"All shadows of clouds the sun cannot hide like the moon cannot stop oceanic tide; but a hidden star can still be smiling at night's black spell on darkness, beguiling."
― Munia Khan
And then it'll be sunny all week ... see:
Maybe I'll ask for Friday off. This is been the pattern for the past month or so ― sunny during the workweek, and cloudy (rainy) weekends. This is partly the reason I haven't has as many nature posts the past several weeks. I prefer conducting nature photography under sunlight, but I can kind of make things work on overcast days using a flash. There are photographers who excel doing so, but many of my subjects tend to remain hidden or in burrows unless the sun is out ― insects are always more active on sunny days. And digiscoping birds really needs to be done on sunny days for best results.
My main reason for visiting Spring Green Prairie again was to check for Splendid Tiger Beetles atop the bluff, but they were not active ― not a single one. This was no surprise, really. There were many Punctured and Festive Tiger Beetles on the main trail, but once it started raining they retreated to whatever shelter they could find. Interestingly, a few Virginia Metallic Tiger Beetles came out when it got darker before the storm cell converged over the prairie ― they are a nocturnal species, after all.
Overly optimistic, I kept thinking the skies my clear after each cell. While waiting I exploring the rocky outcroppings to see what non-tiger beetle things I could find. Wildflower-wise there were plenty of Liatris, lots of Upland White Goldenrod, and Grooved Yellow Flax.
I found a cool Northern Crab Spider with fresh prey, but the best find of the day was a Northern Black Widow (Latrodectus variolus):
This is the only the third or fourth time I've observed this arachnid species in Wisconsin ― they are venomous like other black widows and a bite can cause Latrodectism; pain, sweating, muscle rigidity, and vomiting. The symptoms one might get all depends on the amount of venom injected. Fortunately, around 75% of all black widow bites have localized pain and nothing more ― you might not even realize you've been bitten by one. However, if you ever find yourself in the other quarter, the first sign of potential trouble is goosebumps on the skin around the bite.
Far more dangerous to me, though, is this stuff:
There are copious large patches of Poison Ivy at Spring Green Preserve this summer, but I'm more careful around it that I used to be ever since ending up with a rather severe case back in 2012.
It started getting darker again. I could hear thunder approaching in the distance and fresh storm cells were beginning to develop. I decided to call it a day. The storms weren't especially large, but I didn't want to get struck by lightning. Before heading back down the bluff, I photographed a small rain shower south of Spring Green. Throughout my outing I had a few of these smaller cells pour on me, but I came prepared for it ― I have a super-nice Mammut rain jacket!
Ah well, so no new tiger beetle photographs this week. Hopefully the forecast for next weekend holds because I feel like I'm going through insect photography withdrawal! Also, I want to confirm that the Splendids have emerged so Lori can score her final Wisconsin lifer. But like any adventure at Spring Green Prairie, there's always something interesting to see even if you dip on target species. I got Splendids in the spring (April), but I'm still looking for Twelve-spotted and Cow Path to see if I can score all 16 in a single season.
All images © 2022 Mike McDowell