4.24.2022

A Corner Turned?

"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.
3. Feast upon insects. 
4. Copulate. 

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 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  

All images © 2022 Mike McDowell