When I originally posted this blog, I thought that the small round objects on this dragonfly’s abdomen were eggs. Not so. Jeanine reached out to a friend who directed us to a blog by Kent MacFarland at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies whose description I have included below.

I really don’t like weeding. So it was with great pleasure when just moments into the task I spotted a dragonfly acting strangely on a nearby plant. What immediately caught my eye was a pile of tiny, red, egg-like sacs all over its thorax. I ran to grab my camera, and at this point, I am sure my wife was rolling her eyes. Anything to get out of weeding. But heck, I was just about to bear witness to phoresy.

Frankly, I didn’t know the term either. But it turns out that those little red sacs weren’t eggs at all, but rather larvae of water mites hitching a ride on the dragonfly. Ecologists call it phoresy, the process of using another organism to move about.

Arrenurus water mite adults are a mere three millimeters long and usually brown or greenish so you wouldn’t notice them in the water unless you were really looking for them. They mate in spring, and the female lays up to 400 red eggs on underwater objects, one egg at a time.

The six-legged larvae hatch in one to six weeks, depending on water temperature, and they immediately swim around looking for an insect larva. When they find a mosquito, stonefly, damselfly, or a dragonfly larva that is in its late stages of growth, they grab onto it, waiting until the larva goes airborne.

As the dragonfly larva crawls out of the water and sheds its exoskeleton, the mites jump off the cast shell and onto the dragonfly. Now they are not only hitchhiking, but they also become parasites. They form a tube that pierces the exoskeleton of the dragonfly so that they can feed on the victim’s hemolymph, kind of like blood in an insect’s circulatory system. After the mite grows enough, its exoskeleton becomes like a sac and inside the larva develops into a nymph.

When the nymph is fully developed, it just drops off the host when it is over water. Now, like all arachnids, it has eight legs and looks similar to an adult water mite. They eat the same foods as adults too – tiny insects, worms, and even other mites. After they eat and grow, if they avoid being eaten themselves, they find an object to attach to and form another sac to develop into an adult.

I did not need to take more than 10 steps from our backdoor to find a bunch of dragonflies this morning. Maya thinks the photo above looks more like a painting. Other than slight exposure correction and sharpening it is straight from the camera but I do share her opinion. The dragonfly below looks less vibrant, partially due to the fact that it was perched upside down on our photographically bland doorstep.

Today’s post comes in the form of a quiz. How many turkeys are in this picture? For the not so obvious answer, solve the following math problem.

42-19 +28-46

Congratulations if you answered correctly on the first try. Keep at it if you think I got my math wrong. Click on the photo and then zoom in for additional clues.

Addendum: In response to the overwhelming insistence that there are only four turkeys in the photo above, I am providing evidence to confirm that there are indeed five. Also, I watched as the family of five traversed our field before I could get my telephoto lense fitted to my camera for the shot.

Jeanine and I attended an outdoor concert this evening. It has been a long time since we spent an evening outside of the house, let alone while being entertained. This is the first post in 15 years that features an audio clip rather than a photo. See if you can identify all of the instruments in the band. Hint: there are far more than you might think at first.

After work, I swung by Great Meadows for an evening walk where I encountered this Osprey and his dinner companion. Shooting birds in flight is fairly challenging and always satisfying when you find something interesting in the frame. Technically speaking, the photo is not that great. I had zero time to adjust the settings on my camera and was lucky to capture a few frames in focus. Quality notwithstanding, I like the shot.

I left the house early this morning for some nature photography despite the very overcast skies. I thought I would visit my favorite owl family but the density of mosquitoes and my lack of repellent convinced me to turn back halfway down the trail. On my return drive, I spotted a pair of red-tailed hawks high up in a dead tree. Fortunately, they remained there long enough for me to park, grab my gear, and walk close enough for a decent shot. The female mallard is generally not one of my go-to subjects, but the one pictured below was very adorable as it took a bath and dried off afterward.

For everyone who believes they have a perfectly good flashlight on their cell phone, my collection of flashlights may seem ridiculous. With another one on the way, I thought I would take a full inventory and reassess assignments. Twenty flashlights may seem like more than enough for a small police department but I can assure you, each is put to good use.

