Praying Mantis

I probably should re-name this blog: "excessive amateur pictures of children and nature".

We spent the morning picking blackberries in our neighborhood.  It was already in the 90s at 9:30am but we felt compelled to stop for all the big bushes that grow by the lake path on our daily walk.

After all, we have been checking them for weeks now.

Some of the berries were enormous and dark black- yay!  I saw something move as I reached in for a giant berry and knew almost immediately that it was a praying mantis.  Just a small one - but there is something so distinctive about the way they move.

I grabbed my phone to see if I could get a picture.  It was too high on the bush and too deep in for Owen to get a look if I lifted him.  I was aiming blindly since it was hard to see with a bright glare on the screen - so I was happily surprised when I saw this shot.  The little bugger turned to look right at me - his jaws clamped down on his pesty meal.

See if you can spot him in two other attempts.