Associated Wildlife

Over the past few days I've seen a number of critters hanging out in the garden. One new to me, one ID surprise, and two that I love. There are lots of bees, cabbage butterflies, and small pollenators too.

This is a black swallowtail butterfly. It kept swooping from the flowers to the post and back. The best picture is on the post, and look at its body! This is the first time I've gotten a picture where you could see the spots on the body.

Here is the one that was new to me. These two moths hung out on the sea thrift for a couple of days. Turns out they are the Toadflax Brocade Moth. It is introduced in the United States to try to control common Toadflax, often called Butter-and-Eggs which is a wildflower that I really like, but it is invasive and can be a problem in pastures when it crowds out better grazing plants.

Here is the ID surprise posing on my jeans. I thought maybe this was a different kind of ladybug instead of the horrid Asian Ladybugs (beetles) that are everywhere now. Ha! It's just an Asian one without spots on its wings. I hate those stinky things.

And another welcome visitor. This one tried to commit suicide by jumping in a bucket of water from which it could not get out. I found it floating and looking quite dead, but as soon as I fished it out, it sat up all perky! It was a tiny Gray Tree Frog. I see these around here quite often. In fact, I blogged about one just last summer at Eviction!.

It was overcast in the morning, and was an excellent temperature to work outside. I did mega yard work, including finishing the first mowing (except for some edges where I need to trim bushes to get the mower close). I do have to do something serious about the mower seat, but I may have a plan figured out.

Also did my editing and went to bell choir practice. The last performance of this season is Sunday. Oh, and I stewed a big pot of rhubarb.

Tired, but satisfied with the day.

See Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Eviction!

  Who thinks that a watering can is a perfect tiny home? Let me first tell you that I'm very fond of this watering can. It dribbles where the sprinkler head screws on, and no amount of plumbers tape or whatever seems to stop that. That annoys me, but I really love this can. It was the one my dad used for years and years in his extensive and much-cared-for vegetable garden.

But someone else liked the can so much that they moved in. I watered a plant the other day and the spout seemed clogged. When I sat it back down, something plunked into the main portion of the can. When I took a look, it scampered into the spout.

All I could see was the end of a little gray nose. I tried to shake it down, but nothing doing. So I tipped the can again as if to water something, and when I set it upright a little froggie sloshed into the water!

Well, I thought, it's happy. What do I care?

But it was still in there today. I'm not sure that enough food items wander into the watering can to sustain a hungry amphibian. So I evicted it.

It's a Dryophytes versicolor (used to be Hyla v.), a gray tree frog.

Yup, it has those yellow flashes on the undersides of its legs.

Without even consulting it, I decided that eviction was prudent. It's now living out in the brush. It IS a tree frog, not a can frog.

The first link below is to a fairly cute essay I wrote about a previous gray tree frog encounter. The second link is another one that got in the house. I kept it for a few days and got to see it change from green to gray to white.

Did stuff, went to Manistee, walked maybe a quarter mile. Om was with me, and that was all he wanted to do. I got some more beautiful water pictures, but they are preempted by the froggie. Did some more stuff after we got home. That is all.

See The Reluctant Prince See A Visitor in the Bathroom

Celebration 2024- Saturday

  Marie and I joined a long hike today. 9.5 miles from Brevort Lake Road to Worth Road.

We crossed the Brevort River.

There was a piece of brand new trail that was literally built this week as one of the elective activities at the Celebration. You can see how raw the treadway is. But it won't take long for it to look natural.

It leads to a nice overlook of Brevort Lake which is quite large.

Best find of the hike was this large, dark leopard frog.

Diane was on a different hike because she does shorter ones, but she completed her 2024 Hike 100.

Nice dinner, and games afterward for those who wanted to play. I needed to pack up books and see a few people, so we have headed back to the campground.

Miles hiked so far in 2024: 376.8. North Country Trail miles in 2024: 119.6

North Country Trail, UP of MI, Brevort Lake Road to Worth Rd, 9.5 miles

See Celebration 2024- Friday

Conservation Trail - Murder Creek Re-re-re-re-visited

 Except for some wet weeds, today was a pretty nice hike. We waited until noon to start because it was raining fairly hard in the morning. We got sprinkled on a little bit, but not bad.

We crossed Murder Creek for the first time today at 1:53. This is the creek we crossed once yesterday. But now it was placid and grassy.

Before long, it had changed character completely to this rocky stream.

We followed it through a park, crossing again on this nice footbridge.

Walking beside it, there is an arch for the footpath in this bridge that carries Clarence Center Road.

Finally, we crossed it one more time, where it is now wider. It flows into Tonawanda Creek which flows to the Niagara River.

Legend has it that a Tuscarawas Chief loved his daughter so much that he became jealous when a young brave came to court her, and he killed them both. Murder Creek.

Miles hiked so far in 2024: 292.9. Finger Lakes Trail miles hiked in 2024: 25.6

Conservation Trail, Western NY. NY Thruway to Clarence Center Rd. 6.8 miles

BONUS SECTION: Critters

It was a great day for seeing critters. Ones I could not catch with the camera include a brown thrasher, a mockingbird, and a small snake- possibly a red-belly.

This snail was easy to take pictures of. It moved so slowly, we decided not to wait long enough for it to extend its antennae all the way. But it was fun to watch. I have to wonder what a snail thinks when it is suddenly hoisted from the ground to sit in a hand that must smell really odd to it.

