A strange creature indeed.

One of the benefits of doing this quest for 1,000 species has been my discovery of many creatures that I have never noticed before.   A classic example of this was a Pseudoscorpion.  A co-worker captured this member of Arachnida in his house and delivered it to me alive.  The largest of these tiny creatures only reach about one-quarter of an inch in length and have a flattened pear-shaped body.  They lack a stinger like that of a true scorpion and have 8 walking legs, plus 2 very long arms ending in pincers, much like the pincers of true scorpion.  Some species even lack eyes.  They are usually found in leaf litter, behind bark or under rocks, and occasionally within houses where they sometimes arrive having hitched rides on houseflies and other flying insects.  Some species live with mammals and birds, feeding on their lice and other parasites, and are often found in chicken houses where they feed on the lice.  They prey on a number of small insects, mites and larvae, which is why they sometimes survive in human homes where they eat booklice, clothes moths, dust mites and ants.  There is a tiny venom gland in their pincers that is used to subdue their tiny prey, but they are harmless to humans as they are simply too small to bite us. 

Depending on species, Pseudoscorpions can live for several years.  Because they are harmless to humans and eat many small pests, they are considered beneficial to humans.

Large and in Charge

Autumn is a great time for insects and spiders.  The nights and days are still warm enough to find new species, which most of which are mature and large.

A Giant Walkingstick that was captured by Brad and Kendra Ikenberry in Lawrence, Kansas.

This very large Golden Garden Spider is a common sight this time of year in Kansas.

This Obscure Bird Grasshopper was almost 3 inches long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellowstone and the Tetons

I just returned from a trip to the Tetons and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.  The waterfalls, geysers and mountains were beyond belief.  The mammals and birds were diverse and amazing.  The trip also included drives through rural Wyoming and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.  Grizzly bears and river otters eluded me, but most other expected mountain mammal species were observed.  New bird species included most of the usual western mountain species, with the biggest surprise being a pair of Harlequin Ducks.  

An American Black Bear being too busy ripping grubs from a rotting log to look up for the picture.

This is an American Dipper standing on a rock in the middle of a Yellowstone stream.

Luck was on our side as we arrived at this location just in time to see Bison crossing a river in Yellowstone.

Here is a young Common Raven standing along a road in the park.

This is a view of the Grand Teton Mountains on one foggy morning.

Canada Canoe Trip

I just returned from a canoe trip to Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada.  You have to ask yourself, why anyone would want to spend a week living in a tent, putting on the same basic clothes every day, in a place filled with mosquitos and leeches, with the possibility of encountering bears, moose, and wolves.  The answer is the awesome beauty and unspoiled wilderness, the extremely quiet nights, and the great company.

Some of the best memories were:  the unbelievably quiet nights except for the occasional calling of Common Loons, the breeze rustling the birch leaves, and waves licking the rocky shore; picking wild blueberries and putting them in your pancakes the following morning; and eating Walleye caught from the lake and in the frying pan in less than two hours.

One afternoon, a porcupine wandered into camp and swam across the lake.  Another evening you could hear the calls of Gray Wolves somewhere across the lakes.  Overall, wildlife was sparse due to the immense expanse of thick wilderness – too much space and cover to hide in.  I did manage to see or hear approximately 50 new species on the trip.

Many thanks to Bill and Diana Carriger, and Diana Busey for organizing the trip and letting me borrow their equipment.

A family of Common Loons cruising by our campsite.

This is a timid Eastern Chipmunk that wandered into camp.

Here is a Green Frog. The call of this species sounds like a loose banjo string

This is one of several Red Crossbills that frequently visited our camping sites.

 

Summer Herp Field Trip

I attended the summer Kansas Herpetological Society field trip to Morton County, Kansas this last week-end.  The event also had trips to Black Mesa State Park, Oklahoma and parts of New Mexico.  I learned a great deal about amphibians and reptiles, and also witnessed how tenacious herpetologists can be.  They are very dedicated to their trade, fearlessly wading through murky pond water and deep mud to set turtle traps, and driving remote country roads into the wee hours of the morning, not returning to camp until 4 AM.  I was able to add 13 new herp species.  I also added some new insect, mammal and bird species on the trip, bringing my year total to 722.

