Last week, a thundersnow storm dropped five inches of snow here in central Nebraska, and prolonged windy conditions knocked power out for much of our area. The weather seems to be fighting both itself and us.

Yesterday, though, was a very pleasant day. I took a midday break from work and made a quick stop at our family prairie to make sure everything was ok. It was. Since there were some diffuse clouds making good light for close-up photography, I wandered around a little to see if I could find any reason to exercise my macro lens. I quickly found a cute little millipede near a badger dig but it didn’t feel like sticking around for photos.

Next, I wandered over the the melting remnants of a big snow drift. I laid down in the wet grass near the edge and perused the snow for any movement. There was more happening than you might expect.

First, I found a few sprigs of prairie plants sticking out of the snow and played with them. Once I was tuned in, though, I started seeing movement and found quite a few little insects. Twenty minutes later, with wet elbows and knees, I got up and headed back to work. Here are some of the insects I found on the snow:

Why were all these insects hanging out on the snow? The air temperature was in the mid-50’s (Fahrenheit), so it’s not surprising they were active, but why hang out on a big pile of ice crystals instead of somewhere warmer? Were they looking for something? Taking advantage of the sun exposure, even though it made their feet cold? I don’t know.

Even though they were all smaller than a grain of rice, the insects stood out because of their movement on a white background. That was convenient for me, of course, but also seems like a vulnerability to any predators hanging around. I don’t have to understand it, I can just be grateful to see all those little friends, and for the chance to start warming up for the coming field season full of insects and many other small wonders.

I haven’t seen any wildflowers yet, but we’re getting close to that time. Maybe just one or two more snowstorms first? Happy spring, everyone.