• 3x one for each car
• 5x one for each room (bedroom, study, shop, kitchen, work)
• 2x his and her camping headlights
• 3x one for each kit (toolbox, camera bag, travel kit)
• 3x the one in my pocket (S, M, or L depending on the activity)

All lights use high-performance LEDs and rechargeable lithium-ion or nickel-metal hydride batteries (21700, 18650, 16340, 14500) and some have built-in USB chargers. Most in the back two rows can output 1000 lumens or more. The fat one is good for 9000 lumens. The smallest one does not get used. It was just too cute to resist. For those keeping track, that leaves 2 unallocated lights and the new one on the way. What can I say? I have a few older lights that do not perform as well as those with the latest technology or have a user interface that I find tedious. Stay tuned for a post on my newest light when it arrives.

A photograph of Jeanine will be featured in an upcoming exhibit at the Concord Museum (more info on this in a future post). This morning we spent some time at the Open Table facility shooting environmental portraits designed to show Jeanine in her work surroundings. None hit the mark and we will try again with a different setting but I did rather like this one of Jeanine and her truck.

I spent the bulk of the day helping Maya to install the washing machine in her tiny home. Most of our time was spent making modifications to the plumbing. We wanted the water shutoff valves located in the adjacent cabinet rather than behind the machine. This will make it possible to turn off the water and winterize the supply lines without moving the very heavy machine. We also made cleats for the leveling legs to prevent the washer from moving when the tiny house is being towed.

Dinner was courtesy of Kyle and Klaida who really outdid themselves.

While walking to the Black Lives Matter protest earlier this week, I paused for a few cityscapes. I thought I would post these today to give followers a break from all the recent wildlife photography.

The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is a short walk from our house and traverses a wetland that skirts our neighborhood. Early this morning, Jeanine and I completed a three-mile circuit during which we spotted a swans nest. After dinner, we made a second lap, this time with my telephoto lens in tow. Just as we arrived at the nest, we spotted the family returning from their evening swim.

On our morning walk, I spotted this painted turtle with a slug on its shell.

I had a provocative conversation with Kyle this morning about the state of race relations in our country. We shared views of the systemic problems in our society but differed slightly on the best course of action to effect change. I am entirely supportive of peaceful demonstration and civil disobedience. I draw the line at vandalism, property damage, or violence of any kind. When my boss invited employees to take time off to help make a difference, I decided to join a late afternoon Black Lives Matter demonstration on the Boston Common. I was both a participant and an observer, maintaining much greater physical distancing than most at the event. The Boston and military police were both present in large numbers, positioned to protect property but giving a wide berth to the marchers. I was surprised, pleasantly, to see so many white people supporting the cause and was proud to be among them.

Apparently the “Make Way for Ducklings” were also marching in support of the cause and were being carefully monitored by the police as well.

I am not sure what the tiny little creature in the foreground is, an aphid perhaps, but I am fairly certain he is shortly going to be a snack for the approaching ant. When I took the photograph, I was busy trying to capture focus on the ant and did not realize what was about to happen. Ants are omnivorous and will eat just about anything.

Five minutes into my lunchtime walk, I discovered this little fellow enjoying his noontime meal. About half the size of a pencil eraser, the only way to find a beast like this is to sit still and watch for movement. Nailing focus is a hit or miss endeavor and it took twenty shots to get just one keeper. I have no idea what type of insect this is but I have named it nonetheless. If there are any entomologists out there, I would love an identification. Having had to curtail all my travel plans due to the Covid-19 pandemic, my new macro lens has opened up a whole new world for exploration.

A tour through our garden this morning with my new macro lens produced some interesting images. The rest of my day proved less enjoyable. When someone forgot to reinstall the lint trap on our dryer it led to the ingestion of a towel that wrapped itself around the impeller of the dryer’s blower motor. The repair required a very tedious disassembly of the dryer for the second time in as many months and the better part of my afternoon.

In the evening, the family all attended a rally in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Nico joined friends at the Boston event while the rest of us attended a socially distanced event in Concord. Participants were encouraged to remain in their cars with flashers on or to maintain social distancing if not. This aerial photo of downtown Concord suggests that there was very good compliance with the guidelines.

