"To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring ― these are some of the rewards of the simple life."
― John Burroughs
Though it seemed like we just turned a corner with the weather, another cold-snap is threatening my sentiment of an archetypically beautiful spring. Strong south winds rendered a weekend of unseasonably warm temperatures with many returning migratory birds into southern Wisconsin and beyond. Though returning birds thus far are pretty durable species, it's obligate insectivores I worry about ― what a cruel joke. Anyway, new for me was Pine Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Tennessee Warbler (yep), Palm Warbler, Yellow Warbler, both waterthrushes, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Savannah Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, and more.
The Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor was teeming to the brim with Yellow-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets ― certainly the two most abundant birds. There were dense pockets of foraging White-throated Sparrows; their hop-scratching seemed to make the forrest floor boil.
The influx of birds doesn't bother resident Black-capped Chickadees ― they merely keep on working away on excavating nest cavities, gathering nesting material, foraging for food, and all the other things that make the chickadees venerable busy-bodies of the woodland realm.
With temperatures in the upper 70s, I figured Splendid Tiger Beetles would be active on the rocky outcroppings at Spring Green Preserve.
And, I figured ...
Correctly!
Tiger beetles are challenging enough on their own without other factors or elements coming into the mission equation. On this day it was wind ― I didn't realize just how gusty it was until I got to the top of the bluff. Missing the first few beetles, I thought I might end up leaving without any portraits, but patience and persistence paid off.
Aren't they just adorable?
Zooming in for the uber closeup portrait.
I watched this one dismantle a small hymenopterid ― munchy crunchy goodness! And then a ghastly thought occurred to me: Do they even have taste? Do they have gustatory chemoreception? Certainly, bees, wasps, and other pollinators likely have some sort of chemical taste anatomical mechanism, but it gets pretty weird with insects.
From an Ask Entomologist website:
"Insects are covered in hairs. From their wings, to their legs, to their face. Some of these hairs are just to keep the insect warm or to detect motion. Some of these hairs are responsible for smelling (coeloconic sensilla [food] and trichoid sensilla [pheromones]), and others are responsible for tasting. These hairs are thick walled hairs set into a pit where chemicals can enter. These are called 'pegs' or more technically, uni-porous sensilla. These pegs can be found on different parts of the body including the mouth area but also on the insect’s feet! If the insect is walking on something tasty their tongue will stick out which is called the tarsal taste and proboscis extension reflex. Drosophila even have taste receptors on their wing margin and some taste receptors are found on parasitic wasps’ ovipositors (the structure that lays eggs into the host)."
Perhaps they sense taste better than we do!
On a nice spring day, tiger beetles:
1. Emerge from their burrows.
2. Bask in the sun.
2. Bask in the sun.
3. Feast upon insects.
4. Copulate.
What a life!
What a life!
I love that Splendid Tiger Beetles favor habitat that's a bit more interesting than just sand.
And then a Common Claybank Tiger Beetle popped into view! I would have liked to have gotten better portraits, but right after I got this shot a huge gust of wind knocked me off the rocky outcropping. I hit the ground hard, and tumbled another 20 feet down the slope. Fortunately I was able to stop the roll. I am thankful that I wasn't seriously injured (bruised, for sure) and that nobody was there to watch a 6'2" man take a hard fall! Karmatic punishment for my stupid maneuver was losing my rather expensive prescription sunglasses ― I was unable to find them in the grass despite searching for them for nearly an hour. I accept this sacrifice.
So, is this photograph worth $600.00 and a bruised body? Sure!
Keeping things at a slightly safer pace, today I chose to bird the creek corridor again, but settled for photographing wildflowers at Baxter's Hollow.
Bloodroot.
Very lush looking ones, too.
Round-lobed Hepatica.
Stunning little forest gems.
Marsh Marigolds.
Nifty fungus.
Lastly, on the way home I made a quick stop at the Sauk City Canoe Launch for tiger beetles. There were quite a few Festives and Bronzed, but no Big Sand just yet. The Wisconsin River is a bit high, so I didn't have nearly as much beach habitat as I generally find at this location. But this is only the beginning. Tiger Beetle season lasts until October ― five species down and 11 to go! Oh yeah ... I have to figure a plan for Boreal Long-lipped this spring yet.
Bronzed: Some are metallic brown while others are more green.
Outside!
All images © 2022 Mike McDowell
All Weekend Birds, Dane & Sauk Counties
April 23rd & 24th, 2022
85 species
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
Canvasback
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Wild Turkey
Pied-billed Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Solitary Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
American White Pelican
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Horned Lark
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
House Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Grasshopper Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Eastern Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal