Reflections on the Catawba

Murray's Mill--a GREAT family hike!

2012-01-23T10:20:00.002-05:00

Emmy and I visited Murray's Mill twice last week to walk. Each time we got out of the car--she headed straight for a view of the "waterfall!"

They recently dedicated a trail that completely encompasses the mill pond as part of the Carolina Thread Trail and I wanted to check it out. I was absolutely blown away by the variety of habitats we encountered along the 1.5 mile trail. I have to say that I've been coming to Murray's Mill my entire life--but until this week I had never explored or even really thought much about the surrounding terrain.

We began by going below the store to a short trail that follows the creek below the mill. It is a beautiful path with lots of twisty Mountain Laurels and American Hollies.

View of the creek . . . .

View of the trail below the creek . . . .

And the view of the dam from underneath the old bridge . . .

The trail around the mill pond passes a couple old houses and then edges along this beautiful field of winter wheat. We had a flock of about 40 American Pipits and a female Northern Harrier in this field on our first trip!

The trail then enters a fairly mature Pine/Holly forest for about 1/2 mile . . . . .

And then you get to a boardwalk over some extensive wetlands! On both of our trips we encountered Mallards and Wood Ducks back in this area--and you could tell they were wild because they flew as soon as they saw us!

There were some Alders along the boardwalk that had Wooly Alder Aphids--which I was surprised to find in January! I guess it has stayed warm enough for them to flourish. These aphids are the preferred food source for the rarely encountered Harvester Butterfly caterpillar . . . . so I will be keeping my eye on these closer to spring to see if I can find a caterpillar to raise!

This is the largest of the three creeks feeding the pond in the boardwalk/wetland area . . . .

Soon after passing the Shiloh Methodist Church cemetery where John Murray--owner and operator of Murray's Mill is buried, we came across this patch of Lycopodium obscurum (Rare Clubmoss). I had never seen this species before!

They look like short little hemlock trees. :) Here is a link to their known range in NC on the USDA Plant Database.

The trail then comes into another field--this one had been planted in corn last year and was full of hundreds of Mourning Doves.

And near the end, a short causeway skirts the edge of a pond and another small wetland area before you head back toward the mill and store area.

Southern Flying Squirrel!

2012-01-10T17:11:00.001-05:00

I had quite the surprise today when I knocked on this bluebird house at Riverbend! I was expecting to knock down some Box Elder Bugs for Emmy and Mrs. Whiteley to take some photos of . . . .but instead we found a winter nest of at least one pair of Southern Flying Squirrels! Emmy took this first photo while I ran back to the building to get my phone to call Alisha. She is counting mammals for our Catawba Valley Crazy Big Year and needs this for her list!

I guess it was a good thing that I volunteered to help with Service-Learning Orientation for Mrs.Whiteley and her CVCC Biology students or else I would never have gotten to see this beautiful creature. I've seen this species only a couple of times my entire life in the wild . . .but always on the move and during twilight or later.

I think the best part was how excited Emmy was about seeing it. She wanted to go back every time we walked near--but I told her we didn't want to scare it away so that we could share it with everyone else. It didn't take but just a few seconds after we stepped away before it zoomed back into the box and settled down. Man, I love my job some days! :)

Hope your day was as awesome as mine . . . .

Jacob's Fork in January

2012-01-04T15:14:00.001-05:00

I decided to head to Jacob's Fork Park this morning to get in my exercise for the day. While I was there I also made a "pit stop" into the Target Distribution drive to see if any ducks were on the pond. There were! There were 9 Hooded Mergansers who all swam quickly in the opposite direction when I got out of the car.

Part of my intentions for the morning was to photograph these berries and try to figure out what they are. My hunch is that they are one of the deciduous hollies. The birds must LOVE them because the whole understory was full of them on Christmas day when my mom and I were last here. Today--there was only a small patch that still had berries. I bet Robins or Waxwings had a gorge-fest recently! :)

The little pond behind the ballfields had a thin layer of ice . . .so no herons or ducks . . .but I did see a TON of Song Sparrows!

I also walked the perimeter of a small field near the river and found a nice little marshy spot that would be perfect for a migrating Marsh Wren! Today, though, there were only more Song Sparrows and 7 beautiful little Swamp Sparrows. I think they may be my favorite sparrow species--but none would cooperate for a photo!

Lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers were flitting around where the Jacob's Fork (coming in on the left--flows through South Mountains State Park) and the Henry Fork (coming in from the top--also coming from Burke County) merge into the South Fork of the Catawba River. I used to be so confused by how this all came together--but seeing it first hand last year made all the difference!

I did, finally, get one lone Song Sparrow to cooperate and let me snap a photo!

And finally, while heading to the car--I literally almost stepped on this beautiful cup fungus. I tried to look it up but I haven't had any luck so far!

Cline Village---BRRRRR!

