Grasshopper Camouflage

The coloration and markings of grasshoppers give them remarkable camouflage. This ability to blend in to their environment helps them from being detected by predators. I will often see them jump, land and seemingly disappear into the landscape. That said, grasshoppers are an important part of the ecology in providing a nutritious food source for other animals. Also, through their consumption of plant material, they recycle nutrients back into the environment through their excrement. The cool weather and rain have come, and I have seen only a few grasshoppers recently. I look forward to seeing them next year.

Be sure to click on the photos so that you can open them into a larger frame and take a closer look.

Dragonflies Still Flying

Here we are, well into the fall season, and I still see dragonflies. When I catch the flash of their brilliant color markings, along with their swift, flying maneuvers, I always pause to watch.

A couple of days ago I was walking along, and I heard something buzzing. On the ground, there were two dragonflies joined in mating. The male grips the female just behind her head and she will curl her abdomen forward underneath the male to pick the sperm near the base of his abdomen. I will often see dragonflies flying around in this tandem. This pair flew off as I came in closer for a photo. After a little while, I saw one of the dragonflies come back and rest on this limb. This time it was more cooperative in having its picture taken.

Dragonflies will often land on the tip of a plant or a small branch overlooking their territory where you can get a good look at them. As a kid I would spend time on my grandparent’s farm. They had a pond where we often went fishing with cane poles. I remember dragonflies landing on the end of my pole as I stood there patiently waiting for a fish to bite. Those were the days when it seemed like summer lasted forever.

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The Work of a Skunk?

I found paper comb next to this hole in the ground. When I looked into the hole I could see parts of the paper nest still attached to the lining of the hole which was about the size of a volley ball. I have seen many Yellowjacket nests in the meadows around the arboretum this year. Skunks are known to dig up their nests and eat the larvae and adults. Apparently they are able to tolerate their stings. Skunks are omnivores. They eat small mammals, birds, bird eggs, reptiles, amphibians, insects, fruit, grubs, earthworms and various plant material. I’m going to be on the look out for more signs of skunks. Wish me luck.

Carpenter Ants - Incense-cedar

I went over to take a look at this old tree lying on the ground. Nearby I noticed this fine wood dust piled all around this Incense-cedar and on the plants nearby too. I knelt down to see if I could find what was making all of those fine particles. As I was looking around, I noticed a couple of pieces of dust float away from the tree. Then I observed ants coming to the edge of this crack in the bark and releasing tiny grains of wood.

Not far from this tree there is an arboretum sign that says the soft inner wood of the incense-cedar is prone to pocket rot which opens the door for carpenter ants. The sign also says that this will eventually get the attention of a Pileated Woodpecker and it will excavate the ant nests. So, I am trying to walk by this tree when I am out there to see if the Pileated finds the nest.

One of the trunks of this Incense-cedar broke off and fell to the ground. You can see in it in the second photo below where the inner wood is exposed at the base of the tree and fine grains of wood have been deposited by the ants from building their nest. I imagine it is a cozy, delightfully fragrant home for the ants.

Chickadee Smorgasbord

Over the past couple of days, I have seen chickadees feasting on the insects on the underside of the Oregon White Oak leaves. There are beautiful speckled oak galls. They are the ones in the photo that are yellow with red dots. Also, there are these small, brown buttons that I believe to be another type of gall wasp. I carefully opened one and found a small larvae inside. I usually see the chickadees take one of the galls off the leaf and fly over to a branch to open it up and eat the larvae. Sometimes. they will peck at it while hanging on the leaf. I’ll also see these little, cottony matts under the leaves. The chickadees also investigate the inhabitants of these dwellings for food. It is amazing to watch these birds move through the foliage with such energy and zip.

Spider Webs in the Morning Fog

In the cool, foggy morning at the arboretum, I was greeted with dazzling spider webs adorned with water droplets. There were thousands of orb-weaver spiders in the meadow that had built webs between grass stalks and old plant stalks like Queen Anne’s lace. They had even built them up in the trees. Another type of spider had woven compact, cotton-like webs close to the ground. They were scattered throughout the meadow cloaked in a light blanket of water. It felt like a magic spell had been briefly cast to reveal all of the spider webs. Once the sun broke through, the spell was lifted and the water droplets vanished into the air. The webs blended back into their surroundings and the sun-warmed spiders were ready to catch their prey. I was grateful that the arboretum had left this meadow untouched this year and allowed the ecosystem to flourish, more full of life.

Yellowjackets Making Paper

Along the path next to the river I still see Yellowjackets scraping wood fibers off the fence with their sturdy mandibles. They will then chew these fibers and make a paper pulp in which to build their beautiful, study nests for the season.

The outer layer of the fence has turned gray and softened. The lighter parts are where Yellowjackets have removed a thin layer of fibers to expose the unweathered wood below.

Banded Woollybear Caterpillar

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a Woollybear! I encountered this beautiful little creature traveling along the path in a rush like it was headed to the depot to catch the next train. Was it late for something? It had such determination and purpose in its movement. How did it know where it was going? I was fascinated by the thought of its senses reading the environment and charting its path through the landscape. Life is so full of mystery and wonder.

Fork-tailed Bush Katydid

I was walking out near the barn at the arboretum when this jolly, green giant sprung into the air. I went over to take a look, and it had poised itself to look like a blade of grass (photo right). I am continually amazed at how creatures in nature camouflage themselves by mimicking their surroundings through shape, color, and patterns. This katydid was slow moving, and thankfully not shy about having its picture taken.

Grasshoppers

As you walk along trails next to open, sunny fields of grass, you are likely going to trigger a few grasshoppers to jump. They are well camouflaged, and they usually see you before you see them. The recent rains have caused new, tender grass shoots to emerge, and the grasshoppers can be seen nibbling off the tips. Along the trails I see the females laying eggs - I imagine the recent moisture helped soften or loosen the soil to make it easier for her. You can see her in the photos extending her abdomen into the ground to deposit her eggs.