Mississippi Watersnake
To Inver Grove Heights. While Lida practiced beach volleyball, I explored the nearby Mississippi River, visiting the Rock Island Swing Bridge city park. What's left of the bridge for which the park is named resembles an ocean pier more than a bridge. It no longer spans the entire river but extends nearly to the center and provides an excellent view.
I'd hoped to see more clubtail dragonflies, perhaps even a species or two not found along the Cannon River. However, during the hour at the park, I found only two dragonflies: the first a teneral that flew from the water's edge and was immediately captured out of the air by a bird; the second was a Cobra Clubtail near the edge of the parking lot.
Unexpectedly, the most interesting encounters were with a snake and a frog. The snake was a young Northern Watersnake swimming in the water at the edge of the river. When I approached for a closer photo the snake dove to the bottom and entangled itself at the base of a weed. The frog, found at a safe distance down the shore from the snake, was a Blanchard's Cricket Frog. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources lists this species as endangered in Minnesota and mentions only two currently known breeding populations, so this was an exciting find.
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