2012-01-03T12:02:00.000-05:00

I decided to do my morning walk today at Cline Village in Conover. It's just a few miles from my house and the "abandoned" part of the subdivision has nice sidewalks and a paved road that has some great hills to help burn calories. It also has some GREAT habitat--including two ponds and borders Lyle Creek on the backside.

There were lots and lots of American Goldfinches out there today despite the 26 degree temperature! They were feasting on these Alder seeds and didn't seem to mind as I inched closer and closer.

I decided to take a deer path that looked WELL used and came across this set-up (above). I can't for the life of me figure out why there would be 48 cedar poles guy-wired together in the middle of a field next to a creek bottom. It appears to have been mowed sometime this fall--but there was lots of mullein and pokeweed growing in the rows. Very strange indeed!

I kept following the deer path along the creek and scared up these 6 Savannah Sparrows. I looked at them for what seemed like an eternity trying to figure out what they were. In my 15 years of birding, I have never ran across any Savannah Sparrows that were this red--usually they are just a dull gray color. Needless to say, once I got out the Sibley Guide I found out that there was, indeed, a "reddish" form and a "grayish" form. I guess you learn something new everyday!

And here is what most of the habitat looks like there--lots of open fields with grasses and blackberries coming in. It wasn't too bad as long as I kept moving--but boy was my face cold when I stopped for pictures and the wind was blowing!

Mother Nature Is Waking Up!

2011-03-20T12:10:00.005-04:00

The Trout Lilies are now blooming in full force. The west-facing hillside where these are located is literally covered in happy little yellow blossoms. I mean--by the hundreds!

Only about half are blooming--but it is still a sight to behold and makes you glad to be alive and to be able to appreciate such things.

Alisha's bait station has been fairly productive this week. Lots of Raccoons, several Opossums, Deer, and this beautiful Red Fox came by to check out the hot dogs she left inside.

The toads have been out in good numbers around the park too. I think this is an odd-colored Fowler's Toad who was one of several dozen seen in the pond on Thursday afternoon.

I was very pleased to also find a new beetle this week! This Short-winged Blister Beetle has to be the one of the largest specimens I've ever been lucky enough to see (3 inches?). According to the Kauffman Guide to insects, "[Species in this Genus] have larvae who scale flower stalks and climb aboard a female bee that visits the blossom. Once inside the bee's burrow, the larva molts into a sedentary grub that consumes the pollen and nectar stored for the larval bee, as well as the larva itself." They also secrete an orange-y substance from their back legs as a defense--and this substance causes blisters to form on human skin--thus the name "blister beetle".

I also had a very beautiful Ambiguous Moth--my first one this year. I guess maybe it is "ambiguous" because of its pink/lavender hues?

There have been lots of these Grote's Sallows around the park office. Several mornings there have been a dozen or more!

Another first-of-the-year for me--Alternate Woodling. I love how these guys blend into what ever they perch on whether it be concrete or bark.

This Nantucket Pine Tip Moth was a new one for me. Several of them showed up at the house one morning last week.

And last, but not least, here is my Emmy holding a Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar that we found crawling on our patio last week. I'm quite sure it was looking for somewhere to pupate--so we let it go after playing with it for a while!

Sure Signs--Spring is Here!

2011-03-14T12:52:00.004-04:00

Whew, what a week! I know today is Monday for the entire world---but today is my Friday--and I'm ready for my weekend! I'm looking forward to playing in my own woods and hanging out with my family. I'm ready to see "my" Carolina Chickadee (above) singing from the maples in the front yard again!

I've noticed that there has been a big push the last couple weeks in American Robins going north. I see them fly over the office in groups of a dozen or more at a time--and sometimes they stop to enjoy the lawn of the dog park.

I found this Clouded Sulphur butterfly Saturday morning at St. Stephens Park. Check out that lime green eye! It would not sit still for a proper portrait--but its the best shot I've gotten of one in a while.

These little white violets are starting to bloom along the south-facing hill behind the office as well.

A few weeks ago, our 4-H Junior Rangers put up 8 bluebird houses for the birds to use. This one has been claimed by a pair of Brown-headed Nuthatches and is half full of nesting material already! I've been watching them peel bark off of the nearby River Birches to take in for the nest. They stop every time I get close enough to take a photo!

I was excited to see this little fella this morning! I love Ichneumon Wasps and find their life histories and place in the ecosystem fascinating.

I was also excited to find my first plume moth of the year--and based on the shape of its torso and markings--I feel fairly certain that it is a Morning-glory Plume Moth. Emmy calls them airplane moths which I think is very cute.

And this beauty was a new one for me. I sent an e-mail out to some fellow moth-ers (that is people who like moths versus that wonderful woman who gave birth to you) and promptly received a reply from my friend Merrill who suggested that it was a Ruby Quaker. Apparently this species is quite variable based on the range of photos at BugGuide.

And looking through the photos--I realized that I had taken a photo of a Ruby Quaker caterpillar last year--but had never identified it! So I went in search . . . . . and found the photo stashed in my "Insects to be Identified" file. Ya'll really don't want to know how big that file is . . . . .

