Cicada

Recently molted cicada. Its wings are still drying and hardening.

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Cicada

Cicada Skin Races

Which will cross the finish line first?

(Cicada skin races really aren't much of a spectator sport. Watching the grass grow is more entertaining.)

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Cicada Skin Races

Thursday, 3/20/08

Today we walked our regular route through the pastures and woods for the first time since receiving that 10.5" of rain earlier in the week. Everything was still a bit damp, but in pretty good shape. We were able to wear hiking shoes instead of rubber boot. Hiking in those ill-fitting, heavy and hot rubber boots takes half the fun out of taking a walk.

There was some erosion in places along the trails leading down the bluff and in the woods, but nothing too severe. The cows evidently did a pretty good job laying out those trials. Most of the wildflowers that are emerging were still small enough that they were not damaged either by the rainfall itself or the running water. Bloodroot, trillium, dog toothed violet and may apple are the primary species growing down in the woods.




I don't think I've ever seen our pond quite this full.








There was an abundant supply of tadpoles and frog eggs in the pond before the big rain and there still is. As the extra water drains from the pond fairly rapidly, some of the frog eggs are hanging up on recently submerged weed stalks.

Are the tadpoles eating the eggs are just using them for cover?






This unfortunate creature is a cicada grub. It was forced from underground by excess water, I imagine. The grub uses the heavy duty, claw-like forelegs for digging its way out from underground when it's time for cicadas to emerge. This individual is about two months early.

Thursday, 3/20/08

Cicada Skin

I've neither heard nor seen any cicadas yet, but obviously they're around. This one chose to shed its skin on an old wasps nest.

Cicada Skin