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The Broken Butterfly

Posted by Gary on September 17, 2013 in Insects
Black stripes on yellow wings confuse predators when it is in flight.
Swallowtail sipping nectar.
Swallowtail on Flower.
The perfect butterfly!
Tiger Swallowtail with tails nipped off.

Flying dragons, leaping lizards, parasitic wasps and giant spiders are just a few of the marauders of these beautiful creatures. How well they escape the grasps of these hunters determines if they live or die.

Being a strong, agile flier is an asset to the Tiger Swallowtail. The ability to change directions in a split second enables this butterfly  to thwart attacks by dragonflies, wasps and birds. Eyespots on its hind wings mimics a face that makes these butterflies look bigger than they are and in split second decisions, small predators will stay clear of the “large” creature.  But birds frequently will attempt to make a deadly blow to the head by striking these pretend “eyes”. That is why you will often see swallowtail butterflies with tattered tails.

Despite broken wings, tiger swallowtails continue life, pollinating plants, escaping danger and continuing the cycle of life.

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The Buzz About Cicadas

Posted by Gary on September 9, 2013 in Insects

The annual cicada appears every year and has a green hue to it.
This is the exoskeleton of the nymph left behind when the adult cicada emerges.
After crawling out of the ground a slit forms and the adult emerges.
This is the periodical cicada I saw 17 years ago in the oak forests of Long Island. Not the orange eyes.

 

“And the locusts sang off in the distance

Yeah, the locusts sang such a sweet melody

Oh the locusts sang off in the distance

Yeah, the locusts sang and they were singin’ for me”

“Day of the Locusts” Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan wrote this song after receiving an honorary degree from Princeton University at a time when the 17 year cicada was emerging in the New Jersey forests and he could hear it singing in the distance.

Cicadas are not locusts. Locusts are grasshoppers. Cicadas have sucking mouth parts; grasshoppers have chewing mouth parts. Cicadas hardly cause any damage; grasshoppers can cause extensive damage.

When I lived in New York, I witnessed the emergence of the 17 year cicada. Hundreds of thousands of cicadas crawled out of the ground; the males climbed to the treetops and serenaded the females. I was drawn to the eerie humming that could be heard a half mile away.  As I walked into the area I was met by thousands upon thousands of flying female cicadas seeking out the males to begin the life cycle. It was an event I shall always remember.

Here in Florida, we are not blessed by the periodical cicada, but we do have a species that emerges every year. The life cycle is the same. Males sing to attract females. Females fly to males and mate. Females cut small slits in which to lay rice-shaped eggs. Nymphs hatch from eggs in 6 – 10 weeks, fall to the ground and burrow upwards to two feet where they latch on to the tree roots and suck fluids for nourishment. After being in darkness for two years, the nymphs crawl out of the ground onto the trunks of the trees. A split forms in the exoskeleton and out pops an adult cicada.

Imagine how the song may have changed had Bob Dylan known the true nature of the insect that sang in distant forests!

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What IS That Bird?

Posted by Gary on September 4, 2013 in Wading Birds

Looking for Frogs and other Prey.
Hunting insects in the grass.

 

“What kind of bird looks like a small heron, but is black and white? We see it every evening down by the lake.”  This is a question that several Arbor Lakes residents asked me recently on my daily walks and in the pool. Without having seen the bird, I suggested that it could be an immature heron, but I would have to see it to be sure.

As I approached the lake, after being stopped by people curious about the bird, I was extra vigilant in looking for this mysterious bird. I saw a small dark blue-gray and white, sleek  heron-like bird walking along the edge of the lake eating prey hiding in the grasses. It was very shy and I could not get close to it to grab a clear photograph of it. But from what I could see, it appeared to be an immature little blue heron.

Later that evening, bird guides confirmed my educated guess. I re-visited the area several times attempting to capture better photographs of this very elusive bird, but each time it maintained a 300 foot or more distance from me.

So neighbors, to answer your question – it is an immature little blue heron! I hope that this heron remains in the area long enough that I can photograph it as an adult.

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What do Birds do on Hot Days?

Posted by Gary on August 30, 2013 in Wading Birds
Great Blue Panting on this sultry afternoon.
Great Blue with Feet in the Water
Heron Held Wings Out to Capture the Cool Breeze
Great Blue Poised to Strike at a Fish in the Water
Storm Clouds Billowed in the Distance.

Poor bird! You will never believe what this great blue heron did to cool down on this sweltering Florida afternoon!

Sweat poured down my forehead as I walked down to Lake Tsala Apopka one hot summer afternoon. Although clouds billowed in the distance, afternoon thunderstorms had not come yet to cool off the steamy air. Anne drove to the pool and I decided to walk instead to get exercise and see what photographic  opportunities might become available.

I was not the only creature suffering on this sultry day. An overheated  great blue heron stood along the edge of a small island in the lake – its feet in the water, panting with its beak open and throat vibrating rapidly.  It saw a fish or frog in the water; the tall bird arched its wings and leaned forward poised to strike. It struck the water with its long pointed bill, but missed and stood back up panting again with its wings drooping at its sides. A slight, but noticeable breeze blew past me. The heron, sensing the gentle wind, did what any anhinga bird does to dry its wings after diving in the water.  The heron outstretched its wings to catch the breeze to cool off. The tall bird rotated its body – wings outstretched –  to maximize catching the full impact of the slight breeze.

“You are no dummy”, I said to the great blue heron. After some time passed, the heron folded its wings and sauntered off to the other side of the island and I sauntered off to meet Anne and cool off in the pool’s water.

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Common Gallinules Raise Their Family at Lake Tsala Apopka, Florida

Posted by Gary on August 23, 2013 in Uncategorized

Last winter, I was delighted to see two common gallinules gliding easily in the cool waters of Lake Tsala Apopka. These chicken-like birds nibbled floating plants, plucked seeds out of the water and grasped aquatic insects from the mudflats. Although to the novice, gallinules seem duck-like because they are very good swimmers, they have  no webbed feet. Their long toes make it possible for them to walk on the soft mud flats of the lake. I often wondered if they were a male and female and if so would they be successful in raising young.

Earlier this summer, I saw what I assume was the same pair with at least three babies; they swam together, ate together and fled danger together. Somewhere out on the large lake, the adults built a basket-like nest lined with leaves and grasses among the reeds and other plants. I am sure they started with more than three eggs, but many of the hatchlings most likely succumbed to predators such as alligators, crows and other predators. As a matter of fact, there are now only two youngsters left.

Will these youngsters stay in the area, find mates and raise their own families? I will be sure to be looking for them through the winter and into next spring.

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