Advertisement She began by taking a few sweeps with her front legs to clear an area then moved over the spot to continue digging in earnest with her hind legs. For some reason she chose to scoop out her nest where some sparse grass was growing rather than picking a more typical open area. Despite the extra work, she managed to dig a four-inch deep hole in half an hour.
 |
Photo by Jim Solberg |
I thought she would go deeper and was waiting to get a picture of her laying the eggs, but she surprised me again. She must have laid the eggs while she seemed to be resting from her efforts.
When she started moving her hind legs again she pushed soil back into the hole, not out, so I knew I had missed the big moment.
Her shell blocked any view I might have had of the eggs and I didn’t want to intrude by getting too close. I settled for watching her fill in the hole to cover her brood, but I would have loved to know how many eggs she laid while I thought she was resting.
I left her to finish the chore in peace after about an hour. Since this was my first view of painted turtle motherhood, I’m not sure if she was fast or slow compared to others. She seemed quite efficient to me.
I hope the eggs remain unmolested but I suspect that a raccoon or opossum could easily find them before they get a chance to hatch. In nature’s plan, most of the eggs or babies become food for other animals, birds or fish.
I can keep an eye on the nest to see if the eggs make it, so I’ll let you know.
Be sure to watch for mother turtles on the roads near our waterways in the next few weeks so they get the chance to lay their precious eggs.
Dandelion diving
During the Memorial Day holiday many fields in the Coulee Region were filled with the fluffy seed heads of the ubiquitous dandelion. The seeds were being dispersed far and wide on wispy little fibers shaped more or less like tiny parachutes. No wonder they are so hard to keep out of our lawns.
Though most of them had gone to seed, I found a few dandelions still sporting bright yellow blossoms around Coon Valley. A few small bees had also found the flowers, but when I looked closer, I noticed that some medium sized brown ants were also feeding on a few of the blossoms.
Unlike most bees, which probe flowers with extended mouthparts, the ants were small enough to dive right through the petals, stigmas and anthers of the numerous small flowers that make up the dandelion blossom. Each dandelion blossom is actually a collection of tinier flowers called florets. That’s why the dandelion family is called the Compositae.
The outer rim of the dandelion blossom is composed of ray florets that simply help attract insects while the center is composed of numerous reproductive disc florets, which have a curly female stigma surrounded by fused male stamens and a fused petal.
The ants I saw seemed to be chewing or drinking at the bases of the disc florets and would push their way to the center of the blossom to get at them. Often some of their six feet comically flailed around above them as they tried to get a grip on something.
Biting flies ready
While on the way to do a frog survey in Clark County, Wis., last week, I stopped to explore for awhile in the Black River State Forest in Jackson County. While there I noticed that ponds and low areas were filled with water from recent rains. I also noticed that the deer flies and the larger horseflies were out and about looking for their meals of blood.
The two are represented by about 30 species in Wisconsin and they all belong to the family Tabanidae. As with the mosquitoes, it is the females of the species that need a blood meal to produce their eggs. Unlike mosquitoes, though, the mouthparts are composed of sliding knifelike blades that saw their way through the skin. Needless to say, this process is rather painful.
Even before biting the tabanids are particularly annoying because they buzz obnoxiously around the head and upper body of their intended victim looking for a good landing site. When they bite, anti-coagulating agents help the flow of blood. These chemicals can cause allergic-type itching adding to the misery they cause. In some cases severe swelling can occur around the bite area.
Deerflies and horseflies are attracted to dark clothing, carbon dioxide and movement, so it is hard to avoid them. And, unfortunately, repellents don’t completely deter the nasty pests so one must wear long sleeves, hats and keep alert to where they land. I swing a small towel or cap to deter them and occasionally nail one when it lands. When they get really bad though, there is little to do but retreat to the car, tent or cabin.
Whaditiz
It was a male purple finch, which ironically is not really purple.
Send comments or critter alerts to Jim Solberg at nitefrogger@charter.net or (608) 782-2560.