I did not even need to leave our deck to find this jumping spider lounging on the railing. Jumping spiders are distinguished by their eye pattern, two centrally located large ones, and six smaller ones distributed around the side and back of the head. They are capable of jumping several times their body length and use this athleticism to capture prey but not before attaching a silk line to secure them should they fall. Elsewhere on the deck railing, I found another spider in the middle of enjoying his dinner, possibly a tick or smaller spider. Click on the images for a larger view if you are not the sort to be creeped out by arachnids.

This morning, I got an early start to spend more time with the family of owls I have been visiting for the past few weeks. Maya has named the owlets Luna (the larger one) and Paco. Both left the nest for the first time today and my timing could not have been better. Luna climbed the tree in which the nest is located to a high perch. She was not ready to fly but used the excursion to stretch her wings frequently. Eventually, mom stopped by for some tender preening. Meanwhile, Paco was only comfortable climbing out on the perch in front of the nest and then retreating soon after. He is smaller and less confident than Luna. I took over 500 photos and have uploaded the best 100. Click here to view the full album.

The new macro lens I ordered last week arrived yesterday and it was not long before I was scouring the landscape for interesting subjects. I spotted this spider on a mound of moss and patiently waited until it paused momentarily. When it did, I fired off several shots hoping at least one would be in focus, something very hard to achieve with a manual focus lens of this type. Fortunately, exactly one shot was acceptably sharp and to my great surprise, it showed the spider eating what appears to be a small ant. Click on the image for an enlarged image and then zoom in on that. Most spiders have 8 eyes in addition to 8 legs and they are quite unusual to see up close.

Today’s post is a mystery photo challenge. The first person to e-mail me with the correct identification of the object in this photo will have their initials posted in an addendum to this post.

Congratulations JJ – winner, winner, chicken diner; Kidney Stone.

When Maya and Jeanine both come running through the house yelling “grab your camera,” it is a safe bet that something VERY interesting is happening in the backyard. This evening, we were treated to a fawn that could not have been more than a few hours old. It could barely stand, let alone run. Naturally, I did not have the right lens on my camera, so I lost 30 seconds fitting it with my telephoto zoom. By then the fawn and its mother were out of sight, so I ran into the backyard to see if I could get a parting shot of them. When I entered the field, the mother lept into the air flashing her white tail and darted off into the woods. The baby ducked into a small furrow and went completely still. This allowed me to approach within inches for some close-ups. When I moved some tall grass blocking my shot the fawn decided it was tired of my company and did its best to scamper away.

Located under 3 miles from our home, this 180ft diameter geodesic dome sits atop Annursnac Hill. I discovered it while scouting Google Maps for interesting aerial photography opportunities. At first, I thought it might be a greenhouse or possibly a massive residence. Further research revealed that it is the aluminum cover for a 2.5 million gallon concrete water reservoir, one of two that supplies the town of Concord. Despite promises to the contrary, I am compelled to post another photo of the baby owls I have been visiting almost every day. They have grown substantially and I suspect it will not be much longer until they leave the nest. Rest assured I will share photos of that event should I be so lucky to witness it.

The weather today was perfect and Jeanine and I were desperate to get out of the house and enjoy it. We decided to visit the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island which was open to pedestrians and cyclists only. We parked near Newbury Beach and biked the length of the island to Sandy Point State Reservation, stopping frequently to see what there was to see. The 15-mile round trip and intermittent stops yielded surprisingly few good wildlife photography opportunities. I did manage nice shots of a medium-size snapping turtle and turkey both which can be found within a stone’s throw of our front door.

The beach, which runs the length of the island, was desolate but not for the reason that may jump to mind. The endangered Piping Plover makes its nests on the beach and dunes at this time of year and access is strictly restricted. The picture below was taken from within Sandy Point State Reservation where a small section of the beach is open.

The day started innocently enough with some macro photography. These tiny flowers are from our garden. I use a 100mm Canon macro lens on a Sigma adapter with my Sony camera. It is not an optimal configuration. After a bit of research, I decided to buy a new macro lens from Venus Optical. It is a 65mm lens that features 2x magnification (double my current setup) and weighs half as much. Paired with the new lightweight flash I also ordered, it will make for a compact rig I can use in the field. The photo above was taken in our kitchen after I retrieved the flowers. In the afternoon, Jeanine and I returned to the owl’s nest we have been watching for weeks only to find the babies and parents asleep. While there, we met up with an Acton resident who told us about another nest located in the area around Mount Hope Cemetary. He directed us to a trail that led to the teepee landmark pictured below.

