#MarshMadness day 14
Well...ok we are back to a swamp not a marsh...sorry folks.
As an apology, have an alligator.

Fresh new leaves on Bald cypress, Taxodium distichum

Sorry for lack of posting for a few days, had field work (surprising, I know!) and so I made the most of a few days to study the Earth, leaving my computer at home.

Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled #MarshMadness ! It is now day 13! Enjoy this pretty marsh landscape on the edge of a forest from the southern US.

There is so much beauty here, so much life to protect, where the EPA is weakened let's get our states to step up! Nature access is bipartisan, everyone wants to partake, so make sure to be contacting even your republican reps on these issues. The only ones who want to destroy it are the billionaires.

Spring is unfurling

Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, cinnamon fern

This #MarshMadness critter is a crimson marsh glider (Trithemis aurora). Dragonflies are some of the most effective predators on the planet, snatching prey right out of the air with an up to 97% success rate. Each of their four wings can operate independently, making them strong, agile fliers. They also utilize a trick called "motion camouflage." Instead of flying straight towards their target, they keep in line with its path (even anticipating future moves), making them appear stationary even as they approach.

#MarshMadness

I took a pic of the creek by my place this morning

Iridescent … one of forty-six Glossy Ibis we counted in the reeds two years ago at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.

Bittern dance party #MarshMadness #Bird #Bittern

American bittern in the marsh! #BirdCallOut #bird #MarshMadness #bittern

Checking in to see how #MarshMadness is going

This must count at least a little for #MarshMadness

Today for #MarshMadness I painted a large marsh grasshopper (Stethophyma grossum). Although populations nearly disappeared, these guys are once again increasingly common in the UK thanks to rewilding and breeding efforts.

https://www.citizenzoo.org/our-work/hop-of-hope/

Reference photo vs Painting
Caltha palustris from a few years back

Already so excited to go back to this spot soon when they’re in bloom again.

A pair of Sandhill Cranes, far from their usual range, entertained us with their flapping, strutting, foraging, and bugling calls. Morning mist and a respectful undercover distance kept us from getting sharper, clearer images, but it was a memorable sighting.

#MarshMadness Day 6: A Plain Bellied Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster) from a marsh visit!

Out on my walk today I realized I could hear #frogs over the audiobook playing in my ears. Took a short detour from the trail to the sound's source, though I didn't manage to actually spot the vocalists.

I find it remarkable sometimes that creatures so loud - typically frogs, birds, and grasshoppers - can still remain practically invisible.

Maybe you can spot one in this video (I can't) but regardless, I invite you to enjoy their song.

Evening stroll at the restored river.