ozark bill – Page 69 – A Thousand Acres of Silphiums

Birds of the Texas Gulf Coast – Common Nighthawk

birds, Texas Gulf Coast Birding, wildlife, wildlife photography

The Nighthawks were abundant and cooperative during our visit to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge.

Common Nighthawk - Caprimulgidae - Chordeiles minor - Anahuac NWR, TX. — Common Nighthawk – Caprimulgidae – Chordeiles minor – Anahuac NWR, TX.

common-nighthawk-caprimulgidae-chordeiles-minor-520a3427 — Common Nighthawk – Caprimulgidae – Chordeiles minor – Anahuac NWR, TX.

common-nighthawk-caprimulgidae-chordeiles-minor-520a2866 — Common Nighthawk – Caprimulgidae – Chordeiles minor – Anahuac NWR, TX.

Pelecinid Wasp

macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Parasitoids of insect larvae, the Pelecinid Wasp female uses her extremely large abdomen to thrust through soil to deposit eggs primarily on scarab beetles. I assume the family and genus names are derived from the Greek – pelicos, referring to the great size of the wasp. Females can reach lengths of up to 6 cm. No need to worry, these guys do not have stingers.

-OZB

Nesting Birds of Missouri – Red-bellied Woodpecker

birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

Red-bellied Woodpecker - Picidae - Melanerpes carolinus. Wild Acres Park, Overland MO. — Red-bellied Woodpecker – Picidae – Melanerpes carolinus. Wild Acres Park, Overland MO.

Today I watched as park workers cut down this tree at Wild Acres Park in Overland, MO, a municipality in St. Louis County. I estimate they have removed nearly 75% of all standing dead trees in this park during the last six months. This tree, that provided shelter and food to a number of Woodpeckers, the tree I watched and photographed an Olive-sided Flycatcher this past spring, two dead oaks that I watched Great-horned Owls display and duet in numerous times over the past 6+ years, a tree that provided a place for a nesting Great-horned Owl, dead snags near the pond that provided perches to herons and wood ducks that were stopping to rest on their way to somewhere more worthy. Even if the trees must come down due to “safety”, I wish that they would see the benefit that these trees can bring while decomposing in a forest. Lately, they are even hauling away the carcasses.

The original plans for the park when first established seem to suggest that the park was conceived to provide wildlife with an oasis amidst a suburban desert as much as it was to be a benefit to the humans with similar desires. I find little evidence in recent years that the park management has goals to this effect.

red-bellied-woodpecker-picidae-melanerpes-carolinus-520a2644 — Red-bellied Woodpecker – Picidae – Melanerpes carolinus. Wild Acres Park, Overland MO.

Mulberries and insects were what was on the menu when I was at the nest tree to watch.

red-bellied-woodpecker-picidae-melanerpes-carolinus-520a2618 — Red-bellied Woodpecker – Picidae – Melanerpes carolinus. Wild Acres Park, Overland MO.

As seems to be pretty typical of species that provide bi-parental care, the ratio of female to male visits seemed to be ~ 3:1… 😉

red-bellied-woodpecker-picidae-melanerpes-carolinus-520a2663 — Red-bellied Woodpecker – Picidae – Melanerpes carolinus. Wild Acres Park, Overland MO.

I’m not sure what the next couple of years might show me in the park. It sure looks as though there will be fewer resources for feathered friends.

red-bellied-woodpecker-picidae-melanerpes-carolinus-520a1750 — Red-bellied Woodpecker – Picidae – Melanerpes carolinus. Wild Acres Park, Overland MO.

-OZB

Meet the Slugs – Skiff Moth

macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

The highly variable colors and patterns of the skiff moth are hypothesized to mimic senescent/necrotic lesions on leaf surfaces. They often have paired white spots that are thought to mimic the eggs of the tachinid fly, a parasite that enters the caterpillar after hatching. These “egg mimics” are hypothesized to work by dissuading flies that may attempt to avoid depositing eggs on victims that were previously parasitized.

Skiff Moth - Limacodidae - Prolimacodes badia (4669). Hickory Canyon Natural Area – Sainte Genevieve Co, MO. — Skiff Moth – Limacodidae – Prolimacodes badia (4669). Hickory Canyon Natural Area – Sainte Genevieve Co, MO.

