Bona Dea insect, plant, Update

Bona Dea was hot and humid as usual today. I went to Old Shorty Trail next to the main parking lot. I saw a mature May Apple. I took some photos of the plants and blooms in early Spring. They are again shown here. They show the white May Apple blooms and then the plants. Today I saw the mature May Apple seed pod that the white blooms turn in to. You can see why they are named apple as the seed pod looks like the green apple fruit. Also, I saw something rather interesting and wanted to share it with you. I saw a Cicada insect exo-skeleton or dry shell. This is shown here as the brown shell is split open as you can see. The mature Cicada emerges or molts from this shell. Another picture shows what the emerged insect looks like. These insects start to make a unified singing sound all around the place when it gets dark this time of year. This is the life cycle explanation of this insect: "After mating, the female cuts slits into the bark of a twig, and into these she deposits her eggs. She may do so repeatedly, until she has laid several hundred eggs. When the eggs hatch, the newborn nymphs drop to the ground, where they burrow. Most cicadas go through a life cycle that lasts from two to five years. Some species have much longer life cycles, such as the North American genus, Magicicada, which has a number of distinct "broods" that go through either a 17-year or, in the South of the USA, a 13-year life cycle. These long life cycles both happen to be prime numbers, perhaps developed as a response to predators such as the cicada killer wasp and praying mantis.^[11][12][13] A predator with a shorter life cycle of at least 2 years could not reliably prey upon the cicadas.^[14]

Cicadas live underground as nymphs for most of their lives, at depths ranging from about 30 cm (1 ft) down to 2.5 m (about 8½ ft). The nymphs feed on root juice and have strong front legs for digging.

In the final nymphal instar, they construct an exit tunnel to the surface and emerge. They then molt (shed their skins), on a nearby plant for the last time and emerge as adults. The abandoned skins remain, still clinging to the bark of trees." I hope you found this as interesting as I did.

Bona Dea traffic accident Update

Bona Dea has been sunny and hot and humid over the past several days. Rain has been threatened in the late afternoons but no rain. Sometime in the last few hours to current time, there was a traffic accident at the parking area where I usually park. This is on the Dike road between Bona Dea and Lake Dardanelle. These 5 photos shows the site of the accident as a vehicle went through the iron railings along the dike and the parking area and then down the embankment and close to or into the lake. There was a gasoline slick in the water near the bank. I fed the fish at the spillway and went on Swinging Bridge Trail and down by old Swinging Bridge and then over to Beaver Trail. There were some Blue Jay and Redwing Blackbirds and Eastern King birds around the park as well as several Northern Cardinals. A few single Wood Ducks in the water ponds. Also the past few days, Belted Kingfisher birds were hunting for fish.

Bona Dea Update

Bona Dea was sunny, hot and humid. Nothing new there these days. Yesterday on Old Shorty Trail, I took this photo of a Silver Maple Tree. What is unique about this type tree is that when the wind blows you can see the silver color on the bottom side of the leaves. Also saw a Brown Creeper bird. They sorta look like a wren but they stay real close to the bark of trees. This one was working real hard at the bottom of a tree trunk. Today, Tuesday, I went on Swinging Bridge Trail and at the spillway fed the fish and Mr. Flathead Catfish came back for a snack. And one Musk Turtle got its share. The Green Herons must have left their nest by the spillway. Some predator may have gotten the eggs or scared them off. Me going there all the time may not have helped. Also saw this Yellow Bellied Water snake at the bottom of the spillway. Did not feel like doing trees today. I am getting tired of that. Dragonflies were flying all over the place. Looked like Blue Darters or Pondhawks. Really have a lot of chigger bites from walking in the dense vegetation at the park.

Bona Dea storm,trees, squirrel Update

Bona Dea was sunny and very hot and humid. So much so that the mosquitoes were not around. On Old Shorty Trail by the main parking area, I noticed some tree storm damage. One had large limbs blown down and another was broken off at the ground. Photos shows the damage. Also on the same trail was a young Gray Squirrel enjoying a late lunch. The tree blown down appeared to be a Camphor Tree but not really sure about that. Over on Swinging Bridge Trail and by the Spillway, I just arrived and noticed that something had jumped across the spillway. I looked up and noticed a big Cottonmouth snake scrambling trying to get away. I mean it was really and big around and long one.It just kept going toward Prairie Creek and could not get a photo. I fed the fish and noticed that the Green Heron was not on her nest and never came back as long as I was there. I took a photo of a Crack Willow Tree which was growing in the water right below the Spillway. There was a female Wood Duck swimming close to the bank on Waldon Pond. Some Tufted Titmouse birds were around the same area. Also a Red Headed woodpecker was on a tree pecking away on Old Shorty Trail.

Bona Dea,snake,insect and duck Update

Bona Dea was sunny and warm and humid today,Saturday. The water had receded quite a bit today. I walked on the previously flooded Prairie Creek bottoms by the Old Swinging Bridge. And guess what??? I almost stepped on a Cottonmouth snake. Yes, they are Poisonous. Here are 3 photos of it. I looked at me as if to dare me to step on it. Really glad I didn't. I went to the spillway and fed the fish and the water was still real muddy. While there I looked on some leaves and saw this strange bug walking around on them. I took these 2 photos of an Assassin Bug-nymphal Sinea. I am also glad it did not assassinate me. That was 2 close calls today. Over on Beaver Trail I saw this female Wood Duck standing on a log. I thought she might have babies near by but did not see any. The vegetation at the park is really getting lush. It looks tropical. The Blue Jay birds were around a lot. Also Northern Cardinals. I saw a Brown Thrasher down low in the bushes but could not photo it. That was the type of bird that was singing like a mockingbird I talked about and photoed in previous posts. I also jumped a deer on Beaver Trail yesterday and took a photo that turned out bad. That is probably because it actually jumped me. They tend to do that a lot. They don't give you warning. They just jump and run and scare you to death when it is so close.

Bona Dea tree Update

For the last few days I have taken some more photos of trees. Here are some and the order from bottom to top: Weeping Willow Tree, Shortleaf Pine Tree, Horsechestnut Tree, Black Willow Tree, and Baldcypress Tree.

Bona Dea, deer, wood duck, Update

Thursday night into Friday morning, it rained 3 inches in a short period of time. When I went to the park today, Friday, the park ponds and Prairie Creek was filled to the brim. The Spillway was running very full and fast. I have posted 2 videos below showing this and also showing the Green Heron on her nest and 2 Yellow Bellied Water snakes. I took a photo of a male Wood Duck on Waldon Pond spreading in wings on the water. Yesterday I took these 2 photos of a Whitetail Deer on the new road to the pumping station along the Dike. Also have a photo of a White Mushroom growing out of a dead piece of wood. Also saw today a pretty yellow Prothonatary Warbler by the spillway. Also at the gazebo by the parking lot, there were some Tufted Titmouse birds actually playing around inside the gazebo. They were not afraid of anyone. A mother wood duck and her babies were swimming around in Black Water Swamp.