Today’s post is as much about ‘bugs’ as it is about birds.
Yesterday morning at Bear River MBR I found this Great Blue Heron perched on an old observation platform at the refuge. It was an unnatural and unattractive perch so flight shots were my best hope for photos I liked. When the heron eventually took off this photo was one of several flight shots I managed to get with the far away Promontory Mountains in the lower background.
But when I look back on yesterday at the refuge my strongest memory will always be about bugs rather than birds. Even this late in the year, ten days before November, Bear River’s infamous midges were still out in droves but it was the damned mosquitoes that made my morning miserable. Those little bastards bit me more times yesterday than I’ve been bitten collectively in all of my trips to the refuge all summer. I was in a scratching frenzy for the entire rest of the day and I’m still scratching this morning as I write this post.
It was obvious that the mosquitoes were also seriously bothering the heron while ‘he’ was perched because he kept shaking his head in annoyance. Look carefully at the photo and you’ll see hundreds of midges and mosquitoes as tiny black specks all around him. I have to wonder if the only reason he took off was to leave the annoying ‘skeeters’ behind.
In his place that’s what I’d have done.
Ron
PS – It’s no wonder that folks struggle with spelling in the English language.
The plural of potato is potatoes not potatos. The plural of tomato is tomatoes not tomatos. But the plural of mosquito can be either mosquitoes or mosquitos – both are perfectly acceptable. I don’t cut Dan Quayle much slack about anything but perhaps he can be forgiven for butchering the spelling of potato in that infamous spelling bee. Or perhaps not.
Addendum: As my good friend Jim DeWitt rightfully pointed out after I published this post, mosquitoes that bite are all females. So it might have been more appropriate for me to refer to them as bitches rather than bastards but at the moment both descriptors seem well deserved.
Here in NM they are not as bad so you can KEEP them over there in AZ. 😀 And they are so annoying but I remind myself that the bats and martins need them. SIGH
How ’bout “mosquitoes SUCK!”? I’ve tried all sorts of “remedies,” but few things work on the bites from this new type of mosquitoes. I’m in between a river and a flood control channel and by a park — I’m screwed!
The GBH is gorgeous in spite of the biting assholes.
“How ’bout “mosquitoes SUCK”
You hit that nail on the head, Marty. Twice.
Handsome GBHE to gaze at. The hordes of insects got me wondering. I had always thought that preening was a feather conditioning behavior. Now it dawns on me it is also to scratch an itch (duh). In which case I imagine this bird will be preening a lot.
Lyle, seems to me they most often use their feet to scratch, at least when they can reach the spot.
Handsome GBHE to gaze at. The hordes of insects got me wondering. I had always thought that preening was a feather conditioning behavior. Now I’m wondering it is also to scratch an itch. In which case I imagine this bird will be preening a lot.
Sorry for the double post. The clicks occasionally get away from me.
Those particular squitoes were probably bitches AND bastards. I feel for you. I blow up after I have been fanged and itch for days.
And thank you for the wonderful capture of the dinosaur bird lifting off to avoid the tormentors.
Yup, they deserved both words hurled at them simultaneously, EC.
Heck! I wrote a response about an hour ago, but I failed to copy it and my wonderful Internet connection failed to deliver it. Grumble! Lets see if I can recreate my former brilliance! HA!
First, Arwen, THANK YOU for that hearty chuckle this morning! I lived in Slidell, LA for three years and you’re absolutely right, but you neglected to mention that the ones that are large enough to open the door themselves hold it open for everybody else like roaches to come in to party!!
I have a little quibble with the -ologists/scientists. I fully agree that birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs; however, I think herons and pelicans ARE dinosaurs 😉 Just sayin’!
As for mosquitos(es), is there anything that will turn humans into Ninja warriors faster than a mosquito buzzing around your ears? Even if you’re sound asleep, they’ll make you nuts until you silence them, usually while they’re doing their bloodletting! They’re evil beings, and beyond feeding fish before they learn to fly, I can find no Earthly reason for their existence other than to spread disease! We need more fish!!
Are you using repellent? You should have that in your truck while they’re alive! My area of Arizona hasn’t had rain since I can’t remember so mozzies can’t live here. That’s the good part. The bad part is they’re forecasting rain by Monday, which means that all the weeds that I JUST got cleared from the yard will sprout again. Grumble!
BTW, I LOVE your photography. That should NOT come as a surprise 😉
Laura, I always have repellant in my pickup. Yesterday we had two containers of it.
