swamp milkweed and vervain

 

gleeful painted turtle

The painted turtles who live in the pond love to sit in the sun, especially on rocks near the water. There, each can enjoy the warmth and (in case of danger) slip into the water to hide if needed. This young little critter, about 4 inches long, looked so gleeful today with its feet extended out to catch as much sunshine as possible.

new Mallards, second clutch

Mallard female has been hiding her second clutch of eggs near the pond among grasses.  Today she led all 6 hatched ducklings to the pond, where they paddled around and started to feed.  They can eat seeds, stems, and roots of many different plants; also aquatic invertebrates such as worms, beetles, dragonflies, or insect larvae. 

hoary alyssum

oxeye daisy

 

scouring rush

Scouring Rush Equisetum hyemale grows in the wetland around the pond.  It is also called 'horsetail'.

This plant's ancestors have been on earth millions of years.  

The tough stems can be used as reeds for musical instruments.

They also have coarse fibers and silica deposits, so mammal herbivore don't eat this plant.  

Rather than seeds, the Scouring Rush reproduces by spores made by structures on the top of each fertile stem.

galls on goldenrod

 

Now, in June, the typical insects are laying their eggs in the goldenrod stems.  The eggs will hatch larvae who will feed and grow inside the bulge or 'gall'.

By autumn, the swelled galls with be more noticeable on the dried thinner stems.  The larvae will stay in the gall through winter, unless a bird pecks through to feast on them.  In Spring, those who stay hidden will emerge as adults.

The most typical insect causing galls are the Goldenrod Gall Flies Eurosta solidagnis, who completes its entire life cycle only on goldenrod. 

Last fall, I gathered several dried stems with galls.  They are such interesting shapes and colors, so they deserved to be in a drawing or painting!

widow skimmer

This dragonfly male 'Widow Skimmer' Libellula luctuosa shows off his handsome transparent wings with black and white structural coloration -- the production of color by microscopically structured surfaces fine enough to interfere with visible light.

The grass seedhead on the left is close to the camera and in front of the wing. But the rush stem behind the wing is showing clearly through the transparent wing while the skimmer rests, clasping that stem.

He is probably looking for prey -- other insects such as mosquitoes. To catch prey he will use his legs, and bring prey into his mouth with fangs.

nesting mallard

Mallards have 1 or 2 broods each year.  One is hiding her 2nd clutch near the pond among grasses.

There are six eggs in her nest, nestled among short pieces of grass and small downy feathers.

 

great blue heron

Stealthily, this Great Blue Heron appeared on the shore this afternoon.  It stood still for only a little while, looking for prey; they eat fish, frogs, aquatic creatures, even small mammals.  Is it a male and female? Great Blue Herons Ardea herodias look alike except for their size, so more likely to tell if we can see them in pairs.

crown vetch

A creeping plant that was used in the past as erosion control on embankments and roadsides, Crown Vetch Securigera varia is sprinkled among the grasses and rushs around the pond.  Pretty lavender and purple blossoms among the greens, but it can take over native plants in this area. 

Since this is a non-native invasive plant that can compete with native wildflowers, we will be removing it or cutting it back.

mullein

 




Several Mullein plants are growing in the riparian zone around the pond. The plants are small rosettes of fuzzy leaves, close to the ground, the first year of their growth.  The second year, Common Mullein Verbacum thapsus shoots up a stem clad in very fuzzy leaves topped by a flower spike (left).

Once the flower blooms, it is a brilliant torch of yellow blossoms.  Each blossom has 5 petals, and stays open for a short time. Thus, the spike may have only a few blossoms open at a time.

meal for green heron

This bird is at it again!  The Green Heron visits the pond several times a week during this hot season.  They are year-around residents of Florida and tropic regions, but migrate to breed in the eastern half of the US nearly as far as the Canadian border.  

Green Herons nest in trees and shrubs near water, or dry woods and orchards as long as it provides seclusion and there is water nearby for foraging fish or frogs.