This handsome redtail hawk did not like us walking on the trail below and was very vocal about it.

We got an extra treat in the evening with a visit to another garden, but that will have to wait for another day. However, there was a friendly lawn bunny that was quite used to people.

A big ol' bullfrog is always fun.

The garden had ponds with beautifully colored koi.

But the best find of the day (well, I really did like the snail too) was a fledgling red-wing blackbird. It was just learning to fly and wasn't doing a very good job of it yet. Mama was close by.

This is way more than enough for one day!

See Murder Creek

Seneca Park Zoo - Bright and Weird

  I'll show you more of our zoo visit today. Too bad these beauties are poisonous. The yellow banded, and blue poison dart frogs are native to South America. Apparently they are not a danger to each other since they stopped for an afternoon chat.

If I were ever going to go to the expense and trouble of an aquarium, it would be a salt-water aquarium. I don't know the kinds of fish, but they are swimming among corals and anemones.

Here's another frog from Central America. This is the Panamanian Golden Frog. It's critically endangered. I know he's hiding, but at least I got a glimpse of it.

This one is totally weird. This is Henkel's Leaf-Tailed Gecko from Madagascar. There were two of them just plastered flat to the glass like this. From the top side, they looked like dead leaves. You know what's really weird? The front feet seem to have the suction pads in the right place, but look at the back feet. It an animal spreads its back legs out straight, the tops of the feet would be touching the glass. But these geckos seem to be doing just that and there are suction pads holding them in place.

Finally for today, I'll show you an animal which is native to the northeast U.S. But I've never seen one in the wild. This is a Hellbender. It's a giant salamander- the gray blob beneath the log. They are really unique in that they breathe through their skin. To be honest, I thought these were the same as a mudpuppy, but they are not. I'm glad it wasn't completely hiding. This one was only about a foot long, but they can get almost three times as big.

Today was our last day. We finished the book we've been reading together, we played our game, we ate whatever we wanted. It was a nice relaxing day. This blog is supposed to be only the good stuff, so I'll try not to tell you that I'm sad. Tomorrow we each head home although it will take me a couple of days to get there. It's been wonderful!

See African Animals

Cold Cruel World

 
My froggie went back to living outside today. She didn't seem all that eager to leave and I miss her already.

She wasn't too interested in hopping out of the tub into the wilderness of fallen leaves.



I had put the tub outside for a few short whiles before the final shove into the real world to let her cool down more gradually.

Finally, I urged her on the way because the wind was trying to take the tub for a sail across the yard. I didn't think she wanted flying lessons, so I nudged her into the leaves.



Supposedly they spend winters under the leaves, and there is a nice layer of them where I put her. But I suspect she's had a nice warm house to live in for more than a few months. I wonder what she thought. Maybe she'd rather be warm and just eat spiders and get a drink when the toilet tank drips condensation or someone takes a shower. Who knows? Well, she's on her own now.

In other news: Steve and I played a few games, but it's pretty quiet here.

	See Hyla versicolor Demonstrates Her Name
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Hyla versicolor Demonstrating Her Name

 
Look at my little friend today. She climbed to the very top branch in her little condo.



And then she was opening and closing her mouth. This picture isn't in very good focus, but it looks to me like she has something in her mouth! Is she eating one of the spiders? That would be good news.



But she showed the real range of colors today, "versicolor." They can vary from nearly white to almost black, and I think she's got all that down pat. These colors are pretty much what I saw, and not some trick of the lighting. Earlier today, she was very dark.



This evening, she was nearly white.



And remember, when we caught her on Sunday night in the bathroom, she was bright green.

Anyway, she's going outside to fend for herself tomorrow. Even though she seems happy in the little tub, I did some research and you have to keep things moist but watch for mold and clean it out, and buy food, and this tub isn't tall enough... I think I need to let her go. I've become strangely attached, though. She's super cute!

In other news: We picked up Steve at the airport, but then when we got home I went to bell choir and writers' group. I'll try for family pictures tomorrow.

	See Frog Is Gray Today
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Frog is Gray Today

 
I'm enjoying observing my little froggie! She seems extremely happy in her tub world, but I'm worried about her food situation.

Anyway, even though they are nocturnal, she spent a lot of the night under that block I put in there for her to hide under. But today, she crawled up on the branch... tree frog, right? She sat in this fork for about six hours.

And, on the gray branch, look what color she turned. I told you they could change!



I backed out here so you can see her little vacation condo. I have managed to get a small daddy long legs and three live fruit flies in there. I have no idea if she's caught anything to eat. Of course, there might have been some insects in the litter I put in the bottom. I'd love to see her catch something, but I'd probably have to watch every minute.



Later in the day, she climbed even higher and stayed there for a couple hours.



Now she's back down in the lower fork.

I know we are messing with her rhythms. She's in the kitchen and we keep turning on the light to get coffee or a snack or whatever. It would be better if her night matched the one outdoors. I think I'll keep her one more day so Steve can see her (probably he won't care, but O well, I have to be an educator mom, right?). Then I'll let her go. It's supposed to rain on Wednesday, so that might be a nice moist day to re-introduce her to the outside leaf litter. I have to assume she did not start life in the bathroom! Ha.

In other news: I wrote my newspaper column in the morning after I finally got up. Worked late into the night, not because I was being good, I was simply obsessed and couldn't stop. This is why I get things done. Then I had to do a bunch more stuff to be ready for the rest of the week.

	See Visitor in the Bathroom
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