Marmots, Flowers, and Dragonflies

Friday I was feeling kind of crummy, but I headed out to Branched Oak Lake. I sat for awhile in an area where I have seen Lark Sparrows. Really would like to get a photo of one. I saw them, but they were always out of range of the camera. Finally decided to move on. Had not gone far when I spotted a brown furry lump in the tall grass. So I stopped and watched for awhile to see if I could figure out what it was. The brown furry lump was foraging and moving slowly. Finally the little guy put his head up and it was a marmot.


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Moved on to a field of wildflowers. Got this really neat picture of a Black-eyed Susan.


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And then this picture of a dragonfly. I have just about given up on dragonfly and damselfly identification. I have three insect id books that all have very small sections on dragonflys and damselflys. I can't find any books dedicated to them only. Anyhoo, here's the unidentified dragonfly.


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Update (June 17, 7:30pm CDT) A commenter has suggested my brown furry critter is a woodchuck. When I saw this critter, I was unsure what it was. I have two books with critter pictures. The pictures in one book made me think it was a marmot, the other book made me think it was a woodchuck. So I wandered around the internets looking for pictures. I still wasn't sure, so when I uploaded my photos over on the photo site, I entitled it Marmot? Within an hour, I had a commenter that said that id was correct. I've had no other commenters on that site, and I haven't yet removed the question mark from the title. If my commenter wants to articulate the difference, (or anyone else reading this site) I would be delighted. I really would like to know for sure what what this brown furry critter is.

A need for restoration

Today was one of those days when one had to pretend, at least for awhile, to be a responsible adult. First off was a weekly breakfast with friends, none of whom are into birding, and most of whom just look at me like I'm from another planet when I talk about it. Then it was off to run errands, most of which were for my elderly mother. Then it was a stop at her place. Anyone who has ever dealt with an elderly parent whose mental and physical skills have diminished will understand that one never knows what you will encounter when you go to visit. Today was not one of the good days. Sigh.

After leaving mother's I felt the need of a little restoration. Lincoln has a garden that is called Sunken Gardens. It is an oasis, in spite of being located at a very busy intersection. Because is it "sunken" the noise from the busy streets is muffled and barely noticable. It had a humble beginning:

The Sunken Gardens of Lincoln, at the southwest corner of 27th and D Streets, has been the pride and joy of citizens since its completion in 1931. This 1.5 acre lot was constructed over the winter of 1930-31, during the worst financial depression the United States ever experienced. This project was part of a program used by the City of Lincoln as an opportunity for unemployed men to earn money to support their families. The program helped families survive hard times, as very little money was available for employment in any line of work.

A couple of years ago it was totally renovated. The renovation was funded by local and corporate contributions. It is

The only Nebraska garden listed in the "300 Best Gardens to Visit in the United States and Canada" in the National Geographic Guide to Public Gardens!

I knew when I stopped there that the Parks people would probably be planting the annuals that make up a good part of the garden. The place was a hive of activity. They were rototilling, planting, and mulching. In spite of the activity, there was a calming influence on my soul. There are two fish ponds and I was drawn to them because there was very little activity in that area. I sat and watched the fish swim. I suppose someday I will have to figure out what kind of fish they are, but that was not my focus today. There are water lilies in the fish ponds and they were just beginning to bloom and I wished for my camera which was at home.


This photograph of the garden shows it in it's full glory. The photgraph was taken during the latter part of June last year.


My favorite water lily from last year.


The fish ponds are also home to numerous varieties of dragonflies. This is a Widow Skimmer.


As I walked back to my car, I was thankful for all those who were laboring there today, so that I may enjoy sights like those above yet again in the coming weeks.