It’s a sunny and warm morning as I cautiously drive south from Walton Rd., on a private 2-track through cropland, for my 14th encounter with Salt Creek where I’m greeted by its flowing water and the song of a Yellowthroat. Along the bank, I spot a patch of invasive Dame’s Rocket with both white and pink blossoms as well as a 1-inch Bluet damselfly perched on Orchard grass flowers. In the lush vegetation, I spot a ¼-inch Onion maggot fly resting on a Nettle leaf. The maggots (larvae)are a common and often serious insect pest of plants in the onion family including onion, leeks, shallots, garlic, and chives. Onion maggots feed below ground on host bulbs, producing tunnels and damaging bulb tissue. Nearby, on a dewy leaf, I observe a 1/8-inch baby land snail with its soft shell and semi-transparent body. These tiny gastropods grow remarkably fast, but very few reach one year of age. In general, snails are victims of numerous predators and young individuals are even more vulnerable because of their incomplete development. Next, I drive south and stop at the Vroman Rd. bridge to watch the creek water flow by while hearing a chorus of birds, including a Redwing Blackbird. Up ahead on the muddy shore, I see lots of tracks where deer gathered for a drink. Nearby, I spot a never-before-seen, ¾-inch White-striped Black moth. Active during the day, this moth can be attracted by jingling keys. The striped wing produces a flickering effect in flight, possibly helping the moth escape predators. After pausing to hear a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, I come upon some fresh scat of a Raccoon that feasted on corn a short time ago. Crossing to the other side of the creek, I first notice the white blossoms of Maple-leaf Viburnum and then a honeybee feeding on wild Raspberry blossoms. For my final stop, I’m on the Wise Rd bridge watching the creek flow through a channel littered with dead branches while listening to a chorus of songbirds. On a downed tree spanning the creek, I get a brief glimpse of a never-before-seen 1-inch Megarhyssa wasp. This particular specimen is a male wasp. The long tail is not a stinger pointing out of its body, but the wasp’s extra-long abdomen. Female wasps have an extremely long, slender ovipositor or egg-laying tube (stock photo). Making my way toward the car through a sun-lit meadow, I spot two resting butterflies, a Cabbage white and a Pearl Crescent. Finally, near the car, I see at patch of Shepherd’s Purse as well as a lovely blossom of Goat’s Beard.
Comes a pair of deer
Out of a resting rock
Centipedes appear
Out of cattail cover
Heron takes to flight
Out of a rotting log
Beetle comes in sight
Out of a leafless tree
Comes a noisy Jay
Everywhere I look
Nature on display
D. DeGraaf
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