Clark Road Study Continues

The area east of Clark Road has always interested me. Since I found the Black-necked Stilt nest, I have become fascinated with a series of ponds, the young trees that will one day make up a hardwood bottom-land forest, and the prairie that is developing closer to the road.

Down by the ponds, cattails were in bloom, with the male parts dispersing pollen over everything in the area.




Wood Sage grows in the woody area that is forming along the former drainage ditch.


Algae has formed on the surface and under the surface of the ponds, as water flows through the ponds into the larger Emiquon wetland.


I found Horse Nettle in bloom along the path to the ponds.


Of course, the area was teaming with dragonfly activity. I could only catch photos of those who landed briefly. The large Common Green Darners and Black Saddle Bags flew everywhere but would not land, and the light was to harsh too focus on a flying dragonfly.

This Widow Skimmer posed briefly for my camera:


A Damselfly posed on the edge of a milkweed leaf.


A Blue Dasher dragonfly posed on a twig off one of the bushes.


Another damselfly paused on the leaf of a Wood Sage in the shadows of the trees.


The wetland spreads out from the fence row at the last of the ponds.


Many frogs jumped into the water and disappeared as I approached the ponds, but on the way out I spotted this little fellow in the grass:


I found a few Summer Azure Butterflies on the way out, always deep in the leaves of the trees along the drainage canal.