Great Blue and Other Interesting Sightings

Great Blue Heron.
Great Blue Heron.

 

Great blue heron (GBH) has been a common sight here at the Museum for the past eight years. Most of that time there was one present on a daily basis in the Wetlands. I’m afraid, though, our long time resident GBH has left us. I don’t know why our local GBH has moved on or whether or not it has expired, but I have not seen it. I keep a weekly checklist of all the birds I see here at the Museum, check it off every Saturday at the end of the day. Check marks are irregular for GBH during the past half year.

The heron that is visiting us now is most certainly a different heron, less skittish, allowing itself to be watched up close as is feeds just off the Main Wetlands Overlook. Here’s some shots of the bird.

 

GBH struts past the Main Wetlands Overlook.
GBH struts past the Main Wetlands Overlook.

 

Watching for any movement below the surface.
Watching for any movement below the surface.

 

Ready to strike.
Ready to strike.

 

Splash!
Splash!

 

A golden shiner for its effort.
A golden shiner for the heron’s trouble.

 

Over the past few weeks we’ve had much rain. At the same time, the offspring of frogs that bred in February, March and April are maturing and morphing into frogs. They are leaving the water and heading out to start new lives in the grasses and forest surrounding our Wetlands.

Last week the majority of frogs that I saw crossing the pavement in Explore the Wild were spring peepers.

 

A tiny spring peeper strikes out across the path in Explore the Wild.
A tiny spring peeper strikes out across the path in Explore the Wild. Note the characteristic “X” on the frog’s back, a sure sign that you’re looking at a peeper.

 

These frogs are tiny!
These frogs are tiny!

 

This one made it up onto one of our benches.
This one made it up onto one of our benches.

 

Keep an eye out for these frogs, they’re easy to miss as you walk along, and easy to damage if stepped on.

This past week the bulk of the frogs seen were pickerel frogs.

 

A juvenile pickerel frog.
A juvenile pickerel frog (those are pine needles in foreground).

 

I’d been seeing young pickerel frogs at the edge of the Wetlands for a week or more, but haven’t seen any ready to leave the water. The rains of the past several days brought them out in large numbers.

 

A pickerel frog at the edge of the water. Note the stub of a tail on this juvenile pickerel frog.
A pickerel frog at the edge of the water. Note the stub of a tail on this juvenile pickerel frog.

 

Careful where you step when the pavement is wet.
Careful where you step when the pavement is wet.

 

If you stop by the Red Wolf Enclosure, you may notice that our red wolves look rather thin. They’ve shed their winter coats.

 

Still a few remnants tuffs of the long winter coat on our male red wolf.
Still a few remnant tuffs of the long winter coat on our male red wolf.

 

Walking along the north side of the Wetlands I noticed four wings next to the side of the path, dragonfly wings. A male common whitetail had been captured and eaten. Difficult to determine exactly what ate the insect, but I’d wager it was a bird, probably a great-crested flycatcher, a local nester.

 

Four wings are all that remain of a common whitetail.
Four wings are all that remain of a common whitetail.

 

A closer look at one of the wings.
A closer look at one of the wings.

 

 

Here's what the wings look like when attached to a body.
Here’s what the wings look like when attached to a body.

 

Just a few feet from the dragonfly wings, I noticed the first sign of woolly aphids returning to the alders on the edge of the Wetlands. Woolly aphids have a close relationship with both ants and harvesters (butterflies that produce carnivorous caterpillars). Check previous postings for more about those relationships.

 

The first of the woolly aphids have arrived, attended by an ant, of course.
The first of the woolly aphids have arrived, attended by an ant, of course.

 

Butterfly weed has been coming into bloom in Catch the Wind. It didn’t take long before milkweed leaf beetles showed up, and started to mate. The beetle’s larvae eat the plant’s leaves.

 

Snuggle between the flower buds of butterfly weed, tow milkweed leaf beetles attempt to create more beetles.
Sandwiched between the flower buds of butterfly weed, two milkweed leaf beetles attempt to create more beetles.

 

As always, keep an eye open while walking through the Outdoor Exhibits here at the Museum and you will be rewarded.

 

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