Trilliums and Frogs!

A week after my last blog, the trilliums all opened up in abundance.  I spent a good amount of time exploring Wilkin's Walk one day, enjoying the flowers, birds, frogs and sunshine of a perfect spring day.  Getting into nature doesn't always have to involve a trip to the mountains, a drive to a provincial park or a giant hike into the wilderness.  Sometimes it is as simple as taking a stroll down to the lake, walking around a pond or adventuring into your own backyard.  Sometimes you'll be amazed at what you find so close to your own house.

Lucky for me, we live very close to a lake, and there are wooded paths moments from my front door.  Every chance I get, I try to seek out some nature to nurture my soul.  Here are some shots from one of my day adventures.  .  . 

Not sure what this flower is.  Do you?

Don't forget... you can click on the photos to make them bigger!!

A fringed tulip?  Please correct me if I'm wrong!  I kow my bugs better than I know my flowers.

A daffodil explodes into Spring. 

And of course, I had to get some shots of the trilliums!



I switched this to black and white in photoshop. 



One of the cool things about photography is that sometimes you don't even know what you've captured on your camera until you get home and view your shots on the computer. I don't know about you, but now that I'm over 40, my eyesight is certainly not what it used to be. Trying to see every detail through the viewfinder while lining up a shot, or attempting to review pictures on the LCD while outside, for me is often very challenging. On this particular day, I ended up at my favourite frog pond to get some shots of the frogs before going home. I was using my telephoto lens, so that I could get closer shots without scaring off my subject. While shooting one particular frog, I could tell that he had a fly of some sort on its head. I thought "oh, that will make an interesting picture". I fired off a bunch of shots, and changed the angles up and down to try and give different perspectives of my little green friend. On my way home, I kept thinking of all the shots I got of that one particular frog and couldn't help but think that some of them would have turned out pretty cute.

Imagine my surprise and, (honestly), repulsion, when I saw my pictures on the big screen and realized that the poor little frog I was shooting not only had one fly on its head, but was literally covered in mosquitos! I must have taken picutes of this frog for at least 5 minutes. 5 minutes that poor little frog just sat there motionless in the water and just stared at me. Why didn't it simply dunk itself underwater!! I still shudder a bit when I see this photo! Poor silly frog!

Not all the frogs were covered in mosquitos this day though.  I did manage a shot of one cute fella having a mud bath, and it didn't seem to be bothered by any blood sucking skeeters.  I hope you enjoy my last shot, and perhaps go seek out some flowers, frogs or nature of any kind some time soon. 

Spring Nature Walk: May 4, 2011

So spring has finally sprung here in Barrie.  Although it officially arrived March 20th, it really hasn't felt like it until now.  With my camera in tow, I managed to get out yesterday for a nature walk to see what the warmer spring weather has awakened in the woods.  With a little patience and a keen eye for the little things, I was quite pleased with some of the small wonders I discovered along the way.

My first stop was at Lover's Creek, just off of Country Lane.  I am new to this path, and need to do some more exploring.  It looks like it is a nice spot, especially for birds and birders, but navigating your way through it so far has been a bit challenging due to a lack of a good path.  Perhaps there is a better place to access this area, but I haven't found it yet.  Here there are plenty of geese, ducks and red winged black birds.  I managed a few shots of some Canadian Geese before receiving a call from my son at school.  Apparently I had given my eldest the wrong hot dog!  His had mustard on it, and apparently wiping the mustard off the weiner was not an option.  Just as well... my tea had worked its way through me quicker than expected.   So home I went to make a quick sandwich, use the facilities, and then head off to another wooded path.



Canada Geese at Lover's Creek, Barrie, Ontario

My next, and favourite destination is the Wilkin's Walk nature path found just off Crimson Ridge.  It's a well groomed path through the woods that leads down to Kempenfelt Bay.  A few frog ponds can be found in this area, as well as a wonderful little creek that empties into the bay. 



The frog pond just off of Crimson Ridge was jumping with activity on this day.  As I walked around the small pond,  frogs plipped and plopped back into the water at the sound of my approach.  One frog, however, did not flinch and retreat.  Instead, he sat there motionless as I snapped off a few shots with my telephoto lens.  Thanks Mr. Frog! 



A green frog at the Wilkin's Walk frog pond



The red-winged black birds were also very aware of my presence, and one bird in particular made himself known to me ~ warning me to stay away.  Protecting their nests, both the males and females erupted into squawks if I came too close.  I managed a shot of the male red wing who was standing his ground.  I have yet to see one of the nests... but they are usually very well hidden among the reeds in the pond. 

