The praying mantis had been on the rail for some time when the sparrows arrived. I feared for its chances, but it remained very still and the sparrows never seemed to notice it, even though they hung around for a while.
One of these is not a sparrow
Graham's Island
Life on the Big Island of Hawaii
Graham's Island 
Great shot, lucky mantis 🙂
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Yes, it was, but their stillness serves them well.
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That it does. I love cranes for the same reason, they are so slow, until they spot that fish. 🙂
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Herons too, another favorite of mine to watch.
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Do I confess that it took me a little time? Lovely shot, Graham and those sparrows look just like ours.
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Thanks, Karen. I think there are house sparrows the world over.
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Well either they are good flyers or they have been around since Gondwana land.
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Don’t know how good they are flying, but I think they were introduced to many places by people wanting to see birds they knew and liked.
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That sounds much more likely!
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There’s luck! … if you’re a praying mantis.
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Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all!
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Great photo
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Thanks, Sheree.
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You’re very welcome Graham
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I love how you make wildlife sound so interesting – and it is, of course. But these everyday scenes turn into almost movie plots in your posts, which is great!
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Thanks for the kind words. A good deal of wildlife involves sex and violence, so definitely movie material!
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Hahah!
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Smart! Great shot! 💫
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I’m glad you liked it.
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Definitely a fab photo, Graham! It looks as big as the sparrows!
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It was a good sized mantis, but no match for the sparrows if they’d spotted it!
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