This winter, it was all about the hoar frost and the hair ice. The hair ice captured our eyes for sure – but if you’re anything like us, hearing the word “hoar” got your attention too!

Check out our video to learn the difference in these two types of winter phenomena as well as a third one – rime ice – and to see some awesome up close footage of these beautiful and somewhat rare natural wonders!

Or watch it on our YouTube channel here. To learn more about our videographer Hannah, click here!

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These Lesser Scaups appear to be choking on some pretty hefty clams – but are they really choking?! Or just gorging on these massive mollusks?! And if they are simply having their dinner, how on earth are they able to digest these giant clams whole??

We’ll explore this dramatic mystery and give you a glimpse of these little diving ducks battling it out with the giant clams in stunning 4K in our latest video!

Or watch it on our YouTube channel here. To learn more about our videographer, Hannah, click here!

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Happy World Photography Day! We’ve had a summer FULL of orb weavers here at The Curio Cat headquarters in Los Angeles County, much to the delight of our resident photographer Hannah because she loves to play with her new macro lens!

We measured these tiny little arachnids at less than 3mm – see the white spot in the pic below? That’s the spider in our first picture below – just to give you a sense of how miniscule that is – and how powerful those dedicated macro lenses can be!

This was by far one of the tiniest spiders our photographer has been able to capture. Orb weavers are known for their spiral wheel-shaped webs, and what a beautiful web this miniature one created!

And he’s not alone! He has two very hungry neighbors that Hannah managed to capture mid-meal!

Orb weavers are one of the largest families of spiders in the world. They’re super beneficial to your gardens as they eat TWICE their weight in insects each day, keeping your gardens free from pests! So if you see them, let them be!

Check our our short on YouTube here!

The post Orb Weavers – World Photography Day 2024! appeared first on The Curio Cat.

The joyous, uplifting cadence of the elusive Western Meadowlark! A bird that is often heard more than seen. Witness this marvelous melody in our latest video! And check it out to learn some fun facts like why the song of the Western Meadowlark was played in the House of the Oregon state legislature!

Or watch it on our YouTube channel here. To learn more about our videographer, Hannah, click here!

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World Bee Day is May 20th – help us support and save some of our most important pollinators by checking out our latest video and learning all about the wild mating habits of one of California’s most interesting native bees – genus Diadasia!

In this video, we feature what we believe to be Diadasia bituberculata, aka Bindweed Turrett Bees. See them fight each other in their frenzied beeballs as they battle it out over the ladies! We also give you an extremely up close and personal view of some of their day to day activites and sprawling colony of nests!

Native pollinators like these are extremely crucial to our own survival as humans. Our video teaches you some reasons why, as well as provide some tips on how YOU can also protect and save these wonderful creatures.

We found this colony while birding California’s newest nature preserve for this year’s Global Big Day. It’s an incredible, truly wild place, so full of life. So be sure to also check out our posts from Global Big Day here to experience it!

We’d like to give a shout out to awesome bee expert Krystle Hickman at BeeSip for helping us identify the bees we found!

Or watch it on our YouTube channel here. To learn more about Hannah, our videographer, click here!

The post Native Bees – Mating Frenzies! appeared first on The Curio Cat.

Today is International Bat Appreciation Day AND National Haiku Poetry Day – how to celebrate? By writing a haiku about bats of course!! Here’s the first ever haiku attempt by our photographer Hannah to go along with some of her photos of the largest bat colony in North America:

Consumer of mosquitos
How important you are
Loved, feared, misjudged and revered

As the haiku states, bats are incredibly important mammals! Not only do they rid us of a vast quantity of disease-carrying mosquitoes, but they’re also vital pollinators!

You can find North America’s largest bat colony on the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas. Approximately 1,500,000 Mexican Free-Tailed bats live there and they eat around 10,000 to 30,000 lbs of insects each night!!

Bats are unique in their ability to fly. Bats are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight!

Help us celebrate the day by writing your own bat haiku and sharing it with us via our contact page for a chance to be highlighted on our socials!!

Or simply learn more about these amazing creatures and watch the bats emerge from under the bridge by checking out one of our earliest videos on our YouTube channel here:

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Hundreds, if not thousands, of people flock to witness the splendor of the desert wildflowers. But humans aren’t the only super bloom enthusiasts that come out when Mother Nature bursts into life!

Get up close and personal with the wildlife that depend on these beautiful blossoms for spring feasts in our video!

We take you on a journey beneath the wildflowers to examine the lives of the White-lined Sphinx Moth larvae (aka Hummingbird Moths) and then up to the skies for a look at hundreds of migrating Swainson’s Hawks that visit during these abundant seasons – all in stunning 4k!

We’d like to give a huge shout out to Alicia and Hal with the Borrego Springs Hawk Watch – they (and their team) are incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the Swainson’s Hawks and the desert – it was truly a pleasure meeting you and learning from you! Thank you for all that you do for the wildlife! Learn more about them here!

Or watch it on our YouTube channel here. To learn more about Hannah, the videographer, click here!

The post Wildflowers: The Wild Side! appeared first on The Curio Cat.

Come with us as we take you for a terrifying walk among over 300 giant spiders!! You’ll get up close and personal to some of North America’s largest orb weavers and learn all about these frightening natural wonders!

Be sure to watch until the end for an adorable spider BONUS!! (Hint: if you like the cute little Jumping Spiders, then you’ll love the bonus content!) Happy Halloween from The Curio Cat!

**We’d like to say a special thank you to the staff at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles for being so passionate and caring with these lovely, important creatures! And for helping educate so many as well as trying to help them overcome their fears!** If you’d like to visit the Spider Pavillion at the museum, it typically runs from late September to November – click here for more info!

Or watch it on our YouTube channel here. To learn more about our videographer, Hannah, click here!

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As a huge THANK YOU to our 500+ subscribers, here’s a behind-the-scenes look at a research adventure fail! We’ve spent countless days scouring the remote bogs of New England in search of the elusive and mighty moose.

We didn’t find any moose (yet!!), but we didn’t walk away empty handed either. Check out our latest video to see what it’s like to hit the trails with The Curio Cat and learn a little about these mysterious and crucial wetlands!

Dedicated to all our subscribers and followers – without you, this footage would’ve been locked away forever most likely! Thanks so much for all your support – this one’s for y’all!

The beginning quote comes from our photographer’s (Hannah) favorite photographer, Guy Tal – thanks for inspiring me to get out there, hit those trails, and live life to the fullest! See his work and get more inspo on his website: https://guytal.com/

Or watch it on our YouTube channel here. To learn more about our videographer, Hannah, click here!

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These Brown-headed Cowbirds are absolute parasites – but they sure can dance! Check out their little mating season boogie and learn a little about them in our latest video!

October 14th is another big day for birding and conservation! Join our birding team and compete with us VIRTUALLY – even from your own backyard!! Help scientists and conservations learn all they can about bird populations all over the world! Email hannah@thecuriocat.com to learn how to join!

Or watch it on our YouTube channel here. To learn more about our videographer, Hannah, click here!

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