Silken Shroud

A snail in my greenhouse had obviously tangled with a spider’s web.

I saw two unusual things today. One was a Californian quail. I’ve seen them in the back country, but they rarely visit my garden.

The other involved the praying mantis I have blipped three times recently. It was on a leaf and instead of remaining still it began to move. It walked to the end of the leaf until most of its body was over the edge. Then it moved that part of its body rapidly from side to side, increasing in speed until it seemed to be vibrating. I watched fascinated, but puzzled. Suddenly, with a flutter of wings it flew to another branch about 20cm away. I don’t recall ever having seen a mantis fly before.