The Heron, Ducks, and Prints

Below are pictures of the Great Blue Heron from one of today's adventures. My husband and I refer to him as "the" blue heron as we have a blue heron that visits our pond each spring and summer. We're not sure if it is the same bird who visits each year, but it is likely. Treating him as a frequent visitor, we have given him a title and a designated sex. However, we can't determine the latter detail either. I suppose we could try, but I'm not going there! 

 

We also had names for some of our resident ducks who stay at the pond year round. This includes Fat White Duck for the largest Pekin Duck and Mallard Body Guard for the mallard who seemed to protect the Fat White Duck. As these two ducks have either relocated or passed away, we now refer to all of the Pekin Ducks as Fat White Ducks. A new mallard has joined the remaining three Pekins. He is the new Mallard Body Guard.

 

Yes, we are people without pets who enjoy naming the wildlife. Call us crazy, but we'll just call it fun!

 

Enough silliness! I want to talk a little about the Great Blue Heron. I have only seen Great Blue Herons catch and eat fish. However, I recently discovered that they also eat frogs, crayfish, and snakes! Other foods include insects, mice, and other small animals due to the shape of their bill. Look how long and spear like the bill is in the pictures below. It allows them to capture a variety of prey. It gives the heron maneuverability and powerful piercing. Their jaws are strong too, allowing them to stun or kill prey before swallowing. It is fun to watch them eat too. Once the bird catches its prey it gulps it down. It's interesting to watch the throat expand as the food slides down to be digested.

 

 

 

The Great Blue Heron

 

The Great Blue Heron circling the pond for food.

 

Ready to strike for lunch?

 

The Great Blue Heron can spread its wings to seven feet long! They can fly between 20 to 30 miles per hour.

 

This is where the Great Blue Heron flew to after I took too many pictures. I tried to follow him unnoticed, but decided to leave him here so he could focus on his lunch.

 

Duck crossing! Be careful!

 

The ducks are posing for their glamour shot.

 

What dirty duck beaks! Ducks love digging in the mud on rainy days for tasty treats. 

The geese left wet prints on the sidewalk.

Links

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Wild Life Adventures

These pictures are from a few Sundays ago. More critters have been captured on film! I love this time of year when it is nice to be outside. Searching and discovering different creatures is an adventure for me. I just try not to remember that spiders exist in the world when I'm out hunting for life forms! They're not my favorite friends. I respectfully acknowledge their existence, then step away. I will stick to photographing creatures who appear to be more friendly. What are your preferences? Do you have a favorite animal or a creepy crawly you shy away from?

 

 

 

A frog!

 

 

A close up shot of the frog in the previous photograph.

 

 

There is a frog in this picture. Can you find it?

 

 

This is a close up of the frog from the previous photograph. It is still difficult to see. It blends in well!

 

 

This is the first tadpole I have found this spring!

 

 

To the left are squirrel prints, in the center including the large print by the water are raccoon prints, and to the right by the stick are dog prints.

 

On the left are squirrel prints. On the right an animal was digging. It's possible that the squirrel that left the prints did the digging.

 

 

Mushrooms! Never eat mushrooms you find unless you know what you are looking for. There are edible species of mushrooms in Maryland including the Honey Mushrooms and Crown-Tipped Fungus. However, many are inedible and some can be deadly if ingested. Inedible mushrooms species can look similar to species that are edible. Please consult an expert before going mushroom hunting. 

 

 

These ants are carrying a caterpillar.

 

 

 

Garden Progress

 

Our tomatoes are getting huge! They are ready to be transferred to larger pots. We are only keeping one of them, however. The other two will get new homes. If we had room, I would plant them all. I am more than thrilled to have one in our small garden though. We have to save room for other veggies if we want a variety.

 

 

This is a close up of one of the Super Sioux Tomatoes. The oval shaped leaves are the cotyledon. These are present before the seed germinates. The leaves sprouting off to the left and the right with three points to them, are the true leaves. These are produced after germination. The plant will continue to produce these leaves until its growth period has ended.

