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The cottonwood seeds continue to drift down and cling to anything remotely moist. Those billowy seeds definitely also interfere with most insect activity. The spider webs are all gummed up, the ants have trouble foraging, Even the tiny bagworms can't spin their cocoons while there are seeds on the line.

This huge California root borer has come up with the cicadas where the juvenile stage have been living on plant roots.. You can see how the chitin shell is already coated with cottonwood fluff. Those impressive jaws are only adapted to chewing roots, even so, I kept well away from the working end.

The moths continue to be much better photo models than those flighty butterflies. They have been very co-operative in showing off their cryptic colors during the hot summer nights. Still, the biggest; the sphinx moths, typically don't turn up until the fall.

The water levels in the scuzzy ditch has dropped very low. With an average depth of about 1/2 inch the ecosystem has drastically changed. Most most fish this would be a sign that its time to retreat The carp and trout have disappeared, and no invasive species like goldfish have turned up yet. But for channel catfish, they decided the conditions were ideal to spawn, instead. However, this picture could also show cannibalism, I couldn't tell.

 

With a bit of patience, you can tell the school of fingerlings are very unlike tadpoles, but it took a while for me to notice the difference in movement.

 

 I think this is a picture of 2 turtles, possibly mating, but there is also a chance they were fighting over a wounded fish. Turtles have a rich and varied life and history. The shell means they have shoulders that are "inside out". They also use a different breathing system.

 The clear ditch on Andrew's lane is usually pretty empty of interest, but right now there is a lot going on in the low silt, clear, weedy bottom. There is a large number of snapping turtle feeding on anything that moves. Smaller numbers of sliders are also out.

Many cultivated trees have begin to form the first fruits. Here is a long distance shot of apricots getting ready to fall. Most people are not happy with pictures taken of their backyards, so I often zoom in very close to obscure details.

 

Heidi's has invested a lot into landscaping and fences. The first of the blackberries are already ripe, the raspberries are probably still quite some time away. These fruits are growing along the road by the ARCA farm, and fully ripe.

Those fallen fruits rarely go to waste. This porcupine is a common visitor on the lateral ditch during dusk. They seem to forage grapes, mulberries, and apples.

The velvet ant is a common and frantic visitor along the ditches during the heat of the day. This insect is actually a wasp that predates on ant colonies. The "velvet" is a bristly coat that wards off ant bites.

 

 Fallen wood holds moisture and is the prefect nursery for juvenile darkling beetles and roly-polies. Occasionally lizards and mice.

 

There is a huge variety of dragonflies at the moment on the clear ditch waters. They seem to be focused on mating and eating gnats. Yellow, browns, greens and blues are flitting around in complex dances. The sizes range enormously from tiny to huge (length of a finger). Fossil records exist of dragonfly the length of a human forearm

The sunflowers are not very tall right now, but will come to dominate the ditch edges soon. The variety of insects that use them is very impressive. The birds also use the seeds long into the winter. This plants has long been associated with farming

The cattails just got mowed, the dry edges show the long fibers that show the reason ancient people used them for footwear, shelter, fuel, and even food. With experience, cattails could supply everything a person could need. Cattails are even more important for the animals.

This toad is very emaciated, with flat, square sides. It has probably just migrated back from the river's edge after depositing eggs. The Rio Grande seems to attract the largest number of tadpoles. Of course, this toad is one of nature's true survivors and will likely make it to next year just fine.

This bullfrog was only spotted because it was flushed out of the safely of the ditch banks by an unseen predator, likely a foraging snapping turtle. They have several cries and several methods of escape. This one skimmed across the top of the water with loud chirps, signalling to all other bullfrogs the presence of a slow, short range, but fast predator. Around humans and dogs, they more usually submerge silently and wait us out.