Glean

The basics of the food chain begin with plants and insects. The MASSIVE amount of dead tree trunks in the bosque provide idea spots for looking in on the insect communities that are beginning to stir in the undergrowth. The largest cut trunks have great moisture and retain perfect microclimates for many species such as wood louse, and spiders

This crab spider species is beautiful and had the typical wide stance of this genus. Not terribly active, they are ambush hunters that prefer to hide in the shadows.

This big specimen is some sort of wolf spider. This large genus has many species in it, some of which grow big enough to hunt tarantulas. Those large eyes in the front show how important vision is to these very active, predatory hunters as they forage in the evenings.

The odd looking woodlouse spider, the only red spider I know of around here. You can see the long, delicate, curved fangs that are designed to reach over the shell of a wood-louse's armor and pierce into the soft underbelly.

 

 Centipedes need high levels of moisture and are often found near white fungus threads (mycelium). Just under the antennae are the two front legs (on the left side of the picture) that have been converted into venomous "fangs." Their scary reputation seems rather overblown to me, but I still wouldn't handle one.

 

 Typically, these Say's bugs, or "squash bugs" are found in the trees or on plants, but during the winter they are hidden under wood piles. They have a foul odor when handled, and pretty well armored, so they do not have much to fear from all the other creatures they encounter.

 In places, the leaf litter is dense and moist. These places hide many insects. Here I found a small box elder bug. The correct term is a nymph, which is a smaller adult insect.

There is a pretty surprising variety of fungi slowly breaking down the wood. These white threads are the actual fungal bodies and occur in the woods, leaves, and soil of a forest. During the breeding season (usually periods of high temperatures and humidity) they will produce spore fruiting bodies that most people identify as "mushrooms"

Many other things under rotting wood can look like fungus. This is a nest brood chamber of a woodlouse spider. The female is guarding a white fibrous mass on the right that is the egg sac. The whole chamber is silk lined to reduced chances of predators or parasites getting to the eggs of the next generation.

Millipedes have 4 legs per body segment, as compared to the centipede's 2. There are many other differences; this insect is a vegetarian and uses a foul odor and a tough shell to deter most predators.

 

 The world of the termite is a lot more complex and fascinating than the pest control companies would like to suggest. Firstly, west of the Mississippi, termites are unlikely to be chewing on your house (blame the fungi instead). Some forms live in old wood, and others prefer the earth. Both forms like high moisture not usually found in human constructions. These soft bodied insects actually use a bacteria in their gut to digest the wood. They begin to form black, winged forms in the spring to spread new colonies.

 

 

This is usually called a generic "white grub" and prominately printed on the side of lawn pesticide concoctions bought at the hardware store. It is the pupa of a beetle (scarab genus). They live underground and eat plant roots, which is why lawn people are offended by their existence. The actual beetle form (probably a darkling beetle) is called the imago.

In some areas, noticeably around tall trees with heavy timber below them, there are large colonies of field crickets. They seem to prefer the edges of bare, dry soil under the largest logs. I was surprised to find they dug tunnels through the dirt and appear to form colonies.

 

This invertebrate is identified as a three lined slug, they seem common under logs that have been thrown into the water filled ditches right now

As long as the water is clear, there are many plants that appear to have no problem growing underwater. Grasses and some forbs are thriving in the shallows. The duck flocks tend to browse them away and make the water too muddy for the plants to get sunlight where the water stationary. I wonder why this stretch of water does not form duckweed?

Patches of the bosque have a covering of Yerba Mansa that thrived during the 2019 bosque flooding we had. This is mullein, that comes up a little later on in moist, but well drained loamy soils.

The mosses from the fall season have mostly vanished, but a few lichen are growing in the shaded areas of good canopy cover. This is a common yellow genus, called "sunburst lichen" that grows on old logs that have lost their bark.

 

 The crows continue to roost in the bosque, facing the setting sun as they squabble over...who know's what? I lump all their activities in the evening under the generic term "flexing". The crows that have paired up, have mostly left to build nests and preform their own courtship behaviors.

The standard white winged dove are showing the blue around the eye that shows they are also getting ready to court. They spend a lot of time on the ground foraging right now as they fatten up to look good for the early summer.

I think this is a mountain bluebird, but my computer app. also suggested a jay. It certainly had an unusual call, sounding like small hands slapping a wet fish.

I have been so used to seeing mallards and teals around Corrales that I had to look again to notice the extra long beak on this northern shoveller at the Tingely ponds. Right now there is a wide variety of water birds there, enjoying the extra wing room only open and still water can provide. It appeared to be feeding on cattails seeds on the surface of the water.

 

This porcupine is resting in a New Mexico olive grove nest to the river. The branches have a shiny, smooth covering of bark and some has been nibbled on by this rodent. The hairstyle on it's head looks awesome
 

I can't tell what animal this fur came from. There is actually a patch of skin under it. so this is the long gone remains of some sort of prey. I can't begin to imagine what creature it used to be, but it was out on the levee trail, so at some point a coyote was likely involved.

 

The full moon at night is showing off. Even with some clouds there is a bright moonlit night that is usually a sign that the predators of the night are not going to be successful. Those animals usually prefer cloudy, windy, and dark nights to be able to get the closest to whatever it is they are trying to catch.

A view of the moon in the evening. It often seems like the moon is a lot less predictable than the sun's path across the sky.. The moon often seems to pop up out of nowhere and comes up at different places over the mountain. And unlike the sun, it's presence does not necessarily define when it is night, or day.