An Early March Walk

2011-03-07T15:26:00.003-05:00

I had the opportunity to get out into the park--a rare treat these days to be able to take a 5 mile hike! The park was closed due to flooding so I took advantage and went for a long, slow walk. I took it all in--and when I was finished the only resounding thought in my head was, "Wow, Life is Good." Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed the walk!

I found Round-lobed Hepatica blooming today! I really didn't think it would be in full bloom--but much to my delight, there was a whole patch of it blooming in my secret spot. It made my day!

I had no idea that ants pollinated Mahonia--but they were sure working over the flowers. There were two distinct ant species and several of our honeybees on these.

After the Rain . . .

2011-03-07T10:02:00.002-05:00

When it finally stopped raining yesterday afternoon, Alisha and I got out to the pond and wetlands to 1). check on the pond level to see if we needed to adjust the flow and 2). to see if there were any frogs to be found. There was! This Pickerel Frog was under one of our coverboards. No signs of any other species--although I'm sure if we had stayed until it got darker we would have surely heard Upland Chorus Frogs.

This photo shows its characteristic yellow belly--a very handy tool in telling this species and the Southern Leopard Frog apart. Click here to hear the call of the Pickerel Frog. We hear these fairly regularly in spring.

Also on the pond were some ducks! We hardly ever see any ducks out here--except for a pair of Mallards who like to hang around. There was a Gadwall, a female Wood Duck, and a pair of American Widgeons. (Sorry this photo isn't the greatest--it was taken THROUGH the willows as there was no open spot!)

About a dozen of these Common Eupithecias were on the ed building in the early am drizzle. It was the first I'd seen them this year. They are quite a common species whose caterpillars feed on everything from asters and clovers to oaks, cherries, and willows.

We also noticed our first Cloud Ear Fungus (Auricularia polytricha) bloom of the year. It seems like they came out overnight on several dead oaks between the office and the pond.

Owenby Bottoms

2011-02-21T13:36:00.004-05:00

After living in our home for almost five years, we finally decided to make a real path to the creek so we can enjoy all it has to offer this spring and summer without having to deal with Poison Ivy!

This Red-shouldered Hawk paid a visit whilst we were working one day. It paid me NO attention as I stepped closer and closer . . . . .

It plunged into the creek and retrieved a crawdad before flying off into the woods.

This Bess Beetle (also called Patent Leather Beetle) was in some of the old logs we moved.

I had a great time taking its photo!

And I also saw my first butterfly of the year--a very worn Questionmark Butterfly. Ahh, Spring.

Transverse Flower Fly

2011-02-13T16:15:00.002-05:00

I was quite pleased to find this Transverse Flower Fly (Eristalis transversa) this afternoon! I knew the warmer weather would bring some fascinating new creature.

This species is a bee mimic and collects nectar from flowers. The witch hazel provided him ample foraging territory--especially since it is the only bug in town today!

The larva of this genus, Eristalis, is commonly called "rat-tailed maggots". I've seen lots of both the adults and larva over the last couple years--but I never tire of finding new ones. I sure hope you enjoyed this beautiful Sunday afternoon too and found your own little treasure.

An Early Mixing of the Seasons

2011-02-11T15:28:00.003-05:00

My heart smiled this afternoon. I found my first flower of the year blooming on a south-facing hill at St. Stephens Park. I know it is probably one of the most common weeds across America--but it is still a promise that Spring will soon return.

Veronica serpyllifolia or Thymeleaf Speedwell as it is commonly called is often mistaken for bluets which look rather similar in the overall scheme of things. (It shouldn't be too long and they'll be blooming too!)

We also planted a Hamamelis species (var. 'Diane') last fall and it is now in full bloom--smelling very much like spicy honeysuckle. I was very surprised to see NO insects milling about the blooms this afternoon . . . . perhaps later this weekend if it stays warm I will have a better chance.

I found this Orange Jelly Fungus (Dacrymyces palmatus) tromping around in the woods at Riverbend with our intern last Monday. It was the only non-gray or non-brown thing we saw all afternoon! I was rather amused to find that another common name for this species is "Witches Butter." I also learned that they are only found on dead or dying pine species. Good to know.

Here is another cool little "thing" I found here at St. Stephens. I've seen these for years on various Hackberry trees--only I never took the time to look them up to see what they were. Today I did and I now know that they are Hackberry Petiole Gall Psyllids (Paschypsylla venusta). It is one of the larger species of plant lice that lay their eggs in the petiole of Hackberry trees. They grow and go through several instars within the woody gall before maturing into a small cicada-looking insect. See here for more detailed information.

Emmy and I have also been treated to watching a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker drilling wells in a Black Maple in our front yard this week. It usually stays pretty high in the tree--but has recently been making itself at home about 3 feet off the ground. It is pretty funny watching Emmy trying to sneak up on it--and she has gotten within arms reach a couple times before it flies up to a nearby Willow Oak!

