Looking Down!

Looking up and down while walking along local trails can reveal an amazing variety of life forms!

I noticed a dark patch on the underside of a Staghorn Sumac leaf. I slowly lifted it up to find what I thought were eggs. After enlarging the photo on my computer, I could see the eggs had already hatched. It was a clutch of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs. 

A twisted and crinkled Cattail leaf caught my attention but I didn't want to disturb any critters depending upon the plant for shelter. The Peterson Field Guide to Moths, lists a Cattail Borer Moth.  Perhaps that moth caused the wrinkling. I'll keep an eye on the stem to see if I notice any caterpillars over the next week or so.

While looking at the ground on a mowed path, a friend noticed a nest of young Eastern Cottontail bunnies! They are likely old enough to move to the safety of the thick plants adjacent to the trail.

American Toadlets are getting a little bigger. There is a need to walk carefully to avoid these little cuties!

4 Harvestmen were congregating on leaf tops.

I didn't count the legs to calculate how many Harvestmen were hiding behind the dead leaves.

One of my favourite butterflies is the Baltimore Checkerspot. We found 4 of them on a recent walk at the Dow Wetlands!