Common Whitetail – LIFE IN THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER WATERSHED

June 2, 2025June 3, 2025

Photographs in Living Color: Black and White is Beautiful

Here at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters, we really enjoy looking back in time at old black-and-white pictures. We even have an old black-and-white television that still operates quite well. But on a nice late-spring day, there’s no sense sitting around looking at that stuff when we could be outside tracking down some sightings of a few wonderful animals.

American Toad Tadpoles — American Toad tadpoles have hatched from clusters of eggs deposited in this wet roadside ditch furnished with a clean supply of runoff filtered through a wide shoulder of early successional growth. Recent rains have kept their vernal nursery flooded, giving them the time they need to quickly mature into tiny toads and hop away before scorching summer heat dries up their natal home.

Water Striders mating. — Weekend rains and creek flooding haven’t stopped these Water Striders from pairing up to begin their breeding cycle.

Around streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, the Common Whitetail is one of our most conspicuous dragonflies.

Now that’s what we call a big beautiful bill, on a Great Blue Heron stalking fish.

These mating Golden-backed Snipe Flies (Chrysopilus thoracicus) are predatory insects, as are their larvae. They are most frequently found in bottomland woods.

About three feet in length, this Eastern Ratsnake is unusual because it still shows conspicuous remnants of the diamond-patterned markings it sported as a juvenile.

The plumage of the Black-and-white Warbler lacks any of the vibrant colors found in the rainbow, but is nevertheless strikingly beautiful.

May 26, 2024May 26, 2024

Some Early Season Damselflies and Dragonflies

During recent weeks, as temperatures have warmed into the 70s and 80s, early season odonates—damselflies and dragonflies—have taken to the wing along our watercourses and wetlands to prey upon small flying insects.

Vegetated Stream — In addition to wetlands, many vegetated streams, ponds, lakes, and rivers are prime locations to find a variety of damselflies and dragonflies.

Common Whitetail and Eastern Amberwings — A male Common Whitetail (top) and some Eastern Amberwings (Perithemis tenera) patrol the edge of a verdant pond in search of small flying insects. In addition to defending territories for hunting, many males will begin chasing off potential rivals as the breeding season gets underway. Both of these dragonflies are tolerant of mud-bottomed waters during their aquatic larval stages of life and may be the only species found at places like farm ponds.

Male Fragile Forktail — The Fragile Forktail is common throughout the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed. It is the most likely damselfly to colonize garden ponds, wet ditches, and other small bodies of water.

Female Fragile Forktail — Having just mated with the male seen in the previous image, this female Fragile Forktail prepares to oviposit (lay her eggs) among the submerged plant matter in the shallows of this pond. After hatching, the larval damselflies will spend an entire year as aquatic predators before taking flight as adults next spring.

Male Blue Dasher — The Blue Dasher is a common dragonfly around streams, ponds, and wetlands. It can frequently be found perched in sunny woodland clearings, even those quite a distance from their breeding area.

Male Eastern Forktail — The Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis) is a common damselfly around almost any calm, vegetated waters. They frequently perch on emergent plant leaves and stems.

The Common Baskettail (Epitheca cynosura) is currently numerous around tree-lined pond and lake shores. They spend nearly all of their time on the wing and frequently dart in and out of the shade while hunting and defending their territory from other dragonflies. Unless you happen to catch a quick glimpse of them in good sunlight, these hyperactive insects will appear completely black in color.

The Lancet Clubtail is a handsome early season dragonfly of slow clear streams, ponds, and wetlands. They spend much of their time perched, watching for prey.

If you’re out and about in coming days, you’ll find that flights of Common Green Darners, Black Saddlebags, and other species are underway as well. As the waters of the lower Susquehanna valley continue to warm, an even greater variety of these insects will take to the wing. To help with the identification of those you see, be certain to click the “Damselflies and Dragonflies” tab at the top of this page.

September 11, 2023September 12, 2023

A Visit to a Beaver Pond

To pass the afternoon, we sat quietly along the edge of a pond created recently by North American Beavers (Castor canadensis). They first constructed their dam on this small stream about five years ago. Since then, a flourishing wetland has become established. Have a look.

A beaver lodge. — The beaver lodge was built among shrubs growing in shallow water in the middle of the pond.

Woolgrass in a beaver pond. — Woolgrass (Scirpus cyperinus) is a bulrush that thrives as an emergent and as a terrestrial plant in moist soils bordering the pond.

A male Common Whitetail dragonfly keeping watch over his territory.

A Twelve-spotted Skimmer perched on Soft Rush.

A Blue Dasher dragonfly seizing a Fall Field Cricket (Gryllus pennsylvanicus).

A Spicebush Swallowtail visiting Cardinal Flower. — A Spicebush Swallowtail visiting a Cardinal Flower.

A Green Heron looking for small fish, crayfish, frogs, and tadpoles.

A Green Heron stalks potential prey. — The Green Heron stalking potential prey.

A Wood Duck feeding on Lesser Duckweed. — A Wood Duck feeding on the tiny floating plant known as Lesser Duckweed (Lemna minor).

A Least Sandpiper feeding along the muddy edge of a beaver pond. — A Least Sandpiper poking at small invertebrates along the muddy edge of the beaver pond.

A Solitary Sandpiper testing the waters for proper feeding depth.

A Pectoral Sandpiper searches for its next morsel of sustenance.

A Sora rail in a beaver pond. — The Sora (Porzana carolina) is a seldom seen rail of marshlands including those created by North American Beavers. Common Cattails, sedges, and rushes provide these chicken-shaped wetland birds with nesting and loafing cover.

Isn’t that amazing? North American Beavers build and maintain what human engineers struggle to master—dams and ponds that reduce pollution, allow fish passage, and support self-sustaining ecosystems. Want to clean up the streams and floodplains of your local watershed? Let the beavers do the job!