A marker of death. One of the green bottle flies (Lucilia species). You have seen this fly. It feeds on dead things. Common and a good cleaner upper if you like your dead things in the woods to be primarily bone. Found on the MAGLEV train yard site on Beltsville Ag Center. Unlike all the other species we have featured, this one will remain if the trainyard is built. Pretty really, if you can disassociate from its preferred food. I think of one of my favorite poems by Emily Dickinson
I heard a Fly buzz – when I died – The Stillness in the Room Was like the Stillness in the Air – Between the Heaves of Storm –
The Eyes around – had wrung them dry – And Breaths were gathering firm For that last Onset – when the King Be witnessed – in the Room –
I willed my Keepsakes – Signed away What portions of me be Assignable – and then it was There interposed a Fly –
With Blue – uncertain stumbling Buzz – Between the light – and me – And then the Windows failed – and then I could not see to see –
- Emily Dickinson
Photo by Elizabeth Panner. New photographer in the lab.