Bull Frog

Bull Frogs are large frogs, with a call that gives them their name.  

Their backs and upper sides are olive green in color.  Females are bigger than males.

Their eardrums (tympani) are easy to see.  They are the circular marks behind the eyes.  On a female, the eardrums are about the same size as the eye, while on a male the tympani are bigger.

Their bellies are lighter in color with yellow spots.

Their upper lip is olive green while their lower lip is often lighter.

Bull Frogs can grow up to a pound or more, and are hunted for their back legs.  They are most often a source of food in the southern United States.

Pterodactylish

Pelicans in the air are a totally different bird than pelicans floating placidly on the water.  In flight, you see the black underside of their wings, which are normally wrapped sedately about them when not in flight.

They are massive birds, and you get a real sense of their size when they fly by with their 9 foot wingspan.  And then there is something prehistoric in their shape and motion.  On the water, they look almost like swans.  In the air, they look like pterodactyls!

Arrowhead

This is the arrowhead plant, as it is commonly called, due to its arrow-shaped leaves.  It likes to grow in wet, marshy ground, and in shallow water.

This plant is a member of the sagittaria genus, named after the constellation sagittarius - the archer.

Arrowhead is also called duck potato, and wapato.  Wapato is a Cree or Ojibwe word.

It has edible tubers.  In fact,  we learn from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, edited by Bernard DeVoto, that the corps of discovery was introduced to wapato as an important food source in late 1805 by the native people living on the Deschutes River.

Another name for this plant is said to be katniss, although I could find no trustworthy source to back up this claim.  Katniss is the heroine of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  Katniss' father tells her that as long as she can find "herself" - meaning the katniss or arrowhead plant, she will never go hungry.

As fall swiftly descends, our local varieties are beginning to fade and wither, but they are still beautiful!

Another New Warbler!

I've discovered another new warbler!

I don't know how I've never noticed this stunning little bird before, but here he is at Smith's Island:

Here's another photo of one over at Fisherman's Corner South:

And one more:

This is a prothonotary warbler.  According to a post over at 10,000 Birds (check it out at the following link: http://10000birds.com/golden-swamp-warbler.htm  ) these birds take their names from early clerks in the Catholic church who wore yellow vestments.  Interestingly, they mention that John James Audubon had called this bird the "golden swamp warbler" but the other name won out.

Protho means "first", and notary means "clerk".

Prothonotary warblers nest in cavities, and can be seen on tree trunks, looking for insects to eat, in a similar manner to nuthatches and creepers.  They live in the Quad City area during the summer months.

If I've missed this brightly-colored beauty all these years, what else is out there that I haven't yet noticed?  Here's to finding more gems out on the trail!