{"id":128126,"date":"2024-04-29T05:11:19","date_gmt":"2024-04-29T10:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=128126"},"modified":"2024-04-29T05:11:19","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T10:11:19","slug":"eastern-bluebird-with-crane-fly-caught-mid-metamorphosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/04\/29\/eastern-bluebird-with-crane-fly-caught-mid-metamorphosis\/","title":{"rendered":"Eastern Bluebird With Crane Fly Caught Mid Metamorphosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a previous post I showed some of the food a male Eastern Bluebird brought in<\/span><\/a> to feed his chicks. This crane fly prey had Steve and I scratching our heads.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Eastern Bluebird with crane fly caught mid metamorphosis \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/640, ISO 2000, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This image shows what both Steve and I had in our viewfinders. I can’t remember who said “What is that?” but both of us were confused by what we were seeing. To me it looked like a sandworm from the movie Dune<\/em><\/span><\/a> was eating the crane fly at first and I laughed about that. I’ve never even seen that movie.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Eastern Bluebird with crane fly caught mid metamorphosis close up \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/640, ISO 2000, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Both Steve and I went into research mode and soon found out that the bluebird had caught a crane fly in the process of metamorphosis from the larval stage to its very short adult life. It was super short because the bluebird fed the crane fly to the chicks.<\/p>\n

Additionally, there is a pill bug in the bill of the male bluebird as this close up clearly shows.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Eastern Bluebird with crane fly and pupal casing \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/640, ISO 2000, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This last image shows the pupal casing of the crane fly near the male Eastern Bluebird’s right foot, on top of the nest box.<\/p>\n

I’m at a loss when it comes to crunching the numbers on the likelihood of capturing this exact moment: witnessing the crane fly’s metamorphosis from larva to adult, with the added complexity of the bluebird’s role in the capture and our timing for the perfect photographs of this event. It’s truly mind-boggling.<\/p>\n

You just never know what you’ll see or photograph in nature. You have to be there sometimes to believe it.<\/p>\n

See Steve’s account of this amazing bluebird and crane fly experience on his site here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

I’m doing two posts today so I can try to catch up with all of the incredible things I am currently seeing. <\/em><\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Eastern Bluebird photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a previous post, I showed some of the food a male Eastern Bluebird brought in to feed his chicks. This crane fly prey had Steve and me scratching our heads.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":128119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13950,27,14094,13951],"tags":[4004,13965,5933,4880,14987,10294,14986,14096,1130,13931,14988,4062,4106,14990,13964,14095,165,3844,4881,14989,8018,13966],"class_list":["post-128126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arkansas","category-avian","category-eastern-bluebirds","category-sebastian-county","tag-adult","tag-arkansas","tag-bluebird","tag-bluebirds","tag-crane-flies","tag-crane-fly","tag-cranefly","tag-eastern-bluebird","tag-food","tag-garden","tag-larvae","tag-male","tag-prey","tag-pupal-casing","tag-sebastian-county","tag-sialia-sialis","tag-spring","tag-thrush","tag-thrushes","tag-transformation","tag-urban","tag-yard"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/eastern-bluebird-male-cranefly-larvae-mia-mcpherson-7124.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-xky","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":127600,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/04\/17\/male-eastern-bluebird-close-up-photos-with-food-for-his-chicks\/","url_meta":{"origin":128126,"position":0},"title":"Male Eastern Bluebird Close Up Photos With Food For His Chicks","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, I am sharing portraits of a male Eastern Bluebird that were taken in my friend Steve Creek's yard. The male bluebird was bringing food in to his chicks.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Eastern Bluebird with a spider for his chicks, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/eastern-bluebird-male-with-prey-mia-mcpherson-2614.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/eastern-bluebird-male-with-prey-mia-mcpherson-2614.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/eastern-bluebird-male-with-prey-mia-mcpherson-2614.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/eastern-bluebird-male-with-prey-mia-mcpherson-2614.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":127842,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/04\/24\/mama-eastern-bluebird-is-no-more\/","url_meta":{"origin":128126,"position":1},"title":"Mama Eastern Bluebird Is No More","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Steve and I have some sad news today: the mama Eastern Bluebird at Steve's nest box is no more. The last time we saw her at the nest box was Sunday evening.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Eastern Bluebird perched in an oak tree, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/eastern-bluebird-female-spring-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5311.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/eastern-bluebird-female-spring-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5311.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/eastern-bluebird-female-spring-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5311.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/eastern-bluebird-female-spring-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-5311.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":139324,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/02\/06\/around-the-corner-spring-eastern-bluebird-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":128126,"position":2},"title":"Around The Corner: Spring Eastern Bluebird Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm not trying to wish winter away, but warmer-than-normal temps have me thinking about spring and the birds that come with it, like this male Eastern Bluebird.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Eastern Bluebird with prey close up, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/eastern-bluebird-male-caterpillar-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-6600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/eastern-bluebird-male-caterpillar-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-6600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/eastern-bluebird-male-caterpillar-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-6600.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/eastern-bluebird-male-caterpillar-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-6600.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":128267,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/05\/05\/levitating-eastern-bluebird-male\/","url_meta":{"origin":128126,"position":3},"title":"Levitating Eastern Bluebird Male","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Some of my images simply make me laugh out loud. This male Eastern Bluebird photo did that because it looks like the bird is levitating over Steve Creek's yard.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Levitating Eastern Bluebird male in Arkansas, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/eastern-bluebird-male-levitating-mia-mcpherson-5125.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/eastern-bluebird-male-levitating-mia-mcpherson-5125.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/eastern-bluebird-male-levitating-mia-mcpherson-5125.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/eastern-bluebird-male-levitating-mia-mcpherson-5125.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":152110,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/08\/10\/messy-male-eastern-bluebird-post-nesting-season\/","url_meta":{"origin":128126,"position":4},"title":"Messy Male Eastern Bluebird – Post Nesting Season","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"It is post nesting season, and the male Eastern Bluebird is looking a little messy from all the activity. 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