So far that was all it has been damp. Fingers crossed we will get more than the 0.03″ we got here today.
A few days ago I had gone on another cloudy and cool day to the grasslands. However it was just cold (40s) and not damp like today’s weather.
My first find was the Two-flowered Milkvine (Matelea biflora) seed pod with its fluff. There are two reasons why I knew it was not a milkweed. First the pod has the bumps unlike the smooth milkweed pods. And second its a vine and was laying on the ground.
This seed managed to get caught by a Prickly Pear!
Shortly after that I flipped a cow patty! Lots of holes.
And the tiny larvae were scrambling to hide back inside their home that I rudely had uncovered. 🙂
Next I wondered if these little eggs might be the same species?
Lucky for me a few adults Aphodiine Dung Beetles (Aphodiinae) were scurry about as well. According to BugGuide there are >400 spp. in 35‒84 genera (depending on classification) of 6 tribes in our area (US). However I do not know if the larvae and eggs were in the same family. FYI, I flipped the patty back into its original position covering my friends back up.
Many of the cow patties looked like something had been messing with them. Perhaps the buzzards as I often will see them pecking in them.
In any case those piles of poo were just wet inside. However, I did spot a few fungi type gnats on the poo.
Moreover I was not the only one interested in the poo. A Vesper Sparrow stopped there too. LOL.
It had been cold and dreary, but it was still a good day. Sometimes a bit of poo is just the thing. 🙂
Interesting about the snakeskins.
Cannot see the poo gnats……….the snakeskin method seems inventive!
Sorry I should have said the poo gnats flew right be before the shot. 🤷🏻♀️
A whole ecosystem!!