This is a Green Toad and Red-spotted Toad caught on rural roads in New Mexico.

Here are members of the group attacking a small pond to capture new species.   Over 100 Barred Tiger Salamanders were caught in the pond.

This is one of several Texas Horned Lizards found on the trip.

A Longnose Snake captured in Morton County, Kansas

 

 

 

 

Snakes, Spiders and Bats, oh my…

It appears that many of the creatures I seek this year are the sources of common human phobias.  While sometimes scary, these species generally perform an important role in our environment.  So, if they could speak, they would say “don’t hate because I’m scary, but be very glad that I am not bigger than you.”   The July heat and humidity has really brought out the insects.  I am now up to 620 species for the year.

While walking on our morning break from work, we found this Eastern Red Bat on the sidewalk west of the Topeka State Capitol building.  With a little gentle prodding, it flew into a nearby tree.  Photo by Tom Sparling with his smartphone.

This Nurseryweb Spider was found in my yard and was about the size of a quarter.

 

Janeen Walters and I found this small Brown Snake (not a very creative name) hiding under a log in her yard.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The insect world, much like the HBO series called the Game of Thrones, is comprised of villains, heroes, and unpleasant creatures.  Stopping to notice and identify these small denizens of our backyards has really opened my eyes to the diversity and complexity of their world.  All three of the following specimens were found and photographed in my yard.

Everyone loves butterflies so how could this Great Spangled Fritillary not be the good.

Japanese Beetles were accidently introduced to this country in 1916 and have been a nuisance to gardeners ever since.   They feed on nearly 300 different species of domestic plants; a big-time nominee for the bad.

 Most people would consider the Wheel Bug to be the ugly, even though it does feed exclusively on other insects.  Also, it also can deliver a painful sting if handled carelessly.  

The Art of Camouflage

Camouflage is blending into your surroundings so you can catch a meal or avoid being a meal.  It’s a high stakes game that nature has to play, and it makes finding new species even more difficult.  However, I am adding new species, slowly but surely, and am now up to 549 for the year.

I walked past this Woodhouse Toad at least three times before I finally realized it was not a rock.  This species is highly variable in color and pattern, and may be brown, gray, olive, tan, or reddish with varying degrees of mottling and dark spots.

 

This Praying Mantis is doing its best to mimic a blade of grass, but it didn’t fool my camera.

If this Carolina Grasshopper had not moved, it probably would not have seen.

June Travels

This past week, I traveled to Quivira National Wildlife Refuge for the fifth time this year.  New species found there were Least Terns and a singing Cassin’s Sparrow.  Due to all the rain, the roads were messy and I had a chance to use my four-wheel drive, a bonus on the trip.  Later in the week I traveled to the Oregon Trail Park in Pottawatomie County where I saw many new insects and a new lizard for the year.  

This was one of many Snowy Plovers seen at Quivira NWR; a location that this species nests at every year.

 

 A Six-lined Racerunner playing hide and seek with me on the Oregon Trail Park.

Halfway Point

Have you ever been standing in the checkout line of a retail store, and suddenly balloons fall and trumpets blare because someone in line just became the millionth customer?  No, not me either, but maybe this moth can relate.  Although absent the celebratory clamor, this Buttercup Moth became my 500^th species for the year.  It celebrated with a short photo session and a quiet release back into the wild.  I also added a slug this morning, so I only have 499 more species to achieve my goal.

Fascination and Frustration

Insects and spiders are amazing creatures, and while the diversity is remarkable, making their identification can be frustrating.  Some species are easy to ID, but most require hours of research in reference books and websites.  It turns out that many do not even have common names.  Anyway, with what seemed to be a tremendous amount of time devoted to catching and researching, I have added around 40 new insect/spider species just this week to my year list. 