I let her touch the liquid and then taste it. She thought it was pretty sweet and wanted to have pancakes for supper so she could put some on them! I had to explain that the process of making maple syrup was a little more complicated than just going out and licking the tree. :)

And so I leave you with this---a reminder that Old Man Winter is still around and will undoubtedly rear his ugly head again before Spring . I was shocked to see that there were still patches of snow here at the office this morning. The little birds sure didn't seem to mind as they had made tracks all over it!

June in January?

2011-01-30T16:54:00.006-05:00

I love mother nature today! It felt like a warm summer's day . . . . . and then I remembered it was still January! The temperature guage here in the office at St. Stephens is reading 71 lovely degrees . . . . .ahhhhh, I love it!

All this nice weather has the birds all a'tizzy too. This male Pine Warbler knocked himself silly by crashing into the window. I brought him inside and kept him in a box until he came to and started scratching around. He seemed to be okay . . . . although he did stick around for my photo shoot before flying off. Maybe he was trying to say "thanks". . . . .

Check out these toe nails. Ouch!

I also found this beetle--totally unexpected--sunning itself on a sunny wall outside the office. It is in the genus Ellychnia which are diurnal fireflies that are non-luminescent. A lightning bug without a light . . . . seems kind of sad.

Lots of moths at my house this morning! Nine total with two being Toothed Phigalias (above), two Spring Cankorworm Moths, and five Fall Cankerworm Moths (below--although this photo is of one at the office not home)

Birds and Fungi

2011-01-23T14:21:00.002-05:00

My daughter and I had the occasion to stop by Southside Park in Newton on Thursday. I was hoping to see some Wilson's Snipes feeding in the puddles along the driveway--and much to my satisfaction, there were three individuals there. Only one was unfloofed by my camera hanging out of the car (the other two hunkered down in the grass and wouldn't move!) and allowed me to take about a dozen photos.

It was actively (and successfully) probing the ground for its favorite meal--worms. Emmy was quite enthralled!

One of my favorite park patrons stopped by the office this week with a photo he had just taken of a fungus he had found out in the park. I spent about an hour looking it up and think it is probably Leotia atrovirens aka Green Jelly Babies Fungus. Weird name, I know.

This River Birch Bark was particularly attractive to me today. I love how there are so many layers and subtle shades of pink and plum.

I also found this Earth Star Fungus (Gaestrum elegans, I think) while walking the trail behind the pond to pick up trash. It was old and rather "crispy"--it most likely bloomed in the fall--still a beautiful thing to behold though.

And then, much to our surprise and delight, a Hermit Thrush flew up from the creek on our way back to the office. Alisha and I both gently pulled out our cameras and started taking shots! The sunlight was awesome and I cannot believe it sat still for as long as it did!

I sure hope you got out this weekend and enjoyed nature as much as I did. Even in the dead of winter, there are so many beautiful things to see and I never cease to be amazed by the creatures I find . . . . . .

January Fauna

2011-01-17T14:44:00.002-05:00

I know it has been a while since I posted to my blog--but I'm going to renew my efforts and try to at least post some of the things I see at least once a week this year!

I'll begin with this BEAUTIFUL sunset that I got to enjoy while closing St. Stephens Park this past Saturday. I wonder why winter sunsets are so much more colorful? There must be some science behind it.

Also, for the fourth winter in a row, I have a Brown Thrasher who had decided to overwinter in my yard! I was really glad to see it again and enjoy watching it scratch around in the snow and ice to find food. I cannot get them to eat from my bird feeders at all though!

Perhaps my favorite treat this week has been watching this young Raccoon under the feeders here at Riverbend! He is so cute that I'd like to just go out and cuddle with him! (Don't worry, I know I shouldn't do it--I don't want him losing his fear of people!)

He's tried his best to get to the birdseed--but the best he can do is eat the seeds that the birds knock down for him. I guess he's been coming out for his "midnight snack" (around 12 noon) because it has been so cold and we've had snow cover all week. I really hope he gets his schedule adjusted and doesn't end up having a confrontation with any of our patrons or their dogs.

And finally, this morning I decided to look at the back of the education building at Riverbend and much to my surprise, I found a White-spotted Cankerworm Moth (Paleacrita merriccata). I was surprised to see that most of the records for this species on BugGuide were from North Carolina and most were winter records. Must be a hardy species!

Very Cool Cicada Mimic!

2010-07-28T13:50:00.003-04:00

I found this "cicada" last night -- apparently attracted to the blacklight that I screwed into my porch light for moths! It was the tiniest "cicada" I had ever seen at about 1/2 " in length (--note his size compared to the grout line in the bricks below.) As it was after midnight and my eyes were a little heavy--I was not surprised that after pouring through the 69 pages of cicada photos on BugGuide, I failed to find a match. I noticed that my friend, David Campbell, was on-line and sent him an e-mail with a photo attached. He wrote me right back with a name!

