28-APRIL-2010
Mallard pair in Backyard Garden pond
Bill found this pair ensconced in the very small BYG pond! Wonder if they are the same pair usually found in the big Amphibian Pond, just hiding away in a different, cosier spot!
28-APRIL-2010
Mallard in pond
A nice shot of this handsome male mallard sticking his head above the vegetation.
Red-winged blackbird, male
John Robertson photographed this lovely male blackbird in a classic pose.
Mallard, female
And here is the female half of the Mallard pair, photographed by John Robertson, and showing the brightly coloured speculum.
Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingi)
A nice view of the Blanding's turtle that has been calling our pond home.
Mallard, male
This handsome male is one half of a pair that have been around the Amphibian Pond for most of April.
White-breasted Nuthatch
This is one of our resident species, meaning it does not migrate but stays around the same general area all year.
30-APR-2010
Great blue heron
Although photographed at the Arboretum, these herons often make a stop in our Amphibian pond.
30-APR-2010
Brown-headed cowbird, male
Jeewanthi photographed this handsome male and the female of the species too.
30-APR-2010
Brown-headed cowbird, female
These birds lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, mostly song sparrows, yellow warblers, common yellowthroats, and so on. However, many birds have learned to recognize the eggs of an interloper and will often build the nest over the egg and lay their own again on top, or they will turf it out. However, some species that have only recently had to contend with parasitism don't have the same coping mechanism. And even those who do cope fairly well, often end up with a huge baby cowbird. There is nothing more bizarre than seeing a little bird like a yellow warbler, feeding a very demanding (and huge in comparison) baby cowbird.
30-APR-2010
Green frog (Rana clamitans)
Green frogs are one of the last of the local frog species to start calling. However, they are also the frogs that are most often encountered in the pond throughout summer.
30-APR-2010
Stinkbug (Pentatomid sp.)
Jeewanthi photographed this stinkbug at the FWG today. There are many, many species of Pentatomids, not all easy to separate out as to ID.
