The heat dome is back, with temps well into the 90s this afternoon, and it was already warm enough during our weekly wildlife walk this morning, for this great blue heron on the river to be demonstrating its gular fluttering to keep cool.
The recent high water from heavy rains up north, which was just high enough to cover much of the exposed river bottom, has started to recede, and I was happy that shorebirds are returning so I could show the gang one of the least sandpipers that I’ve been seeing lately.
Most of the goslings have switched to the classic black, white, and brown pattern of Canada geese by now and look like young adults, but the one surviving gosling of the late brood on the pond is still sporting the fuzzy yellow feathers of a youngster.
The Carolina grasshoppers, aka “road-dusters”, which “ride out the Wisconsin winter exclusively as eggs buried in the soil,” have finally reached adult form, just in time for this heat wave, and fled before my feet every time I strode along the gravel path through the meadow at the north end. Seeing them fly, hearing the dog-day cicadas starting to sing, and feeling the heat of the sun sure make it feel like peak summer.
When I first saw this damselfly, I got all excited because it looked jet black but not shiny black like the ebony jewel wings I’ve seen, so I thought it might be a new species for us. When I took a picture, however, and overexposed it enough to bring out the color, I could see that it was just another one of our old pals, the American rubyspots. Oh well. It’s a pretty picture anyway.
This beauty, on the other hand, which we saw by the beer garden as soon as the 7 am group headed our, is out first summer azure of the year. I read that they survive the winter as pupae, in their chrysalises, and enter a state of suspended animation, called “diapause“, by “drastically lowering their metabolism and producing specialized sugars and proteins that act as natural antifreeze.” I’m sure glad to see that it worked!
Finally, here’s another red admiral in the weeds beside the soccer field, but this time showing us a little of the beautiful dorsal side of its wings and perched on a thistle blossom instead of just a green leaf.
I haven’t heard word that the Friends of Estabrook picnic at the beer garden has been canceled for tomorrow evening, so I still plan on being there. Join me if you can.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 