So far, this has been a quiet spring. Winter was dry, little snow at the house and not much up in the mountains. Everyone in town has an underlying tension about the possibility of flood, but the plants and animals continue on as always. The sycamores and cottonwoods are greening up, the fruit trees are blooming (the first time all have bloomed). The weeds are sprouting and the lizards are out basking. I caught the first grasshopper of the year - a very nice specimen. My skills at keying out insects are rather poor, but I think this is a Red Shanked Grasshopper (Xanthippus corallipes). According to my grasshopper books, these guys winter over as immature adults and are common in the spring.
This hopper was not happy with my attempts to open its wings and pose its legs at the same time. It is difficult to tell from the photo, but this fellow is very colorful. The hind legs are a nice bright orange (easily seen), but the top of its abdomen and head are a rich marine blue (not so easily seen). I know not many people like grasshoppers, but they are wonderful.
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