Flying Critters at the Conservation Area

Despite being rather short and earth-bound... Sandy was able to spy quite a few flying critters on his little hike through the conservation area. First up were some butterflies. There were tonnes and tonnes of little orange butterflies. They could be moths too... but because they are orange, Sandy is calling them butterflies.

They weren't all that pretty and didn't pose all that well for pictures. But the dragonfly did very well! Sandy wondered why it's called a dragon-fly when it looks nothing like a dragon (like Eldritch or Dilly) or a fly!

It was a tad more photogenic and stayed still for quite a long time which made photo-taking much easier. The next flighted creature wasn't a bug - but an owl!! It sat on a branch and turned its head for a while examining Sandy with a judicious eye. Sandy was all for going closer but when he learned that owls prey on small mammals, he decided that it might be better to hide in Mama's backpack!

At which point the owl flew away - it's just a blur there - silly owl... sitting still for so long and then flying as soon as the camera comes out! Mama says it was a Grey Owl. The butterflies are sometimes more photogenic...

And finally we came to a red barn - which doesn't fly - so it was easy to get a picture of that.

Sandy wanted to check out the inside... but the doors were all locked so he had to content himself with a peak through the window. It was a typical barn...

But on the side of the barn were some atypical little wooden contraptions. Sandy had no idea what they could be but Mama explained that they were bat-houses!!

Sandy was all for hanging around and waiting for the bats to come out... but when he learned that they only come out at dusk... he thought that might be a beary long wait!

Sandy found a bench all overgrown with grass and thistles (ouch)... and then heard some running water and found a drinking hole for cattle... or something.

It was big and round with water flowing in through a pipe, and then getting sucked out through the middle thing... Can you tell what the drinking hole is made out of??

Hint... they use them on vehicles! Sandy wanted to drink out of the pool but Mama said it might not be good water for little bears to drink. But everyone dunked their ball caps in the water and then put them on their heads because it was a very hot day. Sandy's hat was already wet from a leaking water bottle so he was already quite cool!