This tiny cicada mimic is actually a Fulgorid--one of the leafhoppers (and a rather large one at that)! Its latin name is Calyptoproctus marmoratus and from what I've gathered from BugGuide, it is not a very common creature. See another NC record here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/81826/bgimage

It was a beautiful, active little guy who stayed around the light for several hours--I found it at midnight and it was still there a little after two on my last check before heading to bed.

There isn't a great deal of information out there about these guys--the best I could find were the comments attached to the photos on BugGuide. Apparently they "hide" on pines--thus their mottled green/black coloration. It really reminded me of lichens more so than pine bark--but then I'm not a predator looking to eat it! For another size comparison (below), I photographed it with a worn Spotted Phosphia Moth.

May Moths

2010-05-26T11:30:00.002-04:00

We were so fortunate to see three of these Tulip-tree Silk Moths last night! My goodness they are beautiful!

Clockwise from top left: Zebra Conchylodes, Isabella Tiger Moth, some kind of Underwing(?), Lesser Maple Spanworm, and Juniper-twig Geometer.

These were all micros--and I haven't had time to look any of them up!

Here are four more who were quite beautiful. I will have to get the books out for these too! (Except for the Eastern Tentworm Moth in the bottom left!)

Some friendly little beetles also showed up--along with our first Mayfly species of the year.

The Beauty of Bakers Mountain

2010-05-06T12:38:00.002-04:00

I ventured over to Bakers Mountain Park yesterday for a "personal" escort from Frank to see the Pink Lady Slippers that are blooming. Wow! It has been 10 years or more since I've seen them blooming and they were every bit as gorgeous as I remembered them to be!

This species is pollinated exclusively by bumblebees who get lured into the lobe where they get trapped inside (until they can figure their way out, at least!) and get loaded with pollen.

I sure don't know how John found these out in the middle of the woods--nowhere near a trail! But I sure am glad he did. This species isn't common and I really enjoyed seeing it again. I found a great website that explains the pollination and illustrates the life cycle of the plant.

It seems like every Red Maple I see these days have Maple Eyespot Gall on them. It is amazing to me how a Gall Midge, which is a tiny fly, can make such a unique design when laying their eggs!

Their Mountain Laurel is just starting to bloom--and should be at peak by the weekend. The whole mountain is covered in laurels and I can only imagine how beautiful it will be when they all open up.

The platform up top didn't disappoint us either! We had a nice clear view of the Catawba Valley below.

A male Summer Tanager landed just above our heads and sang us the prettiest song you've ever heard.

And on the way back, we found this growing along the trail. It had me stumped at first--but after flipping through a few books, I now know that it is Wild Quinine.

I liked how the leaves clasped to the stem and knew it had to be a diagnostic field mark!

23 Moths and a Bird

2010-05-05T19:25:00.008-04:00

I just couldn't resist taking a photo of this precious little baby Chickadee! It fell out of the nest box when I opened it to check on them--so I hurriedly snapped a shot and put it back in so the mom and dad could resume their feedings! It only took about two minutes for them to come back . . . .

My first moth of the day here at the park was a male Luna Moth. You know you're going to have a good day when it starts out with something so beautiful!

Next to appear was a Bent-line Gray . . . .

And then a Black-dotted Ruddy Moth (which are very common these days!) . . . .

I'm leaning toward Maple Zale on this one--but I'll have to send it to BugGuide for confirmation.

As the sun went down--the moths really came out in force and I got this Large Purplish Gray Moth (a new species for the park) inside the building while setting up for moth club!

Although this one only landed briefly on the sheet and the image isn't great--I think it may be a Horned Spanworm Moth.

This might have been my favorite this week--because there were so many of them! There were five to six around most of the night. It is the Agreeable Tiger Moth.

Here is a shot of his diagnostic yellow-orange face. They were too cute!

The Common Spring Moths lived up to their name and came out in good numbers too! The would not sit still for a good photo though!

Another nice Black-dotted Ruddy Moth. . . . .

One of my favorites returned from last year--the Eyed Paectes Moth. I like it because it's food plant is Poison Ivy. Every home in America should raise these!!! ;)

Don't know what this little guy is yet!

Another Abbott's Sphinx--very nice!

Next, a Small Engrailed Moth stopped briefly by . . . .

Another favorite from last year--a Baltimore Bomolocha. . . .

Another Isabella Tiger Moth . . . .

This Oak Beauty was new to the park list . . .

As was this Little Carpenterworm Moth--which was by no means little! This thing had the fattest body of any moth I've seen!

Our first Black-bit Moth of the year . . . .

Oh, these guys were precious! I actually got a great shot of this one just as it took off--so you can see the spreadwings. It is a Warm-chevroned Slug Moth.

Here is the same moth in its much more usual pose!

And another Grape Leaf Roller . . .

Our first Wavy-lined Heterocampa Moth of the year . . .

