convoyed with it. The rat pulled out on a rock and groomed. It was kind of cute, actually, with big ears. (It’s tail was longer than its head plus body, but never visible in its entirety except in brief glimpses I couldn’t photo.) The rat jumped toward land, landing a bit short, and ran off into cover. What?? The perplexed female Mallard walked onto the land. She stood looking around for a long time. ( https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/106387594 ) Finally she gave up and joined her drake in the water.
This occurred in Waldport, Oregon, in the part of the bay visible at the junction of Mill Street and Highway 34.