31 July, 2024
Who can resist going back often? Not us, to be sure.
Generally, large numbers of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) are present and on this occasion they seemed to gravitate to the neatly trimmed grass on the soccer field.
An Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) met us at the door, in a manner of speaking.
We spotted a Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) foraging on the ground and Miriam obtained this delightful shot as it lifted off.
I have tried, without success, to find the origin of its name. If there is a Swiss connection, I have no idea what it is.
A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) finds good hunting at Columbia Lake and it is rare that three or four are not stalking prey in different parts of the lake.
Shorebirds, well into their southbound migration, were fattening up for the rigours of the journey ahead, this Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) among them.
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) are mostly short-distance migrants, but they too need to provision for migratory flight.
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) breed farther south and earlier than most Nearctic shorebirds, and adults leave ahead of their young.
They do not migrate as far as other sandpipers and may be found in the wetlands of North, Central and northern South America in the non-breeding season.
Slender Spreadwings (Lestes rectangularis) were not uncommon, and sometimes alighted long enough for a picture.
About aphids I know almost nothing. I believe this is a type of Anthemid aphid in the genus Macrosiphoniella, but even at that I would decline to take a wager!
A Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) often perches at the top of a transmission tower, the better to scan for rodents and other potential prey.
If I were a novelist I would seize upon the Limentis butterflies for steamy tales of sex and intrigue. Such is the nature of their breeding habits. Here I present a White Admiral x Red-Spotted Purple (Limentis arthemis arthemis x astyanax) hybrid. I am sure you have that straight!
Maybe it's better to simply admire the butterfly and not worry about the machinations of its parentage.
I am always a little amused (and sometimes distressed) by the discussions around human sexuality and the various lifestyles practiced by different communities. There are so many variants (not deviants - variants) in nature, to render humans conservative by comparison.
A Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) seemed statuesque, waiting for the kiss of a maiden to be transformed into a prince.
A couple of Mallards (Anas platyrynchos) was happy to loaf away the afternoon.
A male American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is as perky and handsome as any bird you might ever meet.
We are very fortunate to enjoy the company of Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia), the world's largest tern, and a couple were cruising over the water in search of fish for dinner. Miriam managed these remarkable shots - remember we have very simple cameras, no expensive camera bodies or lenses that require a line of credit to buy. A good eye and a steady hand seem to be enough, it seems.
The terns will soon be leaving us, but you may be sure that we will visit Columbia Lake over and over again, in every season.
Perhaps we'll see you there!
Miriam's excellent eye and steady hand give us so much. Please thank her (and you).
ReplyDeleteShe is smiling broadly and thanking you in return.
DeleteGreat pictures of the terns. Geese on a soccer pitch - that sounds messy. Lucerne is the name we use for alfalfa - does the moth feed on the plant?
ReplyDeleteThe larvae do use alfalfa as a host plant, although not exclusively, so the connection to alfalfa may have something to do with the name.
Delete...it's easy to see why you visit Columbia Lake over and over again, in every season. I appreciate that you took me along to see the sights, I hope that we can go back again.
ReplyDeleteYou can count on it, Tom.
DeleteThat American Goldfinch looks absolutely stunning! Miriam is truly an excellent photographer. Those shots of Caspian Terns are exquisite.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great picture, isn’t it?
DeleteI'm always so happy to see all the different butterflies in your area, David. They are all so beautiful, and you have so many of them. Here I'm satisfied when I see two or three different butterflies.
ReplyDeleteHugs and kisses, Marit
Right now we have Monarch pupae and Giant Swallowtail caterpillars in the house, and two Polyphemus Moth pupae which should be hatching soon. It is fun to raise them indoors. Hugs and kisses - David
DeleteIt must be fantastic!
DeleteI wish your granddaughter could see it happen.
DeleteTerns are such fun to watch. I love how they dive and even more so how they manage to pull themselves up. And you sounded a little cranky in your comments this morning. Hope you have a good day .
