The Sun is Gonna Find You, 7/04/11

Another good hot n humid day for a walk. Under the cool, dark shade of the overgrown river banks a Black-crowned Night-Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax, is seen loafing the heat of the day away. A dusk to dawn hunter, its days are spent in the shadows.  

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Black-crowned Night-Heron

The Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, is another bird that is a recent arrival to this area. A long, dark water bird, it hunts fish during the day. Being without water-proofed feathers, when in the water its body rides low to the surface. Groups of this bird can be seen perched in trees with their wings spread to dry their feathers for flight. 

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Double-crested Cormorant

The Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) a very common shore bird.  Can be found near any body of water across North America. Their long yellow bills are used to poke in to the mud to catch worms and insects.

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Spotted Sandpiper

The Reversed Haploa Moth, Haploa reversa, a member of the Tiger Moth family, which include the wooly bear caterpillars and some think it can forecast next winter's weather.  

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Reversed Haploa Moth

 A Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio polyxenes asterius) sipping moisture from a deer track in the marsh mud.

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Black Swallowtail Butterfly

A Monarch Butterfly(Danaus plexippus) caterpillar feeding on a Milkweed plant. 

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Monarch Butterfly caterpillar

Mating Red Milkweed Beetles(Tetraopes tetraophthalmus)

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Red Milkweed Beetle

My Mississippi Gal Friends, 06/30/11

Was about to start my near daily conditioning walk at Ranger Marsh, when I crossed paths with two Mississippi Gals out for an afternoon of fishing at the Little Muddy. I stopped and asked them if the fishin' was good. Just starting, if we can get this tangle out of this line, they replied. So, I ask to let me try. While I rassaled with the tangle, a riverside conversation in sud.  Turned out they were both from Mississippi, not too far from where my folks were from. They missed Mississippi and loved to fish.

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Mississippi Gals

Fishing the Little Muddy.

I untangled the knot(crow's nest) and cleared a little brush from the river bank, so they could safely get closer to the water. I saw them catch one yellow bullhead, wished them luck and took my walk.

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Oxbow Lake

About a mile walk on the levee is an oxbow lake. It is actually the old river bed. What's called the river, is a drainage channel that was dug to convert the marsh into farm land some years back. 

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Bowfin unnecessarily killed by fisherman.

Lots of people fish the Little Muddy, I've heard many a fish story about how good the fishing can be. Today I found the charred remains of 3 Bowfin (Dog fish),Amia calva, that someone caught and burned in their fire. Amazing what fishermen do to the fish they fear. The Bowfin is a prehistoric fish, that was swimming the waters of  eastern America before the dinosaurs and man crawled from the mud. They are able to live in water conditions that will kill all other fish. During low oxygen levels the Bowfin can gulp air at the water surface. Yes, breathing air for its oxygen supply helps it to survive the low stagnant waters of summer.  It's called a Dog Fish because it has teeth like a shark and can bite thru wood fishing lures. Scary fish! (to some)  

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Painted Turtle contemplates stealing a snack.

When my walk was complete, I revisited my Mississippi Gals, still in their 'serious fishing' mode. Talked a short while more and watched a small painted turtle steal bait from their hooks.