 

 

Our basil finally popped up about a week ago! To the left and the right are the cotyledon. The tiny leaves in the middle are the true leaves beginning to develop.

 

 

 

Our latest arrivals are the parsley plants. They popped up just a couple of days ago! I planted a few extra seeds thinking that they weren't going germinate. However, the first ones planted have managed to push their way through the soil. They may have taken a little longer than usual as parsley likes to geminate at temperatures around seventy degrees. It was much chillier than that when we started planting. I may have buried them a little deeper than I should have too. Parsley also has a long germination period of 14 to 21 days. Despite all of their challenges, they're here now!

 

Related Links

 

Planting Begins!

 

We Have Babies! 

 

Growth Spurt

 

Cotyledons

 

How Our Garden Grows

 

Lizard Update

 

 

Last week I posted this garden visitor on Butterflies & Dirt. Today I received feedback on my photograph from the Maryland Amphibian & Reptile Atlas page. According to the commenter, the lizard above is a skink. More specifically, it is possibly a five-lined skink. That was one of my guesses! Next time, I'll have to be more bold and stick to one answer. Or maybe I'll become a pro at identifying lizard species! 

It is possible for me to become more skilled in identification with all of the wildlife that has been active around here lately. I saw two more lizards this past Tuesday. Both had blue on them and looked similar to the lizard in the second photograph from my post on Friday. Below is a picture of a pipe. I know this is not terribly exciting, but there was lizard climbing up the brick wall in between the pipe. The other lizard was on the ground in the mulch. Maybe next time, I'll be a little more careful not to scare them away so I can take a proper photograph! I get so excited when I discover a critter, I forget to calm down and be quiet so I can enjoy observing longer!

 

 

Lizard was here. It is no more!

Disclaimer: I have not been paid for mentioning any websites or organizations. The links are provided for educational purposes.

 

Froggy Adventures

On Saturday my husband and I found many creatures in the stream behind our apartment building. As we walked along the water's edge, frog after frog leapt into the creek. I have posted a few of the discoveries from our walk. There was much more activity on our trip then what is captured in the few pictures below. However, it's still possible to catch a glimpse of the adventure. Have fun!

 

This is possibly an American Bullfrog or a Northern Green Frog.

 

Can you find the frog?

 

I love the bright green on this frog!

 

Someone has been here! These are deer tracks.

 

 

This is a gentle reminder to dispose of trash properly. It doesn't just disappear. It has to go somewhere. Please also consider reusing and recycling when possible before disposing of any item.

 

Related Links

 

Field Guide to Maryland's Frogs & Toads

 

 

 

 

Outdoor Adventures

I had to share some pictures from my walk on Friday. It was so beautiful outside I couldn't keep myself from posting these. The flowers in the pictures below have fallen off the rest of the way. I'm glad I was able to capture the moment. I hope you enjoy them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Garden Visitor

 

May 8, 2014. Lizard hiding behind planter. (Please click photo to enlarge.)

 



I went outside to water the tomatoes yesterday and discovered a lizard basking in the sun! I would have had a better picture, but I was fumbling around with batteries in my camera. I managed to get a quick picture before it scrambled away.

 

In September, there was also a lizard spotted in the garden. This one had blue on it! It's possibly the same lizard I saw yesterday as a juvenile, but I'm not an expert in this area so I'm just guessing. I uploaded pictures onto the Maryland Amphibian & Reptile page. If my pictures aren't too small, maybe my visitors will be identified. I suppose I could take a guess, however, out of the six species of lizards that exist in Maryland. I think it is either a Common Five-lined Skink or the Broad-headed Skink. If I go by size between the two, I would lean toward the Broad-headed Skink as they can grow to be a little over 12 inches long according to a field guide on lizards by Maryland's Department of Natural Resources. The creature I found yesterday was about twelve inches long. As you can see in the picture above, the lizard's tail accounts for most of the length.

 

If I get feedback from the pictures, I will do another post with the results. Or, if you happen to be an expert on lizards, I would love to hear your thoughts!

 

 

September 20, 2013. Lizard basking in sun on planter. (Please click photo to enlarge.)

