A fly.

I originally wrote this during the summer, but then left it behind.  So today I dug it out and did a complete rewrite.

With the way this summer had been going, and now the fall and I can see winter isn't going to be much different, I thought going back and taking another look at things might be helpful. Or not. I had stopped by the Boy Scout Camp as I try to do several times a week. It's usually quiet and from a distance, doesn't look like a real happening place.  But it is. From April to October you can usually find something to hold your interest, and hen again you should be able to do that anywhere.  Just pay attention. Look around.

I say a fly of the same specie flying, hovering near the ground, making short stabbing like flights towards the ground. Looking more carefully you would have seen small holes that these motions were being directed to. Nothing should ever go unnoticed. I thought that the fly was laying eggs in the tunnels  and that those eggs would hatch and then the larva would parasitize the inhabitant of the hole. It happens,parasites are everywhere.

Most people don't pay attention, we're too busy talking to someone else, have too much on our minds, etc. We're never really in the moment. Too bad, you miss a lot.

I went further along,going back towards the jeep, and saw this little, black fly on the ground. I stopped, got down on my knees, and poked him (or her) with my finger. It sidestepped a millimeter or so. Not much. That got my curiosity up. Very nearby, there was a hole, and after running back to get a camera (rule one,never leave your camera) I went back, took a couple of shots and looked at the hole. There in the hole, was a skin like thing just barely poking out. You would never have noticed it,honest. I got my forceps out and very carefully pulled out a husk .  Back at home I would sit down and take a better look .

The fly is one of Antrax species, some of which are  parasites of solitary wasps. Now there are in the area that I found this one, lots of bees,mining bees. But also tiger beetles. And at least on,Anthrax analis, parasitizes tiger beetles.  The husk that I found shows, (now this is cool,) a fly front and the rear end of a tiger beetle larva. I would post a photo,but it doesn't show.  I'm not sure if this fly is A. aralis,  but it made my walk much more interesting.

And yes, I still have the skin.

Freeze up

But it might change.  It was 4 above this morning, by Sunday night,rain.

Getting closer to freeze up.

Kennebago River, Cloutman Ridge in the background.

Pileated woodpecker holes,unlucky ants.

Getting colder, the river edges are beginning to freeze.

It always happens this way. A steady pull, back and forth between warm and cold. The past few days have been cold and snowy. By midweek, we are expecting rain. Back and forth.  Some of the smaller ponds are ice covered, the big lakes are still open, but that will be changing too. The cold will win out, it just takes time.

A couple of weeks a ago..

The day was dead calm & warm.

Mooselookmeguntic Lake

Rangeley Lake looking towards Rangeley

From left to right: Mooseloolmeguntic, Bald Mt and Rangeley Lake

Deer Mt

And now,it's getting colder and we have snow.

Sunset, November 24,2010

Thanksgiving Eve.

It's getting cold, and it was snowing all day yesterday. Late afternoon, the clouds parted and the sun closed the day.

If you look carefully, you can see a sun pillar. Light reflects off of ice crystals that are falling. You usually see these around sunrise and sunset.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Cluster flies,oaks and hawthorns.

I see it's been a while since my last post. Too much going on, not enough time outside. We've had a few days of snow, and after each storm it melts over the next few days. he leaves are long gone, and as usual November keeps us guessing about what the winter will be like.

One of the reasons I haven't been out is taking care of my mother. Waves of dementia and the trials of Parkinson's makes getting out hard, and when I do get out the only thing I can do is just walk. I can also use the excuse of there's not much going on outside that gets my attention.

A while ago,I was out before sunrise walking with one of my cats and in the early morning gloom I saw a large-ish bird fly by. You don't normally see birds flying at that time of the morn, so I really started paying attention. Rupert was hanging back about 20 feet, and as I turned  I saw the bird circling and kind of swooping towards him. I turned my flashlight on and then I could see a barred owl.  Now Rupert is bigger than the owl, but the barred has longer talons, and I didn't want to take any chances.

The coyotes have been quite vocal this fall. They don't sound like your garden variety, Hollywood coyotes. They sound like demons. Having them let loose only feet from the house will waken you faster than being shot up with adrenaline. I keep wanting to record them, but it's not easy. And they keep tearing apart my compost pile. Rotten fruit seems to get their interest. Just what we need, buzzed coyotes.

We are having our yearly infestation of cluster flies. It can put the Amityville Horror to shame. Cluster flies are parasitic to earthworms and originally come from Europe. In the fall they like to seek out warm places to overwinter and houses work out very well. Too well.

Rangeley is just outside of the range of oaks in Maine. There are plenty of them down at Small's Falls, about a dozen miles away, but past there, nothing. But we do have some that had been planted in town, and if you look carefully enough, you may find an errant sapling. So I would say 1500' above sea level at 45 degrees north is  too much for them. But I know someone will make me a liar, but that's biology for ya. I only mention oaks because their leaves are still hanging,in other words they are on my radar.

But the hawthorn, well that is a surprise. I haven't seen any in the area and walking by the field last apring, I saw this plant,well,shrub that looked out of place. It's only a foot high, you wouldn't even notice it with all of the grass around it.  I may contact Arthur Haines and see what he thinks.

That's about all I can come up with for now. Snow and rain is in the forecast for here this week,maybe I will get out and post some photos soon.

Acadia National Park

I really needed to get away after my dog's passing, and after very short notice I took a quick trip to Acadia National Park. Just some time to clear my mind, get use to the new normal and recoup.  It worked.

Everybody says the same thing, Acadia is a special place. The hiking is great, the natural history is incredible and the whole feeling of the island is just sublime.

Hunter Beach

View from Huguenot Head

Twilight

  

Acadia sunset

Otter Point

Sand Beach

Crow

Herring Gull

The Porcupine Islands

October 15 storm

Hunter Beach rock group

New England Autumn

Dixville Notch, New Hampshire

Magalloway River, Wilsons Mills,Maine

Aziscohos Mt, Wilsons Mills,Maine

West Richardson Pond,Maine

I meant to post this a while ago, but things more important took over.

Cricket

Cricket

Yesterday, my best friend and dog passed away at home. I miss her beyond belief, she was a great companion and we shared a lot of really good times together. I feel honored to have had the time with her.
I miss and love you ,Bug.

Rangeley River

Standing on the edge of the river watching the sun going down.

twitter?

I've gone and done it and signed up for Twitter.
Woofer will be there too.
Just a little while and I'll add a app or whatever for it,or them.

Just a little thing for real time or close to real time happenings,if I feel like it or a rant.

Butterflies.

American Lady
(Vanessa virginiensis)

Monarch
(Danaus plexippus)

Unlike last year's wet summer, this year has been hot and dry. And incredibly rich in the butterfly world.
I haven't been able to continue with the Maine Butterfly Survey, there's been no time.


Butterflies of New England (North Woods Naturalist Guides)

Summer, Temple Stream.

An early morning appointment in Farmington. Afterwards a walk down a trail.

Temple Stream

Temple Stream: A Rural Odyssey

Sunflower

I know, something so cliched , so common. Everyone paints,photographs needlepoints, well you get the picture.

But these are mine.