Adirondack Chronicles 2021.5: Creatures Great and Small

Bears, loons, eagles, foxes, even coyotes — all are part of the wild family of the Adirondacks.  But beyond those great species, the back woods also host many other beautiful creatures.  Dragonflies, among the smallest, flit about along all of the marshy edges of the lakes and streams.  One of my favorites is the “blue needle” damselfly, above, a tiny, delicate blue insect that stands out among the tall grasses at water’s edge.

Milkweed is thick across the region, attracting many bees and butterflies — the monarch butterfly depends on milkweed to lay its eggs for the next generation.  The beautiful caterpillar, above, is a monarch-in-waiting.  Here’s a mature monarch:

The milkweed is actually getting very crowded:

Meanwhile, in the water, a beaver chomps away on the delicious water lilies and grasses:

While the grouse along the roadside just looks kind of confused…

And a very large snapper just soaks up the sun on a log:

Out on the lake, a loon couple with no chicks just enjoys an afternoon gliding about:

Back at the loon nest, the brooding has been going on for 13 days now, with no sign of hatching which takes up to 27 days… am hoping to see chicks before I leave this week, but the timetable is up to the loons:

Mom checking on her eggs:

And keeping a wary eye out for intruders….