"Nature will bear the closest inspection; she invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain."
― Henry David Thoreau
There's at least another month or so remaining of the 2023 Tiger Beetle season ― we're already a third of the way through September. You'll recall last year there were Bronzed Tiger Beetles into early November, which was unprecedented by my records. I returned to Spring Green Preserve yesterday for another try at Claybank, but this time the bluff at the west unit. There are few trails and no trail at all up to the top where the rocky outcroppings are. I wasn't birding per se, but did detect vocalizations of American Kestrel, Eastern Towhee, Blue Jays, American Crows, and even the chip-note of a Yellow-rumped Warbler. But then again, in a way I'm always birding when outdoors. It cannot be helped.
The way up ... it's far steeper than it looks in photos!
And at the top ...
The rocky outcroppings, Splendid Tiger beetle habitat ...
This will do nicely ...
It was a cool morning, so the beetles hadn't yet emerged. I got my camera ready for wildflower shots.
Blazing Star and New England Aster. In the waning days of summer, as the sun's golden rays slant lower in the Wisconsin sky, a quiet transformation begins to unfold across the meadows and woodland clearings. Nature, ever the artist, daubs her canvas with delicate strokes of color, creating a breathtaking spectacle for those who care to pause and observe. It is the time of asters in late summer, when the landscape dons a gown of purples, pinks, and blues, courtesy of these resilient and resplendent wildflowers.
These late bloomers are not only a visual delight but also a thread in the intricate tapestry of the natural world. Small mammals and birds, too, find sustenance in the seeds borne from asters' summer fling. They are the quiet heroes of the wild, their contributions to the ecosystem often unnoticed but profoundly impactful.
And then around quarter past eleven, I finally spied a Splendid Tiger Beetle ...
And obtained many quality beetle portraits!
Finding a strategic spot on the ledge to sit, a few Splendid Tiger Beetles were at a perfect camera-level height for a comfortable photographic session with the sparkling insects.
This one is a female ... can you tell?
More extended but weak maculations than I typically see at this location.
The predator lookout postures are so cool.
The coveted stilting posture ...
Zooming in at macro maximum!
Here's a different individual ...
This adorable little devil is a male ― here's how you can tell (Pearson et al):
Look carefully ...
The setal pads ... can you see them?
The above portrait might be my new favorite for this species.
Then in a flash, it spotted an ant and chased it down ...
And absolutely mangled it!
Post meal consumption, there's generally a period of mandible cleaning that takes place. A tiger beetle will sometimes scrape the outer edges of their mandibles on substrate (rock in this case) and also work their mandibular parts repeatedly. Pressing the camera's shutter button down for burst, you can get a few open-jaw shots like these next two ...
Near max width ...
And just a couple more post-meal portraits ...
And the beetle returns to its lookout post ...
Ah well, still no Claybank! I might give up on this species for the season. Anyway, I ended my excursion to Spring Green Preserve with enough time left to catch my favorite lunch at Spring green's General Store ― Greek Salad with Lemon Tahini dressing. They make a mean Chicken Salad Sandwich, too, and their Raspberry Lemonade is simply to die for. There's nothing like ending the day with a delicious and rejuvenating meal.
I have a bunch of chores to do today (including write this blog), but I did make it out to the Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor to look for southbound warblers this morning ― I found twelve species. For the first hour I was pretty much the only person there, but by 9:00 AM other trail users and birders began to arrive. One jogger stopped, then came within a half foot from me, and leaned over as if it tell me a secret stating coyly, "If you want to take a really nice photograph, there are a couple of turkeys on the other side of Century Avenue." On the other hand I bumped into a young couple who assisted a couple of bumblebees that had fallen onto the paved trail. I gave them a synopsis on avian migration, doing my bit to educate the public.
Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor, Dane, WI.
Sep 10, 2023 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
46 species
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Red-tailed Hawk
Bald Eagle
Cooper's Hawk
Wild Turkey
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Solitary Sandpiper
Great Blue Heron
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
House Wren
Gray Catbird
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Finch
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Golden-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
All images © 2023 Mike McDowell