Our first Yellow Slant-line of the year . . . .

Our first One-spotted Variant of the year . . .

And finally, our first Deep Yellow Euclaena of the year. It was a GREAT day (and night!) for moths and I'm sure we'll be seeing many more with all this warm, muggy air!

Sphinx Trio

2010-04-24T17:53:00.003-04:00

WOW! We had some GREAT finds today here at the park! This Small-eyed Sphinx (above) was just about the most stunning moth I've seen yet. They fly from May through September and their caterpillars feed on birches and poplars. Hope we see lots more!!

Our second sphinx is a Walnut Sphinx. Their flight period is from March through October and they feed on (of course) walnuts, hickories, and beeches. According to BugGuide, their caterpillars will produce a whistle-like hiss if you mess with them. I'm going to have to find one and see if it really does!!

Our last one is certainly a more commonly seen species than the previous two--mainly because they are day-flying moths. This is the Hummingbird Sphinx Moth--and if you have any Butterfly Bushes (Buddleia sp.)--then you almost certainly have these if you are in the southeast. Lots of folks mistake them for baby hummingbirds--you'd be surprised how often they get commented about during the summer because we have so many. I never tire of seeing them though! **All three of these photos were taken by Alisha today because I forgot my camera and she didn't ;D**

South Mountains--Take Two!

2010-04-22T06:40:00.005-04:00

Well, we just didn't get enough of the breathtaking scenery at South Mountains during our Wildflower Workshop--so Alisha and I packed up the girls and headed back yesterday! We hiked to High Shoals Falls Loop and enjoyed (almost) every minute of it. (We didn't think we were ever going to get to the top of the hill!) The falls were gorgeous and felt great after the hike up there.

You almost wouldn't know that there was a 50 foot plunge just below this photo! It did look rather tempting to wade in--but the park has done a great job of fencing off the accesses to the river in order to keep folks safe (and from plummeting to their deaths, as has happened over the years.)

We saw all the wildflowers that we had seen the day before--plus a few more. The banks were filled with White Sweet Violet--one of my favorites.

A couple sunny spots held some Green and Gold--very tempting for my Emmy! She wanted to pick them soooo bad!

There was lots and lots of Wake Robin Trillium along the stairs leading to the falls.

This Nodding Mandarin was quite a treat too. I haven't seen any blooming in years!

And another of my favorites--and oh, there are many!--the nice, unique bloom of the Ohio Buckeye. I wish we had more of them around in Catawba County than we do!

My very favorite sighting of the day was actually spotted by my dear husband as we stopped at the park office to use the restroom before going home. A male Luna Moth was very co-operative and even let Emmy touch him without flying away or even seeming stressed. It's been a few years since I've seen a live one of these too!

We saw three or four of these Giant Millipedes. Alisha made the mistake of picking it up and it released it's rather foul yellow defense secretion all over her hand! She smelled like iodine for a long time!

The girls were worn out by the end of the hike--but they walked every inch of the almost 3.5 mile loop and we were so proud of them! I feel like that was quite the accomplishment for a three year old . . . .although she told me last night that she was tired of walking in the woods and that her legs hurt!

South Mountains Wildflower Workshop

2010-04-20T17:28:00.005-04:00

Alisha and I were lucky enough to get into the first ever Wildflower ELEE at South Mountains State Park today. (Many thanks to Kelly Hoke and Allen Rogers for all their hard work.) We had been on the waiting list and were so excited when we found out we had gotten in. It was such a great day to be alive and be out in the forest looking at all the flowers and hearing the birds sing. As a bonus, we got to learn a few fun ideas to help share our love of wildflowers with kids of all ages.

But the Wildflower Walk was my favorite part. There were flowers everywhere! And just look how GORGEOUS they were! These Yellow Lady's Slippers were in full bloom and caused quite a stir--even among the men in the group!

Lots of Foam Flower along the creekside trails . . . .

A few nice plants of Wild Geranium . . . .

This Blue Star was a new one for me! (I was very happy ;D--and so afterwards when we had to write a poem about our walk--I used it as my theme for my Haiku!)

Along the river

grows Blue Star--who bends gently

on the slightest breeze

These Wood Anemones were nice too. I don't get to see those too often as they don't grow here at the park.

Another of my childhood favorites--Carolina Allspice grows along the trail. We had several bushes of it planted under our windows and we would always open them on spring evenings to let in the spicy sweet smell waft in. Mom says I can have all I want of it--guess I need to get me shovel over there and do some transplanting!

There were still a few Halberd-leaved Violets hanging in there.

Carolina Rhododendron was just starting to bloom where the sun was hitting the trail.

We saw one Eastern Columbine that had bloomed.

