Wildflower Oasis

A great spangled fritillary butterfly on clover.  (Photo by Don Comis)

My toy poodle, Friendly, led me to a wildflower oasis in a park across the road from our house. 

So, this morning I returned alone, with binoculars and a camera and got a photo of a great spangled fritillary butterfly on the tall clover plants that dominated this natural oasis in a park, caught between woods and a mowed lawn.  With Friendly, I was treated to the sight of three great spangled fritillaries all at once, perched on clover plants.

And this morning, I got to see a host of other pollinators on the clover, including at least three kinds of bees, an ant, beetles, cabbage butterflies, meadow fritillary butterflies, and an unknown black bug.  I even got to see the cabbage butterflies mating, which continued as they flew together in the air at times before landing again!

I also got to see  a mother red-tailed hawk guiding her youngster, warning me away.   I thought I could hear the two chatting as I lay on rock right next to Apple Valley Lake.  I saw a great blue heron fly along the opposite shore, while a dragonfly patrolled the shore near me. 

On my way to the lake I scared up three deer--one gave a warning shriek before jumping into the road and I could hear his hoofs clattering on the paved road. 

All in all, a good outing that got me out of bed, although it lasted 2 hours instead of 45 minutes because of my naps on my favorite lakeside rock!

I'll be returning to that wildlflower oasis soon.

Meadow fritillary, smaller than the great spangled.  (Photo by Don Comis)

For a slightly longer version of this blog, go to my website and click on "Daily Nature Blog" in the menu.

 

A Baby Hawk's First Flight From The Nest

This baby red-tailed hawk seems to be looking to his soaring mother for help out of this predicament.  (Photo by Don Comis)

I got rewarded for taking another walk this morning by an encounter with a red-tailed hawk newly emerged from its nest.

I first heard its mother's tell-tale descending cry and found her in a tree, being harassed by jays.  She soared in the air a lot as I snapped photos.

Later I wondered what this large animal was on the ground farther away, closer to where I know there is a red-tailed hawk's nest.  I put my binoculars on it and saw it was a baby hawk.

As I approached, the baby went up into a tree.  Good move.   I advanced two steps, took a photo, two more steps, etc.  But soon I realized this baby wasn't going to leave the tree, so I got my closest shots yet of a hawk.  Finally I was getting too close to get the whole bird in the frame--and I worried about harassing the baby and mother any more.  The mother was calling and passing over the tree where her baby was.

It's just a reminder that this is the season of birth and new life--and that it pays to go out for a walk!

Another highlight on my walk today was seeing a red-headed woodpecker.  This one comes to my feeders and is a better view than what I got in the woods today.  They're not that common, although I see them more in Howard, Ohio, than I did in Greenbelt, Maryland.  But I saw my first one in Greenbelt, on a telephone pole in the city, which gave me an unobstructed view!

Eat or be Eaten

I finally took a long solo walk today, from my house in Apple Valley to a pond by a strip mall near the entrance to our development.

I watched birds and photographed butterflies and flowers along the way.   I found my way through woods to the pond and worked my way to my favorite spot, sitting on rocks near a channel of the pond.

There are rocks there that are easy to sit on, by the water's edge.  Dragonflies like to rest on these rocks too, especially the "common whitetail" male dragonflies.  I watched at least one patrol the shoreline for other males in its 30 feet of territory and for prey.

Prey seemed the name of the game on that pond, as bullfrogs and likely green frogs croaked as they waited for a meal of dragonflies or other bugs.  A red-tailed hawk sailed overhead looking for food, while two little birds harassed it, maybe to save their young from becoming a meal.  Two vultures soared too, one looking as those something had taken a bite out of one wing.  Two large fish cruised looking for food.   A muskrat or beaver swam by once.

A male "common whitetail" dragonfly characteristically resting on rocks near me today.   (Photo by Don Comis) 

On my way to the pond, I had seen a robin feed a young bird.

I soon became hungry myself and stopped at a general store at the mall and got something to eat!

Clouded Sulphur butterfly seen on my walk, in the grass by the Apple Valley Lake dam I believe.  (Photo by Don Comis)

Red Admiral butterfly--I think; I didn't get a good view unfortunately.  This was right near me as I rested on the rocks by the pone.  (Photo by Don Comis)

Red-tailed hawk like the one I saw at the pond today, but this photo was taken about 2 years ago, elsewhere in Apple Valley.  (Photo by Don Comis)

I believe these are frog eggs; they are in the channel of the pond, near where I sat and heard frogs.  (Photo by Don Comis)

One of two mystery fishes I see a lot n the pond, near the channel.  (Photo by Don Comis)

Two of the three shy turtles sunning themselves on the Apple Valley Lake spillway, until they spot me!  (Photo by Don Comis)

Last of the three turtles to dive back into the water after seeing me at a great distance.  (Photo by Don Comis)