Bike Trail Bir...Dragonfly-ing?

Three posts  A LOT of posts in a week! I finally have things to write about!  It's been two weeks of  heat and humidity, as you all know.   While that doesn't appear as if it's going to break anytime soon, I got out early in the morning on the first day of summer, and photographed a LOT of birds, including the Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) above. 

I do not know what this plant is, but it was a weed growing along the side of a gravel road.

Far off, on the edge of a cornfield, I spotted this.  It's my first ever Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea), not to be confused with the nearly-identical Indigo Bunting.  Blue Grosbeaks, however, have reddish coloration on the wings.

I kept walking down the bike trail, which is easier if you have a bike.  I find it almost more tiring to walk along a straight, paved path than to walk the same distance in the woods.  The lack of variety must be boring to my feet.

This is some sort of damselfly in the genus Enallagma.  Some of you may call this a dragonfly, which is a pet peeve of mine.  In resting damselflies, the wings are folded, unlike a dragonfly's outstretched wings. Ignoring the fact that there are some damselflies which perch with outstretched wings, this is a good means of identification.  Therefore, if I hear any of my readers call this type of insect a dragonfly again, I will write you a harshly-worded letter.

Probably the most colorful flower at this time of year is the Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans), here shown atop an old bridge piling on the lake. 

Here's two more bridges, one for trains on the left and one for bikers on the right.  The old piling is to the right of the bike path.  There used to be two parallel train lines in this area, but one was removed, and replaced with the bike trail later on.

Here's looking out at Lake Springfield, where Lick Creek enters the lake.

Along the path in this section grew Western Goat's Beard  (Tragopogon dubius), a beautiful weed.

Overhead, a Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) spied on me warily.  I have no problem with fox squirrels, it's their pesky little gray cousins I actively despise.  I once saw a Gray Squirrel drag a miniature squash up a tree, with the owners of the squash in pursuit.

As I walked down and off on a side trail in the Lick Creek Wildlife Area, this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) seems almost shocked to see me.

Same goes for this White-Tailed Deer.

Up until recently, I really haven't appreciated the beauty of dragonflies.  These are some of the most colorful insects, and are fairly identifiable.  This is an adult female Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa), one of the more common American dragonflies.

As I returned to the bike trail from the path, on top of a nearby tree I spotted a very small bird with a very long bill.  I don't know why this Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) was sitting for so long on top of this branch.  Some people believe hummingbirds don't have feet, as they are so active. Contrary to popular opinion, hummingbirds DO have feet.

Two things have happened recently in the natural world.  #1,  Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) has started to bloom.  #2. Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica) have started to emerge en masse.  A sincere hooray for the first, a sarcastic one for the second.

Overhead, a Warbling Vireo called.  I think this is a Warbling Vireo, as I had to identify it by call later.  For some reason, I can't identify most birds from the underside only.

Meanwhile, back on the lake as I returned, this Great Blue Heron appeared to be surfing.

The other common  Illinois grosbeak, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus), sang on one side of the path.  I don't understand how these birds got such a boring name, when it literally looks as if they were stabbed in the throat.  Grosbeak is a variant on "gros bec", French for "big beak".  But Rose-breasted?  We've got Mourning Doves, Cardinals, and Ovenbirds, all great names.  Evidently, the creativity stops somewhere.

Speaking of Cardinals, the section of road in front of me suddenly became very busy with wildlife. Animal Crossing, anyone?

There was a rustling to my right just shortly afterwards, and this Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)  looked back at me.  I was so close, I could have reached out and touched him.

Continuing on, I found one of my favorite birds, the Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) , engaged in a bit of grooming.  I found that I needed to do a bit of grooming when I got back to my car, as the first of the seventeen ticks I was to find in my adventures over the course of the next week was crawling around on my pants leg.

Later that day, I spotted this Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) , and as I still had my camera, I snapped a picture.  At some point, I may begin dragonfly-ing instead of birding.

Oh, and one last note.  I somehow ended up going to the most beautiful spot in central Illinois recently, though it's guarded by thick brush, steep slopes,  ticks, and attack butterflies.  Coming soon.