And yes, we even saw a few "weeds" like this Common Yellow Wood Sorrel. But even weeds are wildflowers when they're blooming! ;D

Burnt Field Branch 2010

2010-04-18T12:04:00.004-04:00

I joined the Foothills Bird Club fieldtrip again this year to visit this fantastic spot to look for wildflowers. (You can see highlights from last years trip here.) Although the day started out really cloudy and a little windy--it turned out to be a beautiful sunny day and we all had a great time. Many thanks to Walt Kent for getting the trip together and for scouting it out to see what was blooming and the best spots to see them.

My first "find"--at least for me--was this White-striped Black Moth who fluttered across our path to the waterfall. It was not a co-operative little critter and I spent some time getting these shots!

Their foodplant is Jewelweed--which would indicate to me that whis was a rather common species since Jewelweed is so prevalent in our area--but this is the first time I've seen one!

An Eastern Phoebe had built it's nest under a large boulder that overhangs the creek. The mom was not pleased that I paused to take a photo of her clutch! I didn't linger long though . . I didn't want to disturb them more than we already had.

And now--to the flowers! The flora was lush and I dare say that there were even more flowers blooming this year than there were last year! The Foam Flower was in FULL bloom and covered the stream banks the entire way to the top of the waterfall.

Dwarf-crested Iris was also in FULL bloom--last year they had already passed and we didn't get to see them. I guess it's a good thing that Spring was so slow to start this year! ;D

There is lots of Least Trillium mid way up the trail. You can't tell it from the photo--but these guys are half the size of the much more common Large-flowered Trillium that also covers the hillsides.

This Wake Robin Trillium cracked me up when I noticed it was growing in a small pocket of soil in the base of a tree. It seemed to be doing okay though and none the worse for the wear.

This has to be the finest clump Fraser's Sedge I've ever seen! There was quite a bit of this "grass" growing along the way.

This had to be my favorite--probably because I haven't seen it in years. Showy Orchis is one of our native orchids and they only grow in pristine woodlands . . .which means that their numbers decline year after year.

Lots of Giant Chickweed too--a much more common species, but equally as important!

One whole area was covered in Dwarf Crested Iris, Fire Pinks and Purple Phacelia. It was breathtaking (although the photo doesn't do it justice)!

Here is a shot of Emmy playing in the creek well above the falls. She had a blast splashing around and was WORN OUT by the time we got back. She walked the whole way up and back (although she whined most of the way back) and then slept almost the whole way home!

I also like this shot of my niece, Savannah. She is growing up so fast and is just as curious and fascinted by the natural world as we are. She was a trooper and didn't complain at all about the steep trail--I was so proud of her!

On our way back, we followed Highway 90--which turns into a dirt road--and saw tons and tons of butterflies. We saw almost 200 butterflies--and most of them were in puddles like this. This is a group of Pipevine Swallowtails who are getting nutrients out of the wet soil.

This is a close-up of one of the females.

The road swings around and follows the very scenic (and popular!) Wilson's Creek. There were lots of fly fishermen out there--and they were catching fish left and right.

We connected back with a main road at Highway 181 in Morganton. The view of Table Rock was gorgeous and nice to see how green the forests have again become.

This Week On The Sheet . . .

2010-04-14T04:06:00.005-04:00

By far my favorite of the night: #8129 Isabella Tiger Moth (new park record--at least the adult form!) The caterpillar to these should be familiar to all of us! They are the black and brown "wooly-worms" that everyone looks at to decide whether our winter is going to be cold or not. Of course, we all know that it is an old wives tale--but did we all know that the caterpillar made such a beautiful moth? I sure didn't!

#7870 Abbott's Sphinx Moth (new park record). We were very pleased to have three of these show up at our sheet!

Another view of the Abbott's Sphinx showing the vibrant yellow in his hindwings. These were BEAUTIFUL!

Unknown #1 (haven't had time to thoroughly look through my books yet)

#7853 Hummingbird Clearwing (our first this year!)

Maybe #8907 Bi-lobed Looper

#9681 Festive Midget

Unknown #2

Leaning toward #8707 Washed-out Zale . . .will send to BugGuide.net for confirmation.

Unknown #3

#8393 Ambiguous Moth

Maybe #3516 Acleris subnivana . . .will send to BugGuide.net to confirm

Very cool--pinkish brown spring form of #7076 Red-fringed Emerald (new park record)

#6620 Canadian Melanolophia

#10517 Alternate Woodling

#10521 Confused Woodgrain (new park record)

#6667 White Spring Moth

Maybe #6621 Signate Melanolophia

#8591 Common Oak Moth

And finally, a different view of one of the Common Oak Moths that landed on my shirt. Really makes you wonder if they aren't just as curious about us as we are of them!

Moth Club 2010

2010-04-08T17:37:00.007-04:00

Our moth season got off with a BANG this past Tuesday evening! Our new light really drew in the moths and other insects. Last year we used two four-foot blacklights and they worked---but we have some high hopes for this 750 watt mercury vapor light! We tallied nineteen species of moths and heaven knows how many gnats and mosquitoes we inhaled! I haven't had time to identify all of these yet . . . so feel free to comment and give your opinions as to which species they are.