ReplyDeleteNot cranky at all. Shocked. Can you imagine Kamala wanting to do something and saying, "Doug won't let me."?
DeleteI expect she meant something more like her husband doesn't want her to. Word choices can sometimes convey a meaning different from what we actually mean!
DeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteI, too, appreciate Miriam's wonderful images... and enjoyed your take on reproductive activity! On that... Lucerne is another name for alfalfa and I strongly suspect the Lucerne Moth is called that because it probably infests/breeds around crop fields of the stuff... YAM xx
Thank you, YAM. See John’s comment above.
DeleteSpectacular photo of the Macrosiphoniella! Also like the nice picture of that soccer field covered with canadian geeses :-)
ReplyDeletethe gold finch in the thistles is the winner of the day for me. and I do love that fence shot. so much beauty, so little time to see them all. I have photos on the blog of the butterfly in the air and on vines and all kinds of things if you decide to do a BOOK
ReplyDeleteI assumed you had very expensive cameras, because your close-ups of insects are so clear and sharp! Not to mention the extraordinary bird photos you two take. Impressive.
ReplyDeleteThat beautiful goldfinch! Awesome!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful place to be able to return numerous time. American Goldfinch is absolutely beautiful to see. Great series of photos of the flying Caspian Terns. Thanks for sharing, David and thanks to Miriam for taking the photos, they are fantastic.
ReplyDeleteShe is basking in the glow of your praise, Bill.
DeleteThe goldfinch is beautiful! Thistle is their super food. We see them when we bike, but they're in our backyard, too. Luckily, we have a stray thistle in our pampus grass.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful places like the one on Lake Columbia are something you keep coming back to. Wonderful birds, butterflies, dragonflies. I am delighted with the photo with Spinus tristis. Wonderful! Every photo is perfect. David, I love visiting your beautiful blog.
ReplyDeleteGreetings to Miriam and to you.
Gratuluję pięknych, udanych zdjęć rybitwy. To naprawdę trudna sztuka!
ReplyDeletePodziwiam też zdjęcia pozostałych ptaków i innych zwoarząt. Wygląda to tak, jakby wszystkie były waszymi przyjaciółmi. Zawsze warto wybrać się z Wami na spacer!
Los gansos, no han querido perderse el partido. Se ve que son aficinados del fútbol.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos David, loving all the birds :-D I love Miriam's photo of the Flicker, super. And love her photos of the Caspian Terns. The dragonflies and frog are super too. And those Mallards sure have the right idea. I liked your statement about the simple cameras and nothing fancy. Totally agree on a good eye and steady hand. I was out walking last week and met a guy and were chatting. He has a camera so my first question to him was did he get any good photos? And he was heading to the local pond and told him there were plenty good photo ops...lots of insects and a few baby coots. I ended up showing him my blog photos and other good photos I had taken. He said he thought I had a good eye for it! Which I was quite glad at. I am glad that you and other bloggers appreciate my photos.
ReplyDeleteOh and don't worry about the long comment the other day on the Robin post, it was interesting :-D
I'm always amazed at your photos of the dragonflies. Gossamer wings, as Cole Porter wrote.
ReplyDeleteLots of great photos and memories!
ReplyDeleteI spotted a flicker close to me today, but I was too slow, or it was too fast!
Absolutely fantastic photos by Miriam of those lovely terns and flicker! It's been a while since we've seen a flicker in our parts. I love how you are able to identify all the magic that crosses your paths.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, what a lovely tale! it seems that nature is full of more intriguing characters than any mystery novel, from frogs waiting for a kiss to butterflies with soap opera-worthy love stories :D those mallard lovebirds know exactly how to spend the afternoon: carefree and in good company. Definitely, with a good eye the world becomes a stage full of surprises.
ReplyDeleteKisses and hugs,
nite nite
dear friend of mine!
Ah, sweet little green frog! And all the other pictures - wonderful, as usual.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures of the terns David.
