7/16/2022
turtle chases ducks off favorite rock
9/06/2021
6/17/2021
meal for green heron
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.
6/14/2021
5/03/2021
fox sparrow
8/28/2020
green frogs on rocks
8/12/2020
sandpiper
A hot sultry day in August. The pond was quiet. Several rocks appeared offshore in the last few days, exposed by the lack of rain and lower water level. Good for sandpipers hunting lunch. This Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria shows off its white eye ring while it waits on a rock to spot a meal in or on the water -- aquatic invertebrates such as larvae, worms, flies, or mollusks.
8/05/2020
Eastern Forktail damselfly
7/25/2020
pennant
Walking along the shore near the pond on an overcast hot day, I noticed a dragonfly perched on a stem of Horsetail.
This is a Halloween Pennant Celithemis eponina dragonfly. They usually perch horizontally like this, waving in the breeze pennant-style, at the top of vegetation.
At 1-1/2 inches long, this dragonfly would be a juicy meal for a predator.
7/22/2020
birds on the branch
Eastern Bluebirds also like to sit on the branch over the pond.
Many flying creatures use this branch as a place to spot a prey item to eat, or a place to rest, or a place to socialize.
In this photo, after some rain, the rock behind the Bluebirds is under water. It is our gauge for the water level in the pond.
Below, a turtle sits on the same rock on a day when the water level is lower.
7/20/2020
dragonflies on branch
6/29/2020
high water
This morning, after
7 inches of rain fell overnight, the pond is higher than usual and some of the shoreline around it is under water. The critters are trying to find their favorite places to feed or soak up the sun.
I was watching a turtle crawl slowly up on a small rise among the grasses.
Then a frog croaked, and I noticed him right near the turtle. We've been hearing these Green Frogs
Rana (Aquarana) clamitans
for several weeks. They are usually secretive; this is first time I've seen one here. Do you see him in the photo below?
5/29/2020
Phoebe
The Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe is one species in the family of Tyrant Flycatchers. Phoebe is mostly insectivorous. It forages by watching from a perch, flying out for insects, and catching them in mid-air. This is called a "sallying" style – flying up directly from their perch to catch an insect and then immediately return to the same perch. In some cases, Phoebe will take an insect from foliage while hovering briefly. The pond area is replete with insects in the air and on the plants around it. The branch on the feeder pole is a good 'sallying' perch.