River Trail Birds May 2012

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Today we saw two barn swallows on the river trail in Grand Junction.

We'll call the swallow above Number One.

Swallow Number Two.

In the above picture, Number One is on the right.
Number Two is on the left.

In this pic, Number Two has moved to the right hand side.

Number One again.

This red-winged blackbird did not seem concerned by our presence.

Red-winged blackbird singing.

Geese and goslings.

With vegetation in the background.

The geese from a distance.

Blue Damselfly.

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Orange Dragonfly

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We spotted an orange dragonfly in the front yard this morning.

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Flying Ants, Dragonfly Niads, and Stoneflies

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Today we rode our bikes from the botanical gardens in Grand Junction to the entrance to Corn Lake on 32 Road; we saw a lot of creatures along the way. We found a stonefly, some tiny tadpoles, and an assortment of frogs and toads. In one little pond we found a dragonfly nymph (or naiad), hundreds of water boatmen, a few water striders, snails, and some kind of aquatic insect that stays underwater and looks like a fat, spherical tick. A bit farther along the trail we found an ant nest whose winged members were preparing to participate in a mating flight.

Update: What I have always thought were water boatmen were not. They are actually backswimmers. I had no idea that the two were any different. It turns out that water boatmen surface upright and backswimmers surface on their backs. Other than that, they look very similar to one another. So what I saw were backswimmers and not water boatmen. I'm not sure that I've ever actually seen a water boatman.  Here is an article that describes backswimmers and another that describes water boatmen.

You don't want to see this if you are a small insect or crustacean.

A view for scale.

The dragonfly naiad is a decent-sized little critter.

I don't normally post pictures of dead insects, but I had never seen one of these before. It is a stonefly. We found it on the bike trail between a stagnant, receding pond and the swiftly flowing Colorado river. Look at this picture for a better idea of what the living version actually looks like. Another insect that I have yet to see is a dobsonfly. I've heard that they can be found around Grand Junction. I'm looking forward to finding one.

The stonefly is a medium-sized insect belonging to the order plecoptera. A plecopteran sighting is a good thing, as they can not handle water pollution. If you spot one, it means that the water source is healthy. When I first saw this one, I thought that it might be a female dobsonfly or caddisfly (two other species I've never actually seen) but a quick look online revealed that it must be a stonefly. 

In the process of trying to identify the stonefly, I discovered another insect I had spotted in Georgia way back in 2005 and had never been able to identify. An owlfly. The way that it rests on plant stalks is very distinctive, with its wings folded back and down in a very unusual manner.

 These tadpoles are quite a bit smaller than a pencil eraser.

 

 

A short video showing the tiny tadpoles we found. 

When they reach adulthood, we'll release them.

They are in the smallest critter keeper you can buy. 

Update: Another tadpole that started out just like these critters a month or so ago has become an adult. Check this link to see what Frida became. ~ http://bit.ly/NsCCFT

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South Camp Road from Monument Road

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I really enjoy the scenery along South Camp Road in Grand Junction, so much so that I usually ride it twice (out and back), rather than just return to town on Monument Road. 

I usually start at the Blue Heron Section of the Colorado River Trail, follow that onto Redlands Parkway, then take South Broadway to South Camp Road. When I arrive at Monument Avenue, I turn around and head back towards the Connected Lakes portion of the river trail via South Rim Drive. 

I follow the Connected Lakes path which joins the Audubon Section at some point and then winds up at the Albertson's shopping center near the intersection of Broadway and Dike Road. From here, if I still feel like riding I can continue heading southeast on the Riverside Section, and then on towards Corn Lake and Palisade. 

Right now there are some sections closed and impassable because of flooding and washed out bits of the trails. There are other places that are marked as dangerous, but which are still able to be navigated. There are always new sights to be seen, and I spot something new on every trip.

Today I saw a snake, a few lizards, some cottontail rabbits, a bunch of quail, lots of desert grasshoppers, dragonflies, swallowtail butterflies and a black headed grosbeak.

Here are some pics from South Camp Road this afternoon:

Looking east from intersection South Camp and Monument Roads.
Mt. Garfield, the Bookcliffs and Grand Mesa visible in the distance.

The houses in this area have one of the best views in town.

The view from the bike path is not that bad either.

Desert Grasshopper - Perhaps a Least Desert Grasshopper?

 

"But it's a dry heat..."
Really, it didn't feel like 100 degrees.

Wingate Park is located next to the elementary school.
 The Monument is their backdrop.

Some folks were out enjoying a game of softball.

Gambel's Quail showed up just as I was leaving.

Turns out they were off to somewhere else as well.
(notice they're headed down "Quail Drive.")


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