These guys remind me of the tornado chasing vehicles that were on those TV shows about a decade ago.

skiff-moth-limacodidae-prolimacodes-badia-4669-img_7765 — Skiff Moth – Limacodidae – Prolimacodes badia (4669). St. Francois State Park, St. Francois Co, MO.

This one was photographed on my wife, Sarah’s finger at Shaw Nature Reserve.

skiff-moth-limacodidae-prolimacodes-badia-4669-img_8609 — Skiff Moth – Limacodidae – Prolimacodes badia (4669). Shaw Nature Reserve, Franklin Co, MO.

Finally, I was able to photograph the adult during National Moth Night this summer.

skiff-moth-limacodidae-prolimacodes-badia-4669-img_7070 — Skiff Moth – Limacodidae – Prolimacodes badia (4669). Cuivre River State Park, Lincoln Co, MO.

-OZB

Birds of the Texas Gulf Coast

birds, Texas Gulf Coast Birding, wildlife, wildlife photography

A few birds from our birding trip to the Texas gulf coast during May 2016.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Tyrannidae - Tyrannus forficatus. East End Lagoon Preserve, Galveston TX. — Scissor-tailed Flycatcher – Tyrannidae – Tyrannus forficatus. East End Lagoon Preserve, Galveston TX.

Swainsons Hawk - Accipitridae - Buteo swainsoni. Anahuac NWR, TX. — Swainsons Hawk – Accipitridae – Buteo swainsoni. Anahuac NWR, TX.

Purple Gallinule - Rallidae - Porphyrio martinica. Anahuac NWR, TX. — Purple Gallinule – Rallidae – Porphyrio martinica. Anahuac NWR, TX.

Meet the Slugs – Nason’s Slug

macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

In my anecdotal experience of hunting for slug caterpillars over a six to eight week period this summer, the Nason’s slug (Natada nasoni – Hodges #4679) was by far the most abundant that I came across. This was particularly true in the drier, oak/hickory/pine hillsides of Hickory Canyon N.A. in Sainte Genevieve County.

nasans-slug-limacodidae-natada-nasoni-4679-img_7670 — Nason’s Slug – Limacodidae – Natada nasoni (4679). Horseshoe Bend Natural Area – Washington SP, Texas Co, MO.

This species is able to retract its spines, elongating them to their fullest with any notion of danger. These guys have pretty substantial spines and because the cats were so abundant, I found I was accidentally stung a few times while lifting vegetation. This was not a pleasant experience.

nasans-slug-limacodidae-natada-nasoni-4679-img_8286 — Nason’s Slug – Limacodidae – Natada nasoni (4679). Hickory Canyon Natural Area – Sainte Genevieve Co, MO.

I really enjoy the colors and patterns this species displays.

nasans-slug-limacodidae-natada-nasoni-4679-img_8281 — Nason’s Slug – Limacodidae – Natada nasoni (4679). Hickory Canyon Natural Area – Sainte Genevieve Co, MO.

The image below was one that I had previsualized and worked a good bit on to get it right. I used my plamp to hold the leaf and attached the plamp to a dead limb to position the leaf high enough to get the leaf and caterpillar back lit by the sun. I then used just a bit of flash to illuminate the ‘face’ of the caterpillar and the underside of the leaf. In cases where I removed the leaf to get a photo, I always placed the leaf securely back on the same plant.

nasans-slug-limacodidae-natada-nasoni-4679-img_8406 — Nason’s Slug – Limacodidae – Natada nasoni (4679). Hickory Canyon Natural Area – Sainte Genevieve Co, MO.

-OZB

Derbid Plant Hopper

macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Derbid Planthopper – Derbidae – Apache degeerii.
Photographed 08-13-16 at Cuivre River State Park, Lincoln Co, MO.

derbid-planthopper-derbidae-apache-degeerii-img_7308 — Derbid Planthopper – Derbidae – Apache degeerii

Meet the Slugs – Stinging Rose Caterpillar

macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Stinging Rose Caterpillar -Limacodidae - Parasa Intermedia (4699). Cuivre River State Park, Lincoln Co, MO. — Stinging Rose Caterpillar -Limacodidae – Parasa intermedia (4699). Cuivre River State Park, Lincoln Co, MO.