This Pyrgota Fly was attracted to my yard light.  After mating, they lay a single egg on a May Beetle, which hatches and kills the beetle.  

This tiny Stilt Bug was feeding on a flower in my yard.

Focus Shift

Spring migration is pretty much over; birds should now be on or near their nesting grounds.  It’s time to shift focus to insects and other species that spend the summer in Kansas.  Insects and spiders are attracted to lights, so almost every night, I turn outside lights on and check every fifteen minutes for new species.  I catch them, attempt to make the ID, then release them.  There are some amazing creatures outside, and my list of total insects and spiders is really growing.

 This is a very large Fishfly, which was attracted to the light by my back door.

 

 

Here is a Caterpillar Hunter, a large beetle that eats, you guessed it, caterpillars.

Fort Leavenworth

Sunday, after getting out of bed at what seemed to be the middle of the night, I joined the Kansas City Burroughs Audubon Society for a field trip at 6:30 AM to the military installation in Fort Leavenworth, KS.   After a very thorough security inspection, we were allowed onto the base, which includes many acres of undisturbed woodlands.   Many thanks to Dave Williams for leading the trip.  I added one new species, but it was a good one - Scarlet Tanager.

This Scarlet Tanager was singing at the top of a very tall tree.

Several Tiger Swallowtail butterflies were also observed on the trip.

Fantastic Saturday

The day started with a quick trip to Echo Cliff Park in Wabaunsee County where I found a pair of Acadian Flycatchers.  Next stop – Clarion Park where I ran into a birding friend, Linda Zempel, who helped me find a beautiful Painted Bunting.  On my way home, I had to make an another quick stop at Felker Park, where I ran into Jim Malcom.  It sure seems like there were lots of people out today.  There we found a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, two Canada Warblers, and a female Blackburnian Warbler.  We also found a large Softshell turtle in Shunga Creek.  A great day to be out; and migration is still going strong.  After also adding a few new insects today, my year total is now 400 species.

 Check out this Painted Bunting that we located at Clarion Park.   

Mini Fallout

Weather conditions such as a strong north wind can force migrating birds out of the air, and some locations are famous for their migrant fallouts, but not my yard.  I noticed a lot of activity Wednesday in the trees and shrubs surrounding my house.  I grabbed my binoculars, sprayed myself head to foot with Deep Woods Off, and headed into the woods.  I found more migrating bird species in 30 minutes than I have ever found anywhere in that time frame.  There was a Chestnut-sided Warbler, Mourning Warbler, four Yellow Warblers, three Tennessee Warblers, four American Redstarts, one Veery, five Swainson’s Thrushes, two Magnolia Warblers, one Common Yellowthroat, two Catbirds, and two Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.   Thank you cool north wind.

This Gray Treefrog was attached to the side of my house.  I guess a house looks just like a big tree to a frog.  They have an ability to camouflage themselves by changing color from gray to green.

Western Wanderings

I just returned from a trip to western Kansas and southern Colorado, a 1,530 mile round trip.  It was hot, dusty, and windy, but I found 60 new species; mostly birds.   I left Monday morning and camped at Coldwater Lake.  Species found there were Black Tern, Marsh Wren, Western Grebe and Big Brown Bats.  Tuesday I traveled to Elkhart via State Lakes in Clark and Meade counties.  A wrong turn led me down a road in Clark County where I found Lesser Prairie Chicken, a species that has been in the news lately.  Also, I saw a Common Raven just a few miles from Clark State Lake.  Upon arriving in Elkhart, I quickly located a Plumbeous Vireo and an Olive-sided Flycatcher at the town cemetery.

