They land on the windows each year,
reflecting clouds.
They come to eat the hummingbirds.
I detach them gently from the glass, using envelopes.
But they always return to where they were,
and swivel their heads around to look at me.
Cheers to you from the amazing alien creatures we all are~
cindyknoke.com 
A fascinating creature. I didn’t know they ate hummingbirds.
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The Holler is insect centrale. I didn’t know why the mantis parked near the hummers, until I finally saw them make a move on one. Live and learn.
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Oh no. I hope you chased him off.
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I certainly did!
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GREAT photo capture!! I did not know that they ate hummingbirds. Wow!
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Mice too, and a biology blogger just told me, bats! Bloggers are the best people to learn stuff from!
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They are better than Google. 🙂 Incredible!!!
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Superb perspective. Be careful, they are really Martians, or Sagittarians. Sad about the hummers.
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I do know to be very wary around martians and sagittarians.
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Hey! I’m a sagittarian and I don’t look like a mantis 😉
Just how big are they, if they can eat the hummingbirds ? And how do they immobilise birds with such fast rapid wing movements? Presumably they sneak up on them when they’re roosting.
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Amazing creatures…but mitts off the hummingbirds!
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Exactly.
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Your photos are so fantastic! 😀
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Ahhh, your kindness makes me happy.
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Superb photos. They prey on the hummers?!
Alison
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Thanks Alison & yes they do!
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They look like little aliens! It’s so funny how it looks straight at the camera.
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Definitely disconcerting!
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〜(￣ڡ￣〜) ♡
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
I am not an insect person.. in fact do not mention camping to me .. ever! But I am perfectly happy looking at images of these incredible creatures. Cindy Knoke of course has no such qualms and gets up close and personal with these alien looking beings… The Preying Mantis as you have never seen them before and I did not know that they found hummingbirds edible… stunning photography as always from Cindy. #recommended
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You are such a wonderful friend to so many Sally and such a thoughtful supporter too. Thank you so much for all you do. I so appreciate you! ❤
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I am so happy that I have a blog and can share your photographs Cindy.. I am not sure you appreciate how much pleasure you bring us all.. hugs ♥
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Wow! Very, very nice images, Cindy. Thanks so much.
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Thank you Isabel and have a wonderful weekend!
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I think these creatures are very interesting, Cindy. Beautiful photographs. I didn’t know they ate hummingbirds – that is amazing.
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It is an engineering feat on their part since hummingbirds have at least 8x’s more body mass then they do!
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#1? It’s great fun Cindy!
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Happy you enjoyed. Hope all is safe and well in your home on Abaco~
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Beautiful photos of a not so beautiful insect, lol. 🙂 x
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You deserve a gold star for open mindedness my friend & happy weekend! ⭐ ⭐
What the heck I gave you two!!!
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Ooh la la, thanks. Made my day! 🙂 x
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Cindy absolutely beautiful Photographs- I have always thought them to be the most incredible creatures. From what Sally Said I had no idea they attacked hummingbirds. Horrific but amazing!
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Yes! There is something entirely otherworldly about them, but since they have been here much longer than we have, maybe they are more justified in thinking this about us more recent interlopers!
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Wonderful photos and the reflection adds an eerieness. We do need to embrace the insect world too. I guess they are as bid or bigger than a humming bird. We don’t have humming birds here in Europe but have had a praying mantis on my porch. Seemed more praying than preying.
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“Seemed more praying than preying.” Love this! And yes, this why they got the name!
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I wonder if they are reincarnated double glazing salesman. 😀
Great picture.
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tee hee hee……There is a remarkable similarity!
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Thank you for the beautiful photos of these extraordinary creatures!
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Thank you for being a person who sees beauty and value in difference.
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Wow, beautiful photos. I’ve never seen them this close (used to be terrified of them as a child). Terrified!
Great share…
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I can understand that completely! ❤
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Haha! I was terrified. But they look beautiful in a photograph….
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❤
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Your gift brings nature home to us! Thankyou Cindy 🙏🏻💚🍀☘
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What a thoughtful and lovely comment. Thank you & cheers too!
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Wonderful! They do look like aliens! Thanks for the great close-ups.
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Thank you more for appreciating them!
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I dig his looks. One thing that gets me is how still and patient a mantis can be. They certainly look to be praying, and it usually ends up pretty well for them. Hmm.
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Yes, they are like lethal chess players!
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Certainly true! When they say “checkmate,” you’d better check if your head’s still there!
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teeheehee
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As long as it doesn’t sting. it looks like one of them we had in London. They liked to crawl in the bathroom at summer time. And we called it “daddy long legs.” Took me back in the days when my daughter was a little girl. she went to bathroom, and if I heard her screamed, I knew it was “daddy long legs” that had given us a visit. ahahaha. poor thing she was really scared of that little silly creature.
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I used to love playing with Daddy Long Legs as a kid. Poor spiders!!
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hahahah you made me laugh so much to read that you played with them as a kid. Don’t let my daughter read it, cause it was her worst nightmare of her childhood hahahahah what a laugh. poor daddy long legs.
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Laughing…poor daddy longs legs is right. They must have seen me coming and been more terrified than your daughter….”Oh no, the huge, horrible monster creature is coming BACK and it will pick us up! Run…………”
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hahaha LOL
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A great set of macros, neat looking double shadows!
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Thank you. I admire your photography as well.
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I LOVED this post, Cindy. I think preying mantis are so very cool, and your photos, descriptions, and final line about us all being alien creatures was great.
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Happy you enjoyed and you know I am a sincere admirer of your photography~
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Love it!
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So happy you do & cheers too!
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It’s the time of year we see some large praying mantises landing on our picture window. Drives the cats crazy! You got great shots of these, and their reflections.
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Yes. Same here. Minus the cats. I always look forward to seeing the Mantis~
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Really impressive.
Alberto Mrteh (El zoco del escriba)
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He is an impressive insect and he and I, thank you!
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Wow! Amazing! The images and the shadows – so glad I saw this.
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So glad you liked it and told me! Thank you & cheers too~
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Keep chasing that old preying mantis away.
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Thank you & I will!
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Fabulous impressions, Cindy! 👏🏻
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You are very kind. Cheers to you & hope all is well~
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They’re mean and fascinating and temperamental and beautiful. And they’re spitters and I spit back. And good for the girls, they know what’s going on!
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Laughing…..
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