DRCA III

Think of absolutely nothing.  Just listen.

Prairie crayfish (Procambarus gracilis)

Newts

With the Summer II semester comes a work-school-sleep-work-school-sleep schedule, but somehow I've got to find time to do my studying as well as my internship duties.  When I'm lucky, I get a few hours to just kind of let go a little and find things to do to take my mind off of everything that's crazy.  Like today.  Inspired by some photographers on Flickr who had photographed some local reptiles and amphibians, I set off for a new destination, further away from the city in hopes of finding some less disturbed natural areas in which I might come across something different from the usual Chicago fare.  Out in the burbs, I stopped by a familiar location I have known for years for its good fishing, but now armed with my camera I was destined to find something new here.  I found a path through some old growth woods and followed it for quite a distance, occasionally flipping bark at the prospect of finding a tough garter or Dekay's.  The heat wave we're experiencing is still steady but at least it rained pretty good the other day.  Still, the woods and prairie were dry and I came to the conclusion that anything there has holed up until better times.  However, I walked until I saw an opening in the woods some distance away, off the path.  Hoping it was a pond or wetland, I headed toward the light until I smelled the characteristic aroma of swamp.  The opening in fact turned out to be a sizable swamp in a clearing in the woods.  Most of the surface was thick mud, and 90% of the water surface was covered in green algae.  Big dead trees poked out every which way, and as I approached the swamp, I heard a chattering of alarmed frogs.  As I stepped out over the swamp on a log, a group of at least fifty young frogs darted every which way, yelping and chirping as they did so.  It was so funny that I had to laugh.  They would stop and freeze, and all I had to do was turn the camera on to make the clicking noise, and they all hopped away in unison.  I would tap my foot ever so lightly, and they would hop again.  This happened for a few minutes until the majority of the young frogs made their way off the mud and algae and into the water.  Since I am still using the stock lens I was unable to get any good shots of the frogs, but they ended up being bullfrogs anyway (I zoomed in on the photos to confirm they were bullfrogs on the computer when I got home).  I then decided to walk around the pond and in the surrounding wetlands and made a few surprising finds along the way, including some really cool newts (Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis) and some assorted arthropods.  Here's some photos from the day.


The swamp (pronounced with a short "a", like in "stamp", like my ES professor).

Central Newts

This one made a break for it!

Making baby beetles

Massive tree down.

Harvestman

                                                                Bumblebee on teasel

Not sure what exactly this is...

Not out of the woods yet...

More pollen

DRCA II

I visited the RDCA today to gather information for my internship with FOTP.  Specifically, for clues as to how the local hydrology affects the prairie crayfish (Procambarus gracilis).  In the past I have seen countless crayfish burrows and chimneys, but this drought we are experiencing has forced the crayfish to stay deep within their burrows and cease additional excavation.  I did find a few old eroded chimneys and holes, but nothing to write home about.  One thing I have learned is that these animals are extraordinarily tough creatures.  Considering the source of water that feeds these wetlands, and the proximity of the crayfish to these wetlands, it is astounding that they can thrive and reproduce.  Their existence is crucial, as they are responsible for bringing nutrients found in the clay layer up to the surface.  Their burrows are also used by a variety of other animals, including several species of snakes, amphibians, rodents, and a host of invertebrates.  Today I noticed a small black rodent (a meadow vole?) scuttle into a dried-up crayfish burrow as I walked by.  Whether this was its home or whether it vanished into the nearest shelter due to my intrusion, I don't know.  Still, I'm sure those holes regularly save them from predation.

Just like my search for the Kirtland's snake seems impossible in this hot drought, any chances of finding these crayfish for analysis seem unlikely.  At this point, the only stimulus that could resurrect these crayfish would be a downpour.  I'll just have to wait until it gets cooler.  I think that's also when I will continue searching for the Kirtland's snakes.  Until then, there are a variety of insects in action in the prairie, as well as an explosion of plant life.  More invasive species were seen today, including blooming Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota) as well as more wild parsnip.  The teasel (Dipsacus sp.) is out of control.  The good news is that some of the native plants are still fighting, and with increased restoration, over time this area can be an oasis for native grasses and wildflowers. 

Queen Anne's Lace

Young praying mantis

Squash bug

The prairie