Not A Dragonfly!

  The threat of a tropical storm hitting the Bayou has come and gone.  Things got a bit squally but that was about it which was good for us.  Others to our west are not faring so well.  Our damage was nothing more than losing a few boards off the pier and sustaining a bad case of cabin fever.  I took advantage of every break in the torrential rains to slip outside to "breathe" and poke around a bit.  All of this staying inside has my brain in a constant state of perplexity.  I needed to roam...so I did.  I, also, got soaking wet and had to change clothes six times today but it was well worth all of the laundry! 

  Down along the marsh edge, the waters flooded in and kept things interesting.  Critters of all sorts kept surprising me by scurrying out of my way.  At one point, what appeared to be a small dragonfly of some sort landed on my arm.  It fluttered haplessly against the wind so I figured the poor thing needed the resting spot.  It is in my nature to help critters of all kinds so I  tried to shelter it from the rain and wind.  Once we (the critter and I) made it to the greenhouse, things were a bit calmer and I actually had a chance to look at my hitchhiker.  This was not a dragonfly nor a damselfly!  I had picked up the adult version of an antlion!

  Antlions spend most of their time in the larvae state.  Around here, they can be found in sandy areas.  It is easy to recognize their presence as they make "funnel" traps to catch prey.  The larva creates a funnel-shaped divot in the sand and when an ant wanders in, the antlion flicks sand up the side to create an avalanche.  The sliding sand sends the ant right into the jaws of the antlion!  Once the larva turns into an adult, it is rarely seen since it is a nocturnal creature.  I happened upon this one in the late evening.  

  After admiring the critter, I released it under the edge of the Little Bayou House where it could be sheltered until its wings gained strength and the weather settled down a bit.  Tonight, the antlion adult will take flight in search of a mate.  

 

Photobombing Bird

  For the past, oh, year or so, the Bayou has seen more than its share of rain.  We are lucky, though, since we live high up on a hill overlooking the water.  Other folks' places are pretty much soggy.  Take a stroll through their yards and you better be wearing waders.  Your shoes are guaranteed to be sloppy wet otherwise.  Here, however, the rain simply runs down the hillside and into the Bayou.  It is not uncommon for a dark cloud to push up on the horizon in a moment's notice.  More than once, I have been caught off guard and had to make a mad dash back to the Little Bayou House to escape the torrential downpour.

  Earlier today, the clouds on the western horizon were particularly black and threatening.  I had gone down to the pier to check the crab traps (which, by the way, are no more thanks to the alligator!) and noticed that a storm was quickly forming.  There was only time to grab one photograph before thunder started booming overhead. Time for me to scoot myself back up that hill!

  Later, I realized that I had inadvertently photographed a swallow at the same time as the cloud.  These little birds were zipping about just above the water's surface as they snapped up all sorts of insects.  The midges and mosquitoes did not stand a chance! There is a whole colony of the birds nesting in a cupola of my neighbor's house. The family does not seem to mind or are not aware of their house guests which makes it nice for both me and the birds!  They have a nice cozy home to raise their young and I get free insect control. (Although....I would hate to be the one that cleans the cupola!)

  The rest of the day was spent watching similar squalls roll in off the Gulf.  All I could do was admire the photograph and my friendly, little photo-bomber!