I watched as it was being systematically eaten alive ...

Just because you've walked a particular trail a number of times and think you've seen it all ... well you haven't.

That's the nature of Nature, it's always changing, growing, dying, morphing, and throwing you a curve ball.

Case in point today on the Ramanessin Trail.

It was simply a beautiful afternoon: sunny, a slight breeze, and temps around 75 ℉.

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I was looking at a small catalpa tree with it's monstrous heart-shaped leaves, admiring the way it stood out prominently against the back-drop of the blue sky and white puff clouds.

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And that's when on closer inspection I noticed it.

A large preying mantis with its sharp and spiked forelegs tightly wrapped in a death-grip around the thick torso of a cicada.

This cicada was still alive, I know because I got as close as my Sony RX100 V would let me, and I could see and hear the cicada's wings flapping furiously as it tried in vain to escape.

What was even freakier is that this mantis was well aware of my presence and its potential to have to abandon its lunch due to some crazy humanoid picture snapper.

It was actually alternating between turning its head to focus on eating out the soft under-belly of the cicada and directly turning to look me in the eyes. Luckily, I know the mantis is basically harmless to humans, as I've picked up mantises and handled them many times.

I didn't hang around long enough to watch the entire scene play out, as I'm sure it would have taken quite awhile.

Nature can be both fascinating and cruel.

I hope you enjoy this glimpse of what I witnessed this afternoon!

Follow me @cognoscere

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All images @cognoscere and taken on Friday afternoon 08/25/2017 on the Ramanessin Trail in Holmdel, New Jersey (Sony RX100 V)