ReplyDeleteToo bad the geese are on the football field, they shit all over it.
I wish you a nice day.
Greetings Irma
If it was a baseball field it would give a whole new meaning to sliding into home plate!
DeleteThanks for taking us along. Lovely photos as always.
ReplyDeletelol, loved the geese on the footballfield :)
ReplyDeleteThe soccer players might not have liked it quite so much!
DeleteBeautiful pictures, beautiful Nature !
ReplyDeleteLove dragonflies that we rarely see here...
Have a shinny day !
Anna
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteGreat post again. Nice new footballteam ;-) Love the American Goldfinch, super that yellow! And the photos of the Caspian Tern in flight are outstanding. Marianne have just returned from a few days birding in the nordh of the Netherlands. We saw 14 Caspian Terns together, ready for bird migration!!! No pictures but seen trough the telescope. The frog and the butterfly super! And the photo of the Colaptes auratus is stunning!!
Cheers, Maria
Be sure to say hello to Marianne for me. I haven’t heard from her in years.
DeleteHuh. There is a bit of congestion at the football field. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures! Miriam is a fantastic photo-partner. You are very fortunate.
ReplyDeleteGangs on a football field.
ReplyDeleteUnique. In Europe they are not tolerated on a football pitch.
P.S
Visually we can go photograph the birds in the trees.
Dear David, the geese grazing on the football field are adorable 😍. You both managed to take some great nature photos of animals and plants. Oh, and there are "steamy tales of sex and intrigue" with butterflies? Fascinating nature! In my opinion, the Green Frog should be happy if he doesn't meet a princess. That only causes trouble; I think frogs have a quieter life than royals, as long as they don't meet storks or the like. (And as far as I know, in the original story the frog is not kissed, but thrown against the wall to transform. Not so nice...) The photos of the terns in flight are really very good - big compliment to Miriam.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes from Austria, Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2024/08/weltreise-2024-abschied-von-neuseeland.html
Miriam certainly has the required keen eye and steady hand! Her photos are fabulous and so delightful to see.
ReplyDeleteThese pictures are exceptional..Miriam has outdone herself..Thanks Miriam.. I have said more than once that your dialogue and her photographs or an unbeatable combination .. Thank you for sharing them with us. Columbia Lake is one of natures wonders. You are very fortunate to be close by. Hugs
ReplyDeleteWhen she reads all this praise we will have to enlarge the door frame to get her head through it!
DeleteWonderful outing and awesome sightings. The nature/wildlife captures are amazing.
ReplyDeleteTake care, enjoy your day!
So many breathtaking wonders, including your header. Love the frog waiting for his kiss:)
ReplyDeleteSo many wonderful photos ... the country fence with all it's charm, the little green frog that might be a price in disguise and, of course, you've added a gorgeous new header!
ReplyDeleteThose Caspian terns are fantastic -- you don't see those often. Well, maybe YOU do, but not me, so thanks for sharing them!
ReplyDeleteDelightful photos and interesting narration.
ReplyDeleteThat goldfinch is stunning, so different to the European one. Love your comments, you make me smile. Best wishes to you both. Bisous mon ami, Diane
ReplyDeleteI always find it funny that people think someone has a great camera because his/her photos are gorgeous. It's always the person behind the camera, and Miriam is an artist. I mean, would you say to someone when you're praising their cooked meal, "you must have a great stove"?
ReplyDeleteYour new blog header, taken from this post, is fantastic. As I said, Miriam is an artist. Please tell her so. Hugs - Carola
She really appreciates your remarks, Carola, and she is smiling broadly. She really got a good laugh out of your stove comment - and so did I.
DeleteYour new banner with the Goldfinch is gorgeous! WOW!
ReplyDeletewonderful photos of the tern in flight. and I like your new header picture.
ReplyDeleteUn gran reportaje querido amigo David. Las fotografías de Miriam super preciosas y ese jilguero amarillo me encanta. Abrazos para los dos.
ReplyDelete