Máistir Nádúraí: A Festive Earth Day!

4.22.2017

A Festive Earth Day!

Festive Tiger Beetle (Cicindela scutellaris)

Arriving migratory birds at Pheasant Branch Conservancy today included Orange-crowned Warbler, Green Heron, and Great Egret. While there was respectable avian diversity, there were not very many individuals (northwest winds are to blame). A group of us went to Prairie Cafe for breakfast, and then later on in the afternoon I returned to the Sauk City canoe launch to photograph tiger beetles. There were scads of Festive and Bronzed Tiger Beetles, but only a few Oblique-lined and Big Sand. The vicious little predators were scurrying about all over the beach along the Wisconsin River.

As you can see from this series of photographs, Festive Tiger Beetles can show a variety of maculation patterns on their elytra (hardened forewings).

And a few Bronzed Tiger Beetles:

Bronzed Tiger Beetle (Cicindela repanda)

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range rifles. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom Shop 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry.