Before I left for my trip to New York City for BlogHer ’12 and a family vacation, I joked on a Windows on Wildlife post that I would keep my eyes open for wildlife during my trip.
Well, turns out the wildlife decided to leave Maine and hitch a ride with us to New York.
Not too far into our drive, my sons noted that there was a grasshopper in the back window.
A grasshopper? Inside?
They were right. He was just hanging out in the back of my Honda Pilot.
We’re still not sure how he got there. My 7 year old thinks he flew into the window while we were at the gas station by our house.
I’m not convinced that the grasshopper was in the gas station parking lot in the first place or able to get that high in the air to make it into the window. But, there he was. According to my 3 year old, Biz, he was also sticky. Because how else could he be hanging on to the window?
We decided the grasshopper probably didn’t want to live in New York City. So, when we stopped for more gas and a potty break in Massachusetts, we carefully let him go. There was a nice field next to the gas station and the grasshopper, who Biz named “Flying Unicorn,” because what else would you name a grasshopper, was happy to hop on off to his new home. He sort of flew and then hopped. It was fun to watch
We stopped at the same exit on the way back to Maine and looked for Mr. Flying Unicorn. Though my sons swear they found the grasshopper’s “footprints” in some sand, they could not trace the prints to his current location. There is a theory that he landed in a puddle and then hopped off into the field, where we wouldn’t see him. We’re pretty sure he’s happy though.
In other news, Biz coined a new term for a group of animals or people that number 8 or more. While telling me about his first day in New York when I was at BlogHer, he noted he saw a “hunk of ducks.” “A what?” I asked. “A hunk of ducks, Mom.” He insists this is an official term and has used it several times. So, there you go. I’m pretty sure it’s a scientific term.
Linking up with the Withywindle Nature Blog for Windows on Wildlife.
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[…] Gary’s photos before, be sure to stop by his blog – he takes some amazing pictures. Ā Another JenniferĀ had a stow-away grasshopper on her trip down to NY last week, and shared a newly coined term: […]
Very kind of you to not leave Flying Unicorn in NYC! I don’t think he would have liked it much there.
I think NYC would have given Flying Unicorn a bit of culture shock coming from Maine!
Why not?
“murder” of crows
“flock” of seagulls
“heard” of elephants
“hunks” of ducks!
Wiki says that a group of ducks can be called badelynge, bunch, brace, flock, paddling, raft or team. Also, one might call it a dover of ducks. I’ll have to call and tell them their missing “hunks”.
I think he’s on to something. And thanks for alerting Wiki! š
OMG, grasshopper tracking – I love it! Kids are awesome.
I’m tempted to mention something about the illegality of importing wildlife over state borders, but seeing as you saved Flying Unicorn (there really is no better name for a grasshopper) from a fate worse than death in NYC, I’ll help you keep a low profile. š
And do tell Biz that I will officially adopt ‘hunk of ducks’ as my new term for ducks – and will be sure to correct my birding friends, should they not yet know the proper group name. BTW, my favorite bird grouping is (and I’m completely serious) an ‘unkindness’ of ravens.
Thanks for joining Windows on Wildlife! I was a little late getting a post up this week, but it’s there now!
They showed me the track and everything. It was cute.
I thought a “murder” of crows was funny, but an “unkindness” of ravens is pretty good. A hunk of ducks sounds pretty normal next to those!
And thanks for not telling on us!
I wouldn’t mind a grasshopper. I once found a hunk of roaches (old rusted out car, plate of muffins, nuff said) and a dead centipede. A grasshopper sounds much more lovely.
You went to BlogHer! Awesome. I’d love to go to a blog conference one day and meet bloggy friends IRL, make new friends and learn a bunch of new stuff.
Yuck to the hunk of roaches! The grasshopper is definitely more lovely.
BlogHer was such an experience. So much more than a conference. Next year it will be in Chicago. I’m hoping to go!