I drove Morton County roads early Wednesday before dawn and found three Common Poorwills, many Kangaroo Rats, and a lumbering Porcupine that crossed the road right in front of me.  I then proceeded to Southern Colorado where I saw Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Bighorn Sheep, Greater Roadrunner, Long-billed Curlew, Canyon Towhee, and Canyon Wren.  Returning to Elkhart in the afternoon, I saw a Green-tailed Towhee and Ash-throated Flycatcher at the work station, and a Black-chinned Hummingbird and MacGillivray’s Warbler at the shelterbelt. 

A trip to Elkhart and Morton County is hard core, especially considering that the area is experiencing a three-year drought.  But the rewards are great and that place draws birders from all over the area.  The trip home included Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira NWR.    The trip was great, but it is really nice to be back home where everything is green.

 

 I found groups of Yellow-headed Blackbirds in almost every county.

 

 Small groups of Pronghorn could be viewed frequently in rural Colorado.

 

 A Mule Deer that seemed to be as interested in me as I in it, also in Colorado.

This Bighorn Sheep was lounging right by the road in Baca County, CO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rare Bird Alert!

A Hooded Oriole is fairly common in Texas, but this isn’t Texas.  Well, one showed up at a personal residence near Lawrence, and the home owner was very gracious and invited people to see it.  I had to go see it.  I’m told that this is the first report of that species ever being documented in Kansas.  Jim Malcom and I hit Shunga Trail Saturday morning and found Gray-cheeked Thrush, Swainson’s Thrush, White-eyed Vireo, Northern Waterthrush, Sedge Wren, and Yellow-crowned Night Heron.  A quick trip to Perry State Park this evening quickly yielded calling Chuck-will’s-widows and Eastern Whip-poor-wills.  It was another super day to be outside.

A Hooded Oriole seen at a personal residence near Lawrence, Kansas.

This Ring-neck Snake was in my front yard.

An Orange-crowned Warbler getting ready to take a bath in my stream and goldfish pond.

Dueling Vireos

I went outside to investigate after hearing a Yellow-throated Vireo singing in my backyard.  After locating it, a Blue-headed Vireo started singing not far away.  As I headed back to the house, the icing on the cake was a singing Summer Tanager in a tree by my back door.   I’m feeling really lucky this year.

 A Blue-headed Vireo, which is a new yard bird for me.

 

This Yellow-throated Vireo was singing loudly after the rain storm.

Brown Pelican

A Brown Pelican was reported near Tuttle Creek Reservoir this week, so that meant road trip on Saturday.  I was able to locate the bird and it was somewhat cooperative posing for pictures.  While driving through Tuttle Creek State Park, Warbling Vireos, a Baltimore Oriole and a Red-eyed Vireo were singing to the many week-end campers.  I stopped at the Oregon Trail Nature Trail on the way home, which proved productive despite very windy conditions.  Along the trail I located several Orange-crowned Warblers, a Nashville Warbler and a Least Flycatcher.  A Painted Turtle and Black Rat Snake were also seen today.  Friday evening I decided to put up my Hummingbird feeder, and within just 20 minutes, was rewarded with a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird.  Migration is in full motion.

 Brown Pelicans are normally seen in coastal states, and are very rare in Kansas.

A Nashville Warbler making his long trip north to its nesting grounds.

Barber County, Kansas

Janeen Walters and I made a trip to southern Kansas this week-end.  Instead of hunting Easter eggs, we searched for amphibians and reptiles at the Kansas Herpetological Society spring field trip to Barber County, Kansas.  The participants were very knowledgeable and helpful, calling me over whenever they found an interesting creature so I could see and photograph it.  I saw six snake species, two turtles, and one lizard on the trip, along with other new insects, birds, and various venomous creatures.   Southern Kansas is in the grip of a severe drought so that kept the number of species lower than expected.

This is a juvenile Eastern Collared Lizard found under a rock in the Red Hills of Kansas.

Here is a very aggravated Western Massasauga rattlesnake, not appreciating the attention he is getting by the photographers.

This Snapping Turtle was pulled out of a farm pond by one of the ladies on the trip.

Here is a Giant Centipede that was at least five inches in length.