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.