The sheep bot fly (Oestrus ovis) is also known as the sheep nose bot fly or sheep nostril fly. That’s because larval stages of this fly move into the nasal passages of sheep and goats. So not only is it good looking, but it also resides in the best of neighborhoods.
I like how, in the top image, the fly appears to be bigger than the fair-sized town of Waimea, on the map, though it’s actually about half-an-inch long. Then, in the lower image, the large eye casts a quizzical look.
There were no sheep for miles where these photos were taken, but there’s no shortage of goats in the vicinity, so that probably accounts for the presence of the fly.
When I saw this goat, chomping on some bushes, my first thought was that it looked like a pirate. That’s certainly a mean-looking pair of horns. The curly one has pinned its left ear down, probably affecting its hearing. But the look in the second photo is hardly menacing. I wouldn’t mess with him though.
These goats, part of a large herd wandering in the environs of a heliport, weren’t authorized personnel. I wasn’t about to go out and point that out to them, in case they didn’t take kindly to the message.
Graham's Island 