Seen in the Sanctuary

I took a quick trip around the Dr George trail at noon because it just looked like too nice a day to stay indoors. Here's a little of what I saw:

I always love dragonfly season. This one's a female Meadowhawk (probably a Pale-faced Meadowhawk, although she's unhelpfully hiding her face here). Meadowhawks are one of the smaller types of dragonfly.

I'm including this shot mostly just because I have a sneaking suspicion that I've been taking photos of this same exact bird all summer long. Likes to pose, I guess.

The dew on this Grass Spider web made it show up a lot better than they usually do. The hole to the right is actually more of a funnel (the webs themselves are called funnel webs). The spider would be hiding at the bottom of the funnel, waiting for potential prey to vibrate the web.

And finally, apparently the squirrels are enjoying the Little Forts in Peculiar Locations art installation as much as I have. If you haven't yet had a chance to look for the forts, make sure you stop by the Marjorie Wood Gallery first to pick up your map.

Seen in the Sanctuary

It's a warm, sunny day out there, and that usually slows things down for the animals in the Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary just like it does for us. Call it their version of sitting on the beach this long weekend, if you like, but hot weather generally makes it pretty quiet out there. I was out this morning to see what I could see, though, and here's a quick look at some of the things I found.

We usually have one or two resident bats, but today there were five. If you'd like to know where they hang out, just ask our front desk staff and they'd be happy to show you.

Damselfly. A bluet of some sort, I think, but I haven't looked it up yet.

A Barn Swallow on the bird blind.

This is an Anglewing, and I'm pretty sure that it's a Green Comma. I didn't get a look at the ventral side of the wing, though (unusual, that. Usually when I have the camera out they refuse to open their wings rather than refusing to close them), so I'm not absolutely certain.

 

Sharp-eyed visitors may notice a few new temporary additions along the Dr George Trail. They're part of our new art installation, Little Forts in Peculiar Locations by Robin Lambert. It's a fantastic and unique show, and I urge everyone to come down to the Marjorie Wood Gallery to check it out!