"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. Even the smallest spider or insect holds a story of survival and wonder."
— Henry Beston
The Canadian wildfires continue to cast a hazy veil over Wisconsin, but Saturday brought pleasant weather nonetheless—enough to make a visit to Sauk Prairie State Recreational Area worthwhile. It's still a bit early for Ghost Tiger Beetles, but confirming that with a field check never hurts. And as always, there's no shortage of intriguing sights to satisfy my nature inclinations.
First up is this adorable female Phidippus princeps jumping spider:
She was patrolling a sun-warmed, flat rock—small and likely not yet full grown, with the soft velvety appearance that helps these spiders blend into their surroundings. It was fascinating to watch her pause now and then, scanning for the slightest movement, a tiny predator perfectly at home in her world.
It's important to capture various angles to confirm ID, but with a field guide and not an app!
Next, we have a ferocious Efferia albibarbis robber fly, which was also hunting from atop rocks:
The robber fly dashed off and returned to a nearby rock with its prey—a small bee. As I've written here before, robber flies pierce their prey with a sharp proboscis, inject digestive enzymes, and then suck out the liquefied insides. After it was finished, it simply dropped the bee onto the stone.
Above, a Silvery Checkerspot and a Killdeer nest below.
That's seriously excellent camouflage, isn't it? We didn't even know the nest was there until we ventured too close and the female, which was incubating, performed the classic injury-feigning routine to lead us away. Of course it didn't fool us. We quickly found the nest, photographed it, and left. Sue had never seen Killdeer eggs before and was duly impressed by their color and speckling. The Killdeer wasted no time returning to the nest.
The interaction between a predator, say a fox, and a Killdeer feigning injury is a classic evolutionary arms race, where predator and prey continually adapt to each other's strategies. The Killdeer's broken-wing display is a clever deception that draws the fox's attention away from its vulnerable nest by pretending to be injured as easy prey. For the fox, ignoring such an apparent opportunity for food is risky, so the instinct to investigate remains strong. While some foxes may learn to be more skeptical, the cost of missing a meal often outweighs the risk of being fooled.
Natural selection favors Killdeer that perform increasingly convincing feigns, keeping the predator guessing. This tug-of-war continues because the strategy works best when it's not overused or poorly executed, and because it comes at a cost for the Killdeer, who risks exposing itself to real danger. Neither predator nor prey "wins" outright; instead, they remain locked in a dynamic balance, each shaping the other's behavior through ongoing adaptation.
But does the Killdeer actually know it's doing this, or is it just honed adaptive behavior?
Surprisingly, there weren't all that many tiger beetles. Present were Oblique-lined, Festive, and Big Sand, with the latter being the most numerous at perhaps 10 or so individuals. The Festives at this spot are often a rich reddish-purple or plum-like color, so I'll take time to photograph some of the more colorful ones.
This next one is a female, as can be discerned by the dark labrum just above her mandibles:
When pockets of haze or thin clouds blocked the sunlight, the beetles returned to hunting. As the sunlight intensified, they often retreated to shadows to regulate their body temperature.
The sandlot at Sauk Prairie Recreation Area is truly something special—a vast open expanse of sandy soil that supports a unique community of plants (native and non-native) and insects not often found elsewhere. This sandy habitat is perfect for species like tiger beetles and other specialized insects, making it a prime spot for my nature photography pursuits. However, beyond the sandlot, the area also features restored prairies and hardwood forests providing diverse habitats for a wide range of wildlife, including notable birds like Bell's Vireo, Bobolink, and Dickcissel.
This Dickcissel perched and sang from a manmade structure. Since this site was once the Badger Munitions Plant, there are still plenty of artificial perches scattered around for birds to use. While it's not the ideal natural setting for bird portraits, sometimes that's just how it goes in reclaimed landscapes.
All images © 2025 Mike McDowell