A tablespoon of Wetland

This is what a tablespoon of springtime wetland water looks like. A month or two ago it was clear. Now microscopic creatures have begun the cycle of life and nearly every speck in the picture will become an insect, snail, or other creature with aquatic beginnings. Most of the specs are midges---tiny insects that begin life in water. Some are the beginnings of this May's mayflies. There's also a very tiny snail to the left of center.

Most of these creatures will be the bottom of the food chain and will feed frogs, dragonflies, and birds. This is the beginning of life's cycle for the year---in a tablespoon of pond water in the wetland.    

Spring Pond Critters

Just as spring appears on land--so are plants and animals waking up in our ponds, lakes, and streams. This year, a bit early, I found a couple snails moving around already. The snail in the photo is right handed---which is an indicator of water quality. Left-handed snails have gills and require a better water quality than right-handed snails. This sample came from a pond in a wetland.

The other critter in the photo is a diving beetle. This beetle will swim up to the surface every now and then---stick its rear above the water line and grab a bubble of air to carry with it as it hunts below the surface. The beetles are often active all winter long.