The first time I heard, but didn’t see, a. Great Blue Heron, I got chills because I was sure I was hearing some kind of prehistoric beast…. We were canoeing on a strange lake in a wilderness area. I had never heard s GBH before and was very relieved t see what it actually was..l
Such a cool photo of that beautiful heron — but too bad for him and you about those M&M’s (not the chocolate kind)! He has a very determined look on his face as he makes his escape. Imagine you had about the same on yours! 😉
I imagine so, Chris. There weren’t many birds so I was glad to get out of there.
The last time I went to the refuge the mosquitoes were bad and since it has not hit the frost point yet, I figured they would be bad still, but now it is also duck hunt. All more than I can handle. So I am waiting for at least one annoyance to be gone before I return to the refuge. The cream for the atopic dermatitis works well for mosquito bites too.
I have that same cream prescription you do April.
Actually there were very few hunters or anyone else out there yesterday.
I can remember a fishing trip to Clark Canyon Reservoir in Montana that we decided to go elsewhere. When we pulled into the parking lot the fishermen already there were wearing bee keeper hats. We didn’t even open the vehicle doors, just turned around and found another place to fish.
I’m very familiar with that general area, Betty. Lewis and Clark country!
Some of your photographs bring out, in my mind, the “dinosaur” in birds. This is one of them. Lovely.
I agree, Sallie. I often think of that connection with this species.
The GBH photo is just lovely. I feel your pain re mosquitoes and midges! Both are nasty and can transmit diseases. Hard to believe that the pests can be seen in the photo! Thank you for hanging in there and suffering for your art! (Try a cortisone cream on the bites)
That’s a good idea, Melanie. I have plenty of a steroid cream that I sometimes use for other purposes.
😳 Hard to believe there are that many skeeters out now! GEEZ! Some were out late here -took a good freeze to end it. Hope they aren’t the West Nile type…! Beautiful shot of the Great Blue. 😀 Can see why it wanted to vacate it’s perch. English language is an absolute nightmare for other than native speakers to learn – no rhyme or reason to much of it. 😉
Judy, I always worry about West Nile. Each year it’s reported in northern Utah.
You can see those skeeters and midges all through the GBH photo. Due to our almost zero monsoons and rain this past summer we have had almost zero mosquitoes. Almost every summer evening Margaret and I sat out back with a glass of wine before dinner and were never once bothered. During a normal monsoon season you would be eaten alive out there.
PS – right now we have a lone Utah tagged American White Pelican just relaxing and swimming around our rapidly receding Watson Lake. It has been reported to the Utah folks and has been acknowledged.
“we have had almost zero mosquitoes”
Count your blessings, Everett. At least there’s one positive result from the drought.
Good to know that pelican made the trip successfully.
Ugh to mosquitoes! I’m from Louisiana where we have two sizes. Those small enough to fit through any screen and those large enough to open the dang door themselves. Also known as the state bird. Lol I don’t blame the GBH for leaving.
And toothpaste (not gel) dotted on as many bites as you can reach will relieve some of the itching. I used it a lot as a Girl Scout.
Arwen, almost nothing about mosquitoes amuses me, especially right now, but your third sentence sure did.
Glad to give you a modicum of relief!
Arwen – in Alaska we also called mosquitos the state bird. They are HUGE. Now living in AZ have noticed a large increase in mosquitos the last couple of years. And they are the teeny tiny kind that sneak around and bite you without a trace. Little stinkers.
Memories make one empathetic!
Many years ago when I was a ton younger leading a camping trip of campers, paddling to a campsite several miles away. We had to leave our camp site because the skeeters were so thick we had to sleep in long pants and long sleeves and still woke up the next day with blood scabs on our head. We were gone the next morning! The fishing was good, but ……..
Dick, In your place I’d have left too, no matter how good the fishing was. Mosquitoes can only be tolerated up to a point.
Ron, I enjoy all your bird photography sharing and info therein , Many thanks to you❣️
My 94 year neighbor uses white vinegar on itchy mosquito /other bites.
I tried it and by golly it does help❣️ My favorite is that little green bottle of CAMPHO PHENIC /WRONG SPELLING ,but pronounces right. It’s been hard to find in drugstores tho… ps…I live in the redwood forest in Calif/Scotts valley.
Thanks for the tip, Carolyn. Sorry I didn’t respond sooner. For some strange reason I didn’t see your comment until just now.