Life Under the Ice

 I've been doing failed bug walks the last few days. I know, it's January, it's cold, "there's no bugs in winter," but I know, and if you've been reading this blog for the last few years, you know that there are, in fact, bugs in winter. There are a slew of "winter" bugs. And not just ones that come out on warmer winter days, there are some that don't seem to mind the cold. And I have seen them lately, I just haven't managed to get pictures.

One night last week, after we had had a light snow, we went for a moonlight walk in the woods. It wasn't a full moon, but it was only a couple of days past full, so it was still really bright, and with snow on the ground the night woods are well lit–we didn't even need to use our flashlights. I brought mine with me, though, and I used it to look for bugs on a particular tree that in the past has harbored bugs in all seasons. I didn't have my camera, I just like bugs, so I checked for bugs. I didn't expect to find any, the temperature was in the 20s F, and yet... there was a winter stonefly on the tree, walking around. 

So, knowing that the winter stoneflies are around and active, I went out the next day with my camera... and didn't find any bugs. I went out again the next day, and found bugs, but didn't get pictures because my camera and my knee were malfunctioning. Today, finally, bugs!

Backyard Bug of the Day:

Winter stonefly. This one was on that favorite bug tree...

And this one was on the stream:

The stream has been in varying stages of being frozen over the last few days. Two days ago it was pretty solid. Today there wasn't as much ice, although it was only a couple of degrees above freezing. Both days I saw bugs walking on the ice, a winter crane fly on Saturday, and this winter stonefly today. Both days I saw bugs under the ice, too–an aquatic beetle on Saturday, and a caddisfly larva today (which I didn't get good enough pictures of to post, mostly because my knee pain means I can't get down on the ground to take pictures). In the last couple of months we have done most of our walks after dark, since we generally have time to walk in the late afternoons or evenings, and it gets dark early in December and early January, and have occasionally seen aquatic beetles or caddisfly larvae active underwater. But that was before the stream began to freeze. Even though my experiences last winter taught me that ice on the water does not mean that the bugs underneath aren't alive and active, it's still a bit of a surprise, and really, a thrill, to see them moving under the ice. 

Finding bugs in the winter is fascinating, but I will still say, Woo hoo, only 54 days until Spring!

New Snow

 Happy New Year, Insect Enthusiasts!

Yes, I know, we're a week into it, but that's still pretty new. A year is not like a pair of white shoes, which stop being new after you've worn them once. A year is still new for a few weeks at least. I haven't written any checks yet, but I am pretty sure if I did write one, my first instinct would be to write 2021 on it. Actually, I almost labeled my picture files for today as 2021. And then after I caught myself I almost labeled several files from November and December as 2022. That confusion means it's still a new year.

Anyway, new year, first snow of the year, and so I had to go out for a walk in the woods even though I knew it would hurt my injured knee (it wasn't too bad. It's just a little bit achy now). I looked for bugs, not really expecting to find much, because it was barely above freezing, but I knew there was a chance, because it was sunny, and it was, after all, above freezing. Sometimes the key is knowing exactly where to look, so when I was almost back to the house I checked a couple of trees that are popular hangouts for snow fleas, and...

Backyard Bug of the Day:

Snow flea. Obviously. Not on snow, but trust me, there is snow all around this tree.

Snow fleas are tiny, and hard to see unless there are a lot of them crowded together, which was not the case today. But many things are easier to see if you just know to look in the right place.

Anyway, Happy New Year!