Arguably the most stunning of Missouri’s slug moth caterpillars, the Stinging Rose Caterpillar can most often be found on oak and hickory saplings. However, a number of other woody species (including those in the rose family) will also be used as host plants.

stinging-rose-caterpillar-limacodidae-parasa-intermedia-4699-img_8884 — Stinging Rose Caterpillar -Limacodidae – Parasa intermedia (4699). Horseshoe Bend Natural Area – Washington SP, Texas Co, MO.

This is one of the species I voluntarily allowed to sting me – it wasn’t that bad, perhaps a mild ‘stinging-nettle’ type of experience that was gone in 30 minutes or so.

stinging-rose-caterpillar-limacodidae-parasa-intermedia-4699-img_7609 — Stinging Rose Caterpillar -Limacodidae – Parasa intermedia (4699). Horseshoe Bend Natural Area – Washington SP, Texas Co, MO.

The image below shows a little of the variety of color and patterns that can be found in this species, this one showing more of a yellow/orange background. Some animals can be found that are completely yellow.

stinging-rose-caterpillar-limacodidae-parasa-intermedia-4699-img_8877 — Stinging Rose Caterpillar -Limacodidae – Parasa intermedia (4699). Horseshoe Bend Natural Area – Washington SP, Texas Co, MO.

-OZB

Meet the Slugs…

macro, wildlife

Crowned Slug -Limacodidae - Isa textula (4681) — Crowned Slug -Limacodidae – Isa textula (4681). Photographed at Hickory Canyon NA, Ste. Genevieve County, MO.

I’m sharing three different slugs tonight. First up is arguably one of the more attractive of this group, the Crowned Slug.

crowned-slug-limacodidae-isa-textula-4681-img_8339 — Crowned Slug -Limacodidae – Isa textula (4681). Photographed at Hickory Canyon NA, Ste. Genevieve County, MO.

Next up is the spineless, Yellow-shouldered Slug.

yellow-shouldered-slug-limacodidae-lithacodes-fasciola-4665-img_8201 — Yellow-shouldered Slug – Limacodidae – Lithacodes fasciola (4665). Photographed at Cuivre River State Park, Lincoln County, MO.

Last of all is the Purple-crested Slug. This is the only individual of this species I was able to find this year.

Purple-crested slug - Limacodidae - Adoneta spinuloides (4685) — Purple-crested slug – Limacodidae – Adoneta spinuloides (4685). Photographed at Cuivre River State Park, Lincoln County, MO.

-OZB

Location Spotlight – Return to Mingo NWR and Wilderness

birds, herps, mammals

Mingo - Monopoly Marsh — Mingo – Monopoly Marsh

Way back in April, Steve and I grabbed the canoe and took another adventure into Mingo. We believe we were a bit too early in a long spring to catch a lot of wildlife activity, but we did catch a few sites worth remembering. For instance, this single Coot allowed us to get pretty close as we were just getting inside Monopoly Marsh.

American Coot - Mingo Wilderness — American Coot – Mingo Wilderness

Along with water-loving avifauna, certain reptiles can usually be a sure thing to find at Mingo. I heard the expected usual whimpering from the back of the canoe as I attempted to get a steady shot of this Cottonmouth that was trying to absorb some sun on this cool April morning. 😉

cottonmouth-520a9462 — American Coot – Mingo Wilderness

One of the more destructive and unfortunate of invasive species to be found in Missouri, the Feral Hog has a strong foothold at Mingo. Polluting water, destroying vegetation, negatively altering natural communities and competing with native wildlife for acorns and other food sources are the major examples of the damages caused by this invasive. The Missouri Department of Conservation has recently announced new policy that should make significant improvements in reducing the numbers of Feral Hogs in the Missouri Ozarks.

520a9259 — Not as Cute as they Seem! – Feral Hogs, Mingo Wilderness

Finally, we have one of the expected and desired of Mingo’s mammals – the Virginia Opossum. This nicely colored possum didn’t mind that Steve and I watch as it had a mid-day snack.

Virginia Opossum - Mingo NWR — Virginia Opossum – Mingo NWR

-OZB