Saturday, June 6, 2015

FEEDING FRENZY

The little flycatcher, whose portrait graced yesterday's post, and whose daily company I enjoy, chooses to regularly perch on various nearby limbs simply because he's afforded an excellent view of the Cottage Pool. A prime spot because this large pool—ten feet from the window, and constituting my flowing front yard—is located directly below a long, rocky, and thus well-aerated riffle. As such, it's a virtual free-eats food factory…at least if you like dinning on mayflies, caddis flies, and similar aquatic insects.

Most days—especially sunny ones—from midmorning onwards, various "bugs" whose life cycle is closely associated with water, either on or in, began to appear. Sparsely, steadily, and in massive swarms. Mayflies, caddis flies, stoneflies, dobsonflies, alderflies, dragonflies, damselflies—the list is long and, apparently, tasty. 

Predators know this, eagerly watching and waiting. When the bugs are few, the feeding action is slow-paced, leisurely. One swoop, catch, gobble at a time. But some insects hatch and leave their watery homes en mass—thousands, even tens of thousands of mayflies or caddis boiling up from the depths, shucking their larval husks as they rise, popping onto the surface where they give their winged, airborne versions a bit of pre-flight drying time, floating a few moments on the river's surface before taking flight. Vulnerable. Available. In quantity!

Shazam! The feeding frenzy begins! Fish rise, slashing at floating insects. Birds wheel and swoop, catching their meals in the air—just above the water, ten feet up, at treetop level, and higher. As the insects rise and fly off, trying to disperse—or sometimes mate before returning to the water to deposit their eggs—the hungry, rapacious birds follow, nabbing at their ranks like starving teenagers at a pizza party. Swallows, flycatchers, swifts, nighthawks, waxwings, along with everything else from robins to sparrows to cardinals and jays. Any bird who likes a good bug from time to time occasionally gets into the melee. I've even watched woodpeckers make a few runs on occasion. 

The image at the top of the post is of mostly swallows feeding high above the pool perhaps a half-hour after a recent hatch began. The photo at the bottom shows the density of this same hatch, a few feet above the river's surface, backlit by the setting sun. The middle shot is of the hatching mayflies causing all the fuss.


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4 comments:

Gail said...

Hi Grizz - oh my, this is amazing - like watching nature in slow motion through your camera lenses and keen eye to capture it all. Glorious.
Hope you and your lady-love are feeling better
Love Gail
peace.....

Grizz………… said...

Gail…

I'm glad you liked the post. It's an almost daily occurrence here on the river—hatching insects, feeding birds. And if happens around dusk, the feeding birds give way to feeding bats as the light fails.

Myladylove and I are feeling pretty good re. any post bronchitis issues. No coughing, congestion, etc. But last night—actually about 1:30 a.m. this morning—I woke up in serious pain with what I'd guess to be a swollen lymph gland on my left upper chest, just below the base of my neck. You can't believe how bad it hurts. It's popped out about the size of a ping-pong ball. Pain with every breath. Tylenol, heat, massage, rubbing with sports cream—nothing helps very much. I haven't been to sleep since except for a few minutes here and there. Can't lay down or lean back; have to sit straight upright. Don't know what I'm going to do tonight. But I'm just about worn out.

Gail said...

Oh my Grizz - seems your body is 'holding infection' - doing its job so to speak. Lymph gland stuff is nothing to mess with - perhaps a trip back to the do is in order - please let me know how you are. Please..........
Love and prayers
Gail
peace.....

Grizz………… said...

Gail...

I've improved a bit, the pain eased off some. I'll give it though the night and see how things go, and if there's still an issue tomorrow, try and get in to see my doc. I will let you know. And thank you for being concerned. I really appreciate it, though you have enough on your plate already without worrying about me. Best, always.