Sitting in the shade on another hot, sunny day along the Front Range, I watched a small group of grasshoppers, hovering above our burned-out "lawn." Though I have often seen them making brief flights between feeding areas, I don't recall having observed such prolonged hovering.
Indeed, to my human eye, they resembled a patrol of military choppers, searching for enemies in the grassy tangles below. In fact, they were likely male grasshoppers, trying to impress females on the ground. This mating behavior, apparently common, has managed to escape my attention over the years.
Just the latest example of my limited knowledge of the complexity and diversity of nature, despite many years in the field. We should all acknowledge our incomplete understanding of the natural world and protect as much as possible while it still exists. We depend on her varied ecosystems far more than we are willing to admit.
