Solitary Solitary Sandpiper

As I walked down to the beach at the Metea County Park pond this morning I saw this lone SOLITARY SANDPIPER (Tringa solitaria) looking for a meal along the waters edge. The Sandpiper was content to let me get quite close, realizing that I was not there to eat it.  A week earlier we saw one or more of these birds sitting on the rocks that were sticking out of Cedar Creek and staring at the water.

Most Sandpipers prefer to nest on the ground but SOLITARY SANDPIPERS will nest in trees frequently taking over existing nests.  That is possibly why we are seeing this bird in wooded areas of the park.

The Mydas Touch

Although often mistaken for wasps, members of the family of Mydas Flies belong to the order DIPTERA (two winged) and so are true "flies".   Mydas Flies (Mydas clavatus) have a wingspan of about 2" and are distinguished by the orange band on the 2nd abdominal segment and clubbed antenae.  Adults are not commonly seen because their lifespan is so short. Mydas Fly eggs are laid in the soil but the larva are usually found in rotting wood on the forest floor. The larva are beneficial to gardeners because they feed heavily on June Beetles.  Adults will prey on other insects but also seem to feed on nectar.

This pair of mating Mydas Flies was photographed at the main gate flower gardens at Fox Island County Park. 

Females seem to be receptive to multiple suitors and another male was closely following all movements of the pair as they flew around the flowers.

Photos by J. Ormiston  7/24/14

"Orange and Black, better stay back!"

This adult Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle is filling up on my Swamp Milkweed.  The adult will lay eggs on the milkweed and the larva emerge and go through 4 instar stages before dropping to the soil and pupating.

We all know of the importance of the milkweed plant for the survival of the Monarch Butterfly but there are other insects that are dependent on milkweed for food and also have the distinctive orange/black coloration that tell insect predators to "BEWARE - I taste bad and carry toxins".  Some of these insects are the Milkweed Tiger Moth (Euchaetes egle), Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus),and the Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle (Labidomera clivicollis). Other insects that do not feed on milkweed plants but benefit from the orange/black coloration are the Viceroy Butterfly and the Milkweed Assassin Bug.  This group of insects display what is known as Milkweed Orange and Black Mimicry.

The Swamp Milkweed Leaf beetle overwinters as an adult by finding shelter in forested areas.

Photos: J. Ormiston,
 July, 2014

Got Milk - weed?

We all know that the Milkweed Family of plants is necessary for survival of the the Monarch Butterfly.  The ample blossoms of the common milkweed also supply nectar to this Hummingbird Clearwing Moth and  Ruby Throated Hummingbirds are frequently seen sipping from the blossoms of milkweed in the Fox Island Butterfly Garden.

Photo: J. Ormiston 7/1/2014 Fox Island Co. Park

My deodorant failed me!

This afternoon I walked out on the observation deck at the Fox Island Nature Center and immediately was amazed by the number of dragonflies and butterflies that were performing their aerial acrobatics over the deck.  Within seconds a butterfly landed on my shirt and I began fumbling for my mobile phone's camera button.  Eventually I retrieved the phone from the bottom of my pocket under the 5 pounds of keys I carry in that pocket.  By that time the butterfly was gone but quickly returned and landed on my hand.  By this time I was in a panic to get some pictures of this once in a lifetime event.  The phone camera clicked away as I took pictures to share with friends far and near.  Needless to say I was feeling pretty special and the butterfly seemed very content to stay on my hand working it's proboscis across my skin.

After several minutes the butterfly flew on it's way and I went to get more information on this insect that I was unfamiliar with. It seems this is a Hackberry Emperor Butterfly (Asterocampa celtis). The good thing is that this butterfly is known to regularly land on humans and appear very friendly.  The bad thing is that while the caterpillar only feeds on Hackberry leaves, the adult does not feed on nectar but rather rotted fruit and animal dung. When I read this I immediately had a flashback to the deck and the 3 piles of raccoon scat that I saw when I first walked onto the deck.  Since this afternoon I have washed my hand numerous times and have vowed to change my deodorant.

Fire Pink

Most conspicuous of the wild flowers on the Fox Island Upper Dune Trail is this small bright red flower called the FIRE PINK.  The reference to "pink" has nothing to do with the color of the petals but rather to the small notch at the end of each petal as if they had been cut with "pinking" shears.  Another name for this family of plants is "CATCHFLY" due to the sticky liquid produced by the flowers that traps insects that land on the petals.

Baltimore and Orchard Orioles

Male, Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula,  05-06-2014

Two years ago we had a pair of Baltimore Orioles stay for the entire summer raising two broods of young.  The male nearly beat himself to death defending his territory against his image in our sun room window. The next year we had zero Orioles.  What a disappointment. This year we have at least four males visiting our feeders.  We also have numerous Baltimore Orioles at Fox Island Park drinking from our hummingbird feeders.  Removing the bee guards makes it possible for the Orioles to feed at will.
The Baltimore Oriole takes it's name from Lord Baltimore because it's colors match the colors of the lord's coat of arms.

Male, Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius,  05-06-2014
Photo: Pat Ormiston, Allen Co., Indiana

Orchard Orioles are a smaller relative of the Baltimore, flying north to breed and then returning to their central America wintering grounds by August.