In the male, sperm in stored in the testes, while in the female the eggs are stored in … Oh boy, I recognized this determined female.
On three separate visits, the male was the only one on this nest – though the female may have relieved him at other times.
Well, two days later, I heard the “miaou” again, and there it was obliging me by showing the part of its anatomy that I’d read about but never caught in a photo. Eastern pondhawks, like other dragonflies, are not aggressive towards people and an observer shouldn't worry about being bitten by these powerful insect predators. The Wood Nymph also appears a bit later in the summer than the Wood Satyr. It wasn't over 2 inches in length. This female kept her long abdomen with its ovipositor curled upward like a scorpion as she maneuvered near her target. The bumps on the hingwing veins mean this is a male Monarch. The blue on its wing tips and tail feathers was much more apparent in the full morning sunlight. In early August, we saw a female Monarch fluttering among fresh Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) in the meadow west of the Center Pond. But after a few steps, I stopped again. But this particular blog testifies to the special pleasures of hiking with interested friends and family.
I learned later from Dr. Gary Parsons, Collection Manager and Bug House Director at Michigan State University’s Etymology Department, that it was the larva of an American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana). Most dragonflies are too small though to actually penetrate the human skin, but some of the larger ones could draw blood if given enough time and some can pinch surprisingly hard! Listen for this warbler’s rich melody all summer long, but don’t be surprised if you never spot this elusive summer resident. Near the Center Pond, the birders also discovered the nest of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) – with the male sitting calmly, tending the eggs or nestlings. __ez.queue.addFile('edmonton.php', '/detroitchicago/edmonton.webp?a=a&cb=23&shcb=34', true, ['/detroitchicago/minneapolis.js'], true, false, false, false); This is the general phone line at the Mississippi River Visitor Center. They often patiently help me find the bird hiding in a leafy tree (“The center trunk at about 2 o’clock…). Let me show you what I mean. This will begin the cycle all over again. I’m always seeing things with the birders or with my husband, that I’d never have noticed with just my two eyes (in this case, the owl, the hummer, the oriole, the male grosbeak in his nest and more). So they are helping to recycle the forest for us and creating this odd, but lovely life form in the process. Their plastron (the lower shell) is small, leaving parts of its body exposed and vulnerable. They were worthy opponents. Monarch caterpillars specialize; they only eat milkweed leaves. I thought, “You and I, Green Heron, have developed the same strategy, except I want a photo and you want a meal!”. I’ve always loved walking alone in the township parks. a great article on the Butterfly The life cycle of the Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica. His long, melodious song sounded much like the third song recorded at this link. The Eastern oyster can grow up to 10 inches in length and can live to approximately 20 years of age. I’ve seen Northern Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens) periodically at Cranberry Lake but never one at Bear Creek.
However, any dragonfly will bite when being handled, including the eastern pondhawk.
He’s not the most glamorous hummer, but I’m glad I got to see a bit of his gleam. Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) Detailing the physical features, habits, territorial reach and other identifying qualities of the Eastern Pondhawk.
Crown-tipped Coral mushrooms (Clavicorona pyxidata) are aptly named. Love its cartoon-like face and the one yellow dot on its tail that give it its name. Please leave a voicemail if we miss your call and expect a return call within 1 day, often sooner. My husband spotted a large, yellowish/white caterpillar with five spiky, black hairs chewing avidly on a Box Elder leaf (Acer negundo). A lovely Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher nest found by Dr. Ben. So keep an eye out and an ear cocked soon in the meadows to the east of the Walnut Lane! Footnote: My sources for information, besides Oakland Township's Stewardship Manager Ben VanderWeide, are as follows: Bear Creek Nature Park: Life-or-Death Drama…but Always the Persistence of Life, Back to Bear Creek: Surprise! The other three ducklings came a bit closer to the others, but again seemed to be happy on their own. They are commonly called Sweat Bees, the ones that are attracted to your perspiration. Eastern Pondhawk. Glad my source, Butterflies of Michigan by Jaret C. Daniels set me straight! The female Kingbird constructs the nest and keeps the male off it until the eggs hatch. I can listen to birdsong, stop to look at something tiny like the Little Wood Satyr butterfly below, or enjoy the fresh scents of wood, greenery, the earth after a rain in silence.
If a female, it will remain green. Hence, the next stage referred as nymphs or naiads that hatch from the eggs are aquatic in nature. After all that mock fighting, they snuggled up against each other – though I wonder if an ornithologist would tell me that the play fighting was dominance behavior and the positioning of the one fledgling’s head over the neck of the other meant that they had settled the pecking order between them. After, the female releases the eggs under water, usually near plants for safety (1). Here’s a photo of one shared by a photographer who uses the name jdfish1 at inaturalist.org. Once he looked up and saw my camera, he gave me a wary glance but went right back to foraging. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. I love watching these birds fish, so I approached very cautiously, repeatedly taking a few slow-motion steps each time the heron looked out toward the pond and then pausing when it looked even slightly in my direction. The battle went on and on in the bright sunlight. Wildflowers fight their way up out of hard soil to bud, bloom and send their seeds forth into the world.
Interestingly, in the fall, Baltimore Checkerspot caterpillars wrap themselves in leaf litter, overwinter and finish developing in the spring. Female Eastern Pondhawk, “Whoa, I see a moth! So, Happy Father’s Day to this dedicated Grosbeak dad! The number of chromosomes is 26, 14 being the haploid (6). Dragonfly Site - Tons of Pictures, Information, Gifts, More! What a strategy this butterfly evolved for protecting its young! Periodically, the lead dragonfly will fall back and allow the other male to take the lead. Pickerel Lake in Lilydale Regional Park is a very good spot.
Meanwhile the third little bluebird went off on its own, first looking about and then pecking quietly in the grass as it had no doubt seen its parents do. A small Dot-tailed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta) dragonfly posed for a face-on selfie at the Playground Pond before continuing its quest to consume as many mosquitoes, flies and other small insects as possible before the day is out. When I first saw three fledgling Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) near the top of the trail, they were all sitting on a sign together. They are very good predators and can take down insects as large as themselves. Description, Life Cycle and Diet: ... Dragonflies, like this female Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis), consume insects and invertebrates making them a critical link in the food chain. The male guards the eggs until they are fully formed (1). A very brief look at an adult male Eastern Pondhawk dragonfly. A young Green Heron (Butorides virescens) sat preening in a branch near the dock.
ALL OAKLAND TOWNSHIP PARKS & RECREATION EVENTS ARE CANCELLED THROUGH mid-June, 2020 DUE TO COVID-19. But she was determined to see the job done! It takes about one year for the dragonfly to mature (2). A male Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) perched high on a snag behind the Center Pond and turned his iridescent green back to the morning sun. Female eastern pondhawk dragonfly. Another good provider, a tiny male Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) brought a bright green caterpillar to feed his nestlings or mate. However, any dragonfly will bite when being handled, including the eastern pondhawk. When I returned on a late afternoon, there he was on the same snag – but this time the afternoon sun caught the edge of his throat which shone gold rather than ruby red.