Once in the vicinity, Jeanine managed to spot one of the fledglings and one of the parents. The former was so well hidden that it could take minutes to find it again if you looked away for even a second. Talk about finding a needle in a haystack. For someone who has spent 15 years trying to find an owl in the wild, the last two weeks have yielded a total of 3 adults and 3 juveniles. I could not be happier and have also really enjoyed my owl outings with Jeanine.

I had an occasion to do some photography at work today. This image of a 3D printed tooling insert (post machining) will be featured in an upcoming book on additive manufacturing. I have two LED gooseneck lamps and a two-sided light tent at work. Not much to work with, but I am very pleased with the result.

The Horn Pond Recreation Area is located just over ten minutes from my work. I decided to make a brief visit over my lunch hour. In addition to getting a bit of exercise by walking the trails, I encountered a lot of birds, including a fledgling owl. Fortunately, the owl was located way up in a tree and you will not be subjected to any more owl photos today.

How about a fish and a chipmunk to round out the mix?

I am sorry for the recent deluge of owl photos but every time I return to the nest, I manage to capture something of interest. This morning, Jeanine and I left at 6 am to catch the early action. It was a little more than 10 minutes before we spotted this owl landing on a branch with a small squirrel in tow. The interesting part was that the owl decided to leave the dead squirrel in the tree (see the second photo, click to zoom in, and study the branch), presumably to continue hunting. We are guessing that it will return later and feed it to the owlets as soon as they wake up. Unfortunately, we did not have time to wait around to verify the hypothesis. For the sake of a little variety, I am including a picture of a bluebird I took on the way out of the forest.

Early this morning, I ventured back to the owl nest I discovered last week. The babies did not make an appearance but I was fortunate to get a photo of mom and dad near the nest. Dad appeared to have a bloody beak and mom is holding a headless chipmunk (you can fill in the story). I fully expected mom to swoop down to the nest and feed the owlets. Unfortunately, this did not happen and after an hour of waiting, I had to leave for work.

At one point, dad flew to a perch right behind me. In the back of my mind, I was wondering if he was going to swoop down and claw my head in an effort to clear the way for mom to feed the babies. Fortunately, such was not the case and I was able to get a rather nice portrait.

After dinner, Jeanine joined me for a second visit to the nest. The light was not as good but I was able to get my first shot of both of the owlets together.

My visit to iRobot headquarters earlier this week triggered a bit of nostalgia and I decided to visit Avid headquarters on my lunchtime walk today. It is even closer to Digital Alloys, a mere 1000m. The logo is a bit cryptic but quite clever (do you see the pause control?). I worked at Avid for 5 years as its VP of Engineering when it was located in Tewksbury. As I peered into the lobby, I was able to see the company’s collection of Emmy Awards (16 in total). I accepted one of them, some 30 years ago, for pioneering work in the field of desktop video when I worked at Pinnacle Systems. Emmy’s for technical achievement are awarded to companies rather than individuals. When Avid acquired Pinnacle Systems, they took possession of the Emmy, and that is how it has come to rest where it is.

Jeanine, Maya, and I returned to the owl’s nest we had discovered a few days ago in hopes of spotting the owlet reported to be living there. We were rewarded for our effort when the little fellow made a very brief appearance just as we arrived.

Jeanine and I, accompanied by Open Table colleague and friend, Ray, climbed Mount Wachusset today. Weather conditions were perfect even if the ground was often soggy due to last night’s torrential downpours. We used the Balance Rock trail for a just-right sized 5-mile hike.

When we reached the summit, we paused for a nice bagged lunch while letting our weary legs take a nice break. At the end of our hike, Jeanine spotted this enormous chair and insisted on a photograph. I was happy to oblige and to join her for a couples photo taken by Ray.

My new job is half a mile, as the crow flies, from iRobot where I spent 5 years of my career as the VP of Engineering. Regrettably, the company recently had to lay off a large number of talented employees, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic. I have reached out to a number of them who might be qualified for a position we have open at Digital Alloys. As it is right on my way to work, I thought I would swing by for a quick look at my old stomping grounds. I found the main entrance to the building had been renovated which was reason enough for an updated photo.