Red Winged Black Bird

After walking around the pond a couple of times, I always make time to get some shots of the blooming pussy willow tree.  I was pleased to see that all sorts of bees and wasps were already out enjoying this tree as well.  Well ~ mostly pleased, as I am rather terrified of these creatures.  But I have found that the more I try and shoot them, the less frightened I have become.  I do find it a bit more daunting shooting macros of stinging instects with my Rebel, as I have to use the viewfinder to frame my subject, instead of my LCD.  I could switch my camera to a live view mode, so that the LCD is engaged, but with my poor eyesight, combined with the glare from the sun on the LCD, it would really be a waste of time and batteries.  Eitherway, with the occasional panic attack of not knowing where the bee went combined with a few too-close-to-my-ear fly bys, I did manage a few sting free (touch wood) shots of pollen covered bees foraging for their lunch. 



Click on the pictures to get a larger view!



Upside down dinner



Too busy to notice me.....



After circling the frog pond a couple of times, I was ready to move on to the woods.  A short path takes you to Chicken Beach, where all sorts of different folks go to walk, relax, play with their kids, swim, and feed the ducks.  Oh... and take pictures.  





During my walk up through the woods, I noticed that the trilliums are almost ready to blossom.  Perhaps only a few more days for that!  Near the top of the path, close to where there is a little park for this kiddies, I found some flowers worth taking some shots of. . . . . .  



A daisy of some kind??  Do you know what it is?



 



 I am not entirely sure what these flowers are. I know more about insects than I do flowers. If you happen to know what these are, please let me know!

For some finishing shots, I'll leave with some macos of the pussy willows, minus the insects.  Click on the photos to make them bigger! 

  Now it's time to go find some nature of your own!  Get out there and enjoy some nature!







Steel Blue Cricket Hunter

One of my finds this summer was of a steel blue cricket hunter. The cricket hunter is a small, blue-black wasp that is about 5/8 of an inch long which feeds on nectar and pollen. This insect was actually one of the first insects that I had to research on the web five years ago when we first moved to Barrie.  I had taken a picture of one on my slide in the backyard.

It had another insect in its grasp that it seemed to be transporting somewhere.  With a lot of help from the "What's That Bug" website, we identified it as the cricket hunter ~ and the insect in tow was a cricket which had been paralyzed by the sting of its captor.  The cricket hunter was transporting its victim to a burrow it had dug in the soil or sand.  Once dragged to the bottom of the burrow by the female, a single egg is laid on the now defenseless cricket.  The burrow is then sealed up, and the cricket hunter repeats this process by digging another burrow and finding another cricket.  Eventually, the cricket hunter egg develops into a larva and survives by eating the parasitized, and typically still living, cricket or grasshopper.  The following summer, after pupation has occured, an adult steel blue cricket hunter will emerge from the burrow to start the cycle again.  

The steel blue cricket hunter enjoying some nectar from my garden

Photographing these critters can be quite challenging!  I love their colours and find them extremely fascinating, but they are fast, unpredictable fliers!  These shots are taken with a 60 mm macro lens, which means that I am working very close to my subject.  I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of being up close and personal with any kind of wasp or bee.  I managed 8 shots of this critter before my flight instinct kicked in.  Last thing I want to do is tick this guy off! 

More information can be found on the cricket hunter at the following websites:

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/pastpest/200712h.html

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2005/10/22/cricket-hunter-and-prey/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digger_wasp






Some Favourite Knapweed Shots

This ant is missing part of its back leg.  It didn't slow him down a bit.

Here a black ant is enjoying the nectar from the knapweed in my backyard.  I probably took a hundred shots of the ants enjoying the flowers.  They are very quick, rather difficult creatures to photograph.  Most of my shots are rear end shots.

One thing I particularly enjoyed watching was how defensive the ants seemed to be.  There were many bees that were also enjoying the knapweed, which the ants didn't seem to like.  Many times I witnessed the ants attacking the bees and scaring them off.  I found it rather comical to see how quick the ants were to protect their food source. 

The ant in the picture below quickly jumped onto the flower at the bee's arrival.  It seemed to go under flower and pestered the bee's legs.  The bee quickly flew off. 

Taken at dusk. 

Shortly after this shot, my tripod fell over.  Thank goodness for my UV filter!  It smashed, but saved my macro lens.  Whew!!

Fishflies: A New Find For Me!

I found these two locked together on the railing of a small bridge in the woods the other day.  I was on a walk with my husband around 9:30 or so in the morning. Realizing that my cell phone photos would not suffice, I returned to the bridge a couple of hours later with some proper camera gear.  Lucky for me, they hadn't moved a bit.  When I had initially spotted them on the bridge, I had thought it was one insect (I thought it was a dobsonfly).  It wasn't until the two separated hours later that I realized that there were two of them and that they were mating.  I had myself a good chuckle over that.  Luckily no one passed by at that moment, as they would have seen me talking to myself and laughing.  I guess that would really put the "Nut" in "Nature Nut Lady" though!!

So, I don't know much about fishflies.  They do look a lot like dobsonflies (which I have only seen in books), and are actually in the same family as them (Corydalidae).  In these photos, I believe the larger of the two is the female.  The fishfly to the right here, I believe, is the male.  Once the two completed mating, the male quickly flew off.  Typical.  I  also believe that these are dark fishflies from the Nigronia genus. 

Rear view of what I think is the female.  Perhaps an egg or egg sac?