Last year we saw a Green Heron Butorides virescens several times here on the pond shore, hunting for a meal. To see those previous photos and information about how these birds use tools to hunt, enter heron in the search box at top left then press return.

bug on daisy

I was admiring the daisies.  A Squash Bug was also admiring it, close up!  

dragonflies

Two large darner dragonflies hovered on pondweed growing in the water. Each dragonfly is over 3 inches long, and more brilliant blue and green colors than the vegetation nearby.  They seemed to be connected (with the male grabbing the female by the head with his rear abdomen appendages) which suggests some stage of mating.

goslings

A Canada Goose family had lunch on the pond today. The adults, one in front and one behind, led the 5 young goslings to find food.  The young are able to feed the first day they hatch out of their eggs, and eat the same as adult gooses - - green vegetation and grains, small insects and fish.  Like many water birds, Canada Goose Branta canadensis are susceptible to the dangers that humans have created, like this plastic netting caught in the beak of one gosling.

On closer look, one of the young geese struggled with a piece of plastic netting caught in the hinge of its bill.  The gosling was able to keep up with the others but we wonder about its future health. 

mallow

Small wildflowers grow in the riparian area surrounding the pond. Some are invisible to the casual observer because of their small stature, or because they are hidden by the many taller grasses and reeds.

One of these tiny weedy wildflowers is Common Mallow Malva neglecta, with 5 petals of palest pink with stronger pink stripes. 

The leaves resemble geraniums but the two families have different reproductive structures.

Mallow is also called 'Cheeseweed' since each seed looks like a miniature wheel of cheese.

northern blue flag

Iris versicolor, the Northern Blue Flag, is blooming near the pond.  It does not mind having its 'feet' wet and often grows in a few inches of water.

The blue to purple flowers stand out from the grasses and reeds around it, but the sword-like leaves blend into all that green!

This plant attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds, and may be known as Blue Flag Iris, Harlequin Blue Flag, Northern Iris, and Wild Iris.  

white campion

White Campion Silene latifolia is blooming now. 

robin

Robins nesting by the pond have 4 eggs in their nest.  The female gathered food items on the shore while taking a break from incubating her clutch.  It looks like she caught an insect larva, but Robins also eat grubs, snails, spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, termites, crickets, and other insects.

golden alexanders

Wildflowers are blooming in the pond area.  Zizia aurea Golden Alexanders feed bees, wasps, flies, and beetles with pollen and nectar.  The larvae of some butterflies also feed on this native plant.

green heron

This is the first time we've seen a Green Heron this year.  Last year, posts on this blog showed the Butorides virescens several times --  describing what they eat, how they hunt for food, and how they use tools.  (see posts on 7-09-2020,  7-15-2020,  and 9-8-2020.

Green Heron is a small bird, usually 17 inches long.  When stealth is necessary, the neck is pulled in towards the body, but this bird pictured has it out half-way. It can extend the neck even longer to snap up prey.  Adults have a glossy, dark greenish iridescent cap, a greenish-grey back and wings, a chestnut neck with a white line down the front.  Legs are yellow, and the long bill has a sharp point. 

hooded merganser ducklings

Today the Hooded Merganser female showed up on the pond with 15 ducklings.  This species nests in a cavity, probably in a tree or stump nearby. Once the eggs hatch, the ducklings follow the mother to water.   They fed for a while, then she signaled them to rest.  They followed her to shore and gathered under her wings. Well, sort of . . .  there were many of them!

They dive under water to find small fish, amphibians, clams, mud crabs, crayfish, tadpoles, frogs, and aquatic insects and other crustaceans. They also consume some aquatic plants.

mallard ducklings

 Mallard drake wants to keep an eye on his family.

bee swarm

On Friday, we noticed a blob of brown on a drooping branch on one the pine trees near the pond.  Close inspection revealed hundreds of Honey Bees clustered. The next day they were still gathered around that branch. We discovered with some research that when overcrowded in a hive, bees with divide their population then some will set out for a new hive. Scout bees look intensely for the new nest while the most of them wait together.  This probably saves energy and protects them by staying together in one place while the scouts scout.

By Sunday morning they had all gone from the tree branch, no trace left behind of their weekend stay.