 

Related Links

 

Lizard Update

 

Disclaimer: I have not been paid for mentioning any websites or organizations. The links are provided for educational purposes.

 

Cotyledons

 

Did you know that the leaves in picture above are called cotyledons? These baby Super Sioux Tomatoes have not yet developed what are referred to as their true leaves. Cotyledon means seed leaf as the cotyledon are part of the seed plant's embryo. In other words, they are present prior to germination. True leaves develop post-embryonically (after germination) and are distinctly different in appearance. Prior to germination, the cotyledon store food for the plant. When the cotyledon emerge, they provide the tomato plant with a means for photosynthesis. True leaves, however, are better at this job. Also, not all species' cotyledon are photosynthetic.


Eventually, cotyledon die and fall off. If they have not died off before my husband and I prepare for transplanting, we usually bury them in the soil in the new pot. This helps the plant focus its energy on new growth.


Sources:

 

Oxford University Press. Dictionary of Biology. 5th ed. New York: Oxford, 2004. Print.

 

Related Pages:

 

To read about the initial planting please visit Planting Begins!

 

To continue this series please visit Garden Progress.

Growth Spurt

On the evening of my last post, a new tomato baby arrived! The babies experienced a growth spurt. Below is a picture of the tots posing for the camera today. Enjoy!

 

Super Sioux Tomatoes (Please click to enlarge the photograph.)

 

 

• To read about the initial planting please visit Planting Begins!
• To follow the progress of the growing vegetables from day one please visit We Have Babies!
• Do you want to learn about Cotyledons?
• To continue the journey please read about our Garden Progress and How Our Garden Grows.

                                                                                            

We Have Babies!

My husband has been eagerly hovering over our planters since we started our garden. Today, he finally spotted some seedlings pushing through the soil. Two of the baby tomatoes are here! One has not poked through the dirt yet, but we are hoping it will arrive soon. The herbs are taking their time as well. While we are waiting, it might be time to prep for our other vegetables!

I photographed our new arrivals, on the bottom left and bottom right, but it might be difficult to see the tiny babies. Both little ones are in the center of each pot mentioned. They are a light yellow color and are about the length of someone pushing a sewing needle in and out for a tight stitch. Please click on the picture if you need to enlarge it. Thanks for checking out our babies! 


To read about the initial planting please visit Planting Begins! or continue the journey with Growth Spurt.

Old Shoes

When it is time to replace a pair of shoes I have found reasonable options for the old pair. It can be nice to have an old pair of tennis shoes around for dirty jobs. Some people like to save a pair for mowing the lawn, for painting, or for messy arts and crafts. Personally, I tend to hang onto one pair of sneakers until they are worn out. When I am ready, I buy a new pair at my local shoe store. I donate the old set to the store and walk home in my freshly purchased sports shoes. The old shoes are sent to an organization called Soles 4 Souls. This program collects new and used shoes and clothing gives them to people in need. I will post the link below, if you are interested in pursuing this route. However, I encourage you to check your local shoe stores or thrift stores regarding the types of programs available as this particular organization may not be in your area.

For shoes that are beyond wear, Nike accepts donations for shoes. The donated shoes are grinded into a pulp and used to make surfaces such as tracks and tennis courts. There are drop off locations at some of Nike’s retail stores. If there isn’t a store near you, the shoes can be shipped. Before I discovered the Soles 4 Souls program at my local store, I shipped old shoes to Nike. Since I don’t have a location near me, I used to wait until I collected several pairs of old shoes and then I would ship them. It is cheaper if you can find a location or another program in your area as you do have to pay shipping.

Please share how you reuse or recycle your old shoes. Have you ever used a boot as planter? I have not tried this myself, though I have seen some lovely pictures! I would love to hear your creative ideas. If you have pictures that would be wonderful as well.

Related Links

• Soles 4 Souls
• Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe

Click on FAQ on their website to find a location near you or mail shoes here:

Nike Grind Processing
3552 Avenue of Commerce
Memphis, TN 38125

Disclaimer

I have not been paid for mentioning any products or organizations. These are my opinions based on personal experience.