(You can click on the pictures to get a better look!)

Head Shot of the Female

Juicy Tidbits:

• Dark fishflies are noted for having dark wings with varying white markings on them
• Found near streams
• Apparently adults do not feed
• Fishfly larvae live in moving waters, such as narrow clear streams or small rivers. They feed on small aquatic insects and help to keep black fly larvae in check. 

On my walk tonight, I noticed a couple more fishflies along the path in the woods.  They are not very strong fliers it seems.  Apparently adults are both diurnal and nocturnal.  Seen flying near streams by day, but attracted to the lights at night.

References:

Kaufman's Field Guide to Insects of North America, page 224.
National Audoubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders, pages 519 & 521.


Websites Used for Fishfly Facts:

http://www.bugguide.net/ , specifically,  http://bugguide.net/node/view/4156 

Toe-Biter, Part II



I took a look through some of my photos in hopes of finding some that show a little more beak detail.  Hopefully these extra shots give a bit more insight into the anatomy of a giant water bug.

I have come across this insect three times in the last two years.  The first time was on my back deck.  At that time I had only read about them and seen pictures in books, but when I saw it on my railing I had a pretty good idea of what it was.  I carefully took some photos - even moved it around a bit with a pencil to try and get a better shot.  My second encounter was with one that was swimming with me in my pool while I was vacuuming it.  In my panic to get out, I dumped the vacuum and jumped out of the pool so fast it would have made your head spin.  I ended up fishing the water bug out of the pool with a net and flung it over the neighbour's fence (sorry neighbour!)  No pictures were taken that day.  My last experience was with a dead one that I found on the way home from school.  At least I think it was dead.  Through my readings I have discovered that these insects can feign death when handled, but can suddenly stab with their peircing beak at a moment's notice.  I am pretty sure that is was dead, as it seemed fairly crispy and dry.  Perhaps I got lucky.  I did manage to get some good close ups of that one, and you should be able to see the rest of its beak folded up underneath it.  To get a better look at the photos, you should be able to click on the pictures for an enlarged view. 



I look better bigger.  You should click me.....





Click on picture to make it bigger. 





October 27th Update:  





Chris Fitzpatrick sent in this photo of a toe-biter he found on its back in a parking lot.  Although I wouldn't want to get bit by one, I'm glad to hear that this one lived to see another day.  Thanks Chris!

The Giant Water Bug... aka the Toe-Biter

I received an email this morning from a friend up the street who had found this insect near North Bay, Ontario, and was unsure as to what it was.  I love identifying insects for friends and family!  As luck would have it, I knew right away what this fascinating creature was.  A Giant Water Bug! 

This insect falls into the true bug category.  So what is a true bug?  Without getting too technical, a true bug is from the Hemiptera order of insects.  True bugs have a specific wing structure which puts them into this classification of insect.  The term Hemiptera actually means "half wing"".  In this case, half of their front wings are thick and leathery, while the other half are membranous.  Another important criteria for the true bug designation, is the presence of piercing, sucking mouthparts.  These critters cannot chew!  Instead, true bugs pierce their food with their beak-like mouths, pumps saliva into the food source to partly digest it, and then sucks it up like a straw.  The piercing mouthpart of this particular insect cannot be seen in the photos above, as it is tucked underneath its "nose", if you will.

So, the giant water bug has a few other names that it is known by.  One is the toe-biter, and the other is the electric light bug.  The toe-biter name came about as it is often stepped on by unsuspecting victims and the electic light bug name comes from its attraction to electic lights at night. Oh, by the way, these things can fly.  Kind of makes June bugs a little less freaky, huh?!

This insect, which is the largest of the true bugs, can be found in shallow freshwater lakes, streams, ponds and pools.  I found one doing laps in my pool last summer while I was vacuuming it out.  I didn't stick around to play with it, as these critters can have a powerful bite!  Just so you know, I am scared of PLENTY of bugs!  I just find that the more I learn about them, the less there is to fear. 
 

Juicy Tidbits

• These common brown insects range in size from 1 to 2 3/8 inch
• They have flattened hind legs that are used for swimming.  
• Their strong forelegs are used for grasping prey while the insect thrusts its piercing beak into it. 
• There are two tail-like breathing tubes at the rear end of the toe-biter that help it to breath while underwater. When it needs air, it will raise its abdomen to the surface of the water and extend the breathing tubes.
• Eats other insects, tadpoles, small fishes, salamanders and careless people's toes.  (kidding about the last food item!)
• These critters will feign death if picked up, but can suddenly stab with their beaks!  This is not an insect that I would recommend handling at all!!! 

I have found some excellent websites if you would like to know more about the giant water bug

1) http://www.eduwebs.org/bugs/giant_water_bug.htm

2)  http://www.insects.org/entophiles/hemiptera/hemi_005.html

I also used my trusty National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders, page 463 - 464 for information.

Special thanks to Marc, Meaghan, Keith and Dean for finding this insect and sending it my way!!