green heron

 

 

Green Heron stood on the log, soaking up the sun and looking for lunch in the water beneath. 

Suddenly, he stuck out his neck and grabbed a morsel from the pond.

dragonfly - Widow Skimmer

The widow skimmer Libellula luctuosa), part of the group 'king skimmer' dragonflies. It has large bulky body (compared to other species odonata) with large heads.  This is a juvenile, with yellow with brown stripes.; when adult it will have a steely blue body.  Wings are transparent, but marked with prominent black basal bands.  Widow Skimmers are found commonly in muddy substrates, or still bodies of waters such as ponds. They prey on other smaller insects like mosquitoes. 

merganser with 4 young

 

blue-winged teal

Blue-winged Teal ducks have been on the pond for a week or so. Last year, this species stayed only a few days to rest on migration. This season, they seem to find enough food here to stay longer. The hen makes a nest on the ground where she finds grassy cover to hide her eggs from predators. I admired the male's feathers, especially the white chevron on the back of his head.

arrowhead blooming

 

Among the plants along the shore of the pond, Arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia plants hold their leaves pointing skyward above the water.

This week, we noticed they are blooming with white, 3-petaled flowers held up above the leaves on strong branched stems. 

Each flower is about 1" across.

This variety is specifically Broadleaved Arrowhead; also called 'Duck Potato' since it is a perennial plant that forms food-storing tubers as roots.