Another early morning survey was done yesterday. Two more to go.
A stop on the quail survey. Indeed the early mornings really are quite nice! However no Bobwhites were heard on that survey morning.
Normally there is no time to stop on the survey. However in this case we made an exception for a late patch of Four Point Evening Primrose (Oenothera rhombipetala)! The Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium), Spotted Beebalm (Monarda punctata var intermedia), and Mare’s Tail (Erigeron canadensis) highlighted the primrose.
On the second to last stop a Eastern Yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons) kept landing on Jeanne’s phone and finger. The Yellowjacket worker was just checking it out. 🙂
The survey was finished for the day. We stopped in at Rucker’s Pond. The Antlions or Doodle bugs as I like to call them in larval stage. Certainly everyone has watched them. And along the sandy shore of the pond there were a good crop of their sand traps.
Sadly there is always trash. 🙁
After the survey and the pond we headed to another unit for a short hike before it got any hotter. The Fiery Searcher or sometimes called Caterpillar hunter (Calosoma scrutator) was in the parking area. It was racing away and was hard to get a photo. So I picked it up. LOL As the name implies its food are caterpillars.
The Side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) was blooming!
Jeanne pointed out that if it is not blooming you can look at the base of a blade for evenly spaced hairs with a papillose base (the little pimple-like thingies). Thanks Jeanne!
Stopping on the edge of pond we quietly observed the little creatures. This tiny lightening quick frog snagged a meal.
We could not tell exactly what the above frog caught, but there were these tiny Smaller Sand Cricket (Ellipes minuta) hopping about.
So we REALLY can’t help ourselves. LOL Update: See Suzanne’s important comment below.
Keep looking!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know
5 Comments
Cute frog and nice snake. Looks like it was a good morning to be out.
Cute frog and nice snake. Looks like it was a good morning to be out.
Rule #1 – don’t poke a venomous snake, OK? 😀
Wasn’t me😊. And you are right!
Love that cottonmouth!!
Good rule Suzanne