#1--probably Bold-based Zale (#8713)

#2-Melanolophia signataria (#6621)--a new park record

#3-? possibly the same species as above--this one is fresh, the other worn

#4-not sure if it was nectaring on the Redbud or not--it was about 10 feet from the light#5--Common Oak Moth (#8591)

#6-worn Black-dotted Brown Moth (#8592)

#7- Variegated Midget (#9678)

#8-Bluish Spring Moth? We had one that definitely was--but my photos of it were horrible. I was quite impressed by how much it looked like a Spring Azure with the wings folded! I'm hoping Alisha got a better shot.

#9-Eupithecia species

#10-Curve-toothed Geometer (#6966)

#11-Black Zale (#8695)??

#12-probably Macaria promiscuata (#6331)

#13-Black-dotted Ruddy Moth (#6711)

#14-Stripe-backed Moth (#1851)

#15-Grote's Pinion

#16--??--this was the most numerous species we had though--probably a dozen or so.

#17-Arched Hooktip (#6251)

#18-Lettered Sphinx (#7871)

#19-Alternate Woodling (#10517)

Here are a few of the non-moth species that we saw too!

This guy was really cute! I think it is Ecyrus dasycerus. I sent the photo in to BugGuide and will update this post when someone confirms.

This Banded Hickory Borer looked ferocious!

And this Spring Peeper was too cute! It was the last thing we saw for the evening and a special treat for the kids (and me) to see!

Bloodroot

2010-04-02T14:22:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite springtime flowers is that of the Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)--and this is THE weekend to see it here in the foothills! It is blooming here at Riverbend Park, at Bakers Mountain Park, and at the Bunker Hill Covered Bridge. I think I like it so much because it is the first "big" flower to bloom in the spring. It gets the name "Bloodroot" from the red juice that is in the roots. It has been used as a natural dye for centuries and was used by the indians to make the orangey-red stripes on their faces for war! Below is just some photos I've taken of it throughout the week. Happy Easter!!

Spring is Springing!

2010-03-27T18:14:00.002-04:00

Ahhh, what a lovely sight to behold----an entire hillside of Trout Lilies smiling at me with their happy little yellow faces. It made my heart smile to see them!

Even the Henbit, a prolific, invasive, weedy species looked beautiful to me today!

The entire River Trail has a golden glow about it. The Spicebush is blooming and has lit up the understory like nothing else can.

I also was lucky enough to get a shot of this Spring Azure. I usually have to chase them for a while and then I wind up giving up! This one was very cooperative though.

Bio112 Menagerie

2010-03-25T18:19:00.003-04:00

My friend and former Biology teacher, Emily Whiteley, brought her "kids" out to the park today for their Bio 112 labs. They were learning about non-vascular plants (ie: sporophytes and gametophytes)--so we headed to the creek behind the office and had lots of specimens to look at. Above is a small piece of a Hornwort species. I had never seen this before!

This clump was too pretty for me to just pass by without a photo. I'm not sure what type of moss it is--but the sporophytes are what caught my attention.

We found a very injured Black Rat Snake all entwined in a Holly overhanging the creek. At first, we thought it was dead--but as we got closer and looked, we realized that it was severely injured but still alive. It had puncture wounds on and around its head---and we think maybe a hawk or owl had caught it--only to drop it somehow.

As a review, she had each team look for three arthropods. I think this one "won" as the find of the day! It is a queen Bald-faced Hornet who had overwintered in a large stump. She was very cooperative and let us take several photos--but we knew not to upset her too much and put her back so she could live long and prosper. (And not sting us--that is, if the queen can sting?)

Her face reminded me of Skeletor from the cartoon He-man from when I was a child. They really look mean!

Lots of Bloodroot blooming along the creek banks. There was a lot of Round-lobed Hepatica too--but I somehow didn't get any photos of it.

Some of the guys looked for crawdads and salamanders. I think this one might be a young Spring Salamander. It was rather large to still have its gills and I know there is a population of them on this particular creek. Someone also saw an Eastern Newt--but it got away under the leaf litter too fast for anyone to know where it went.

Another of the groups found this Golden Net-wing Beetle (Dictyopterus aurora). They are an early spring species who hang out around rotting logs in wooded areas. You can learn more about them here.

And, finally, this is the entrance hole to an Atlantic Purse-web Spider's lair. She will sit at the opening at night and burst out to capture prey. During the day, she retires to the back of her silk-lined tunnel to rest and catch up on her beauty sleep.

And look--she must have gotten a good nights rest because she sure was "purdy". And very feisty. She is attacking the stick! Good thing Emily talked me into taking a container--or that could've been her hand.

A Lesson In Punctuation

2010-03-15T17:36:00.003-04:00

The Red Maples are starting to bloom and give parts of the forest a maroon glow. I have never really taken the time to study their blooms to see just how beautiful they truly are.

Their beauty (or function of beauty) was not lost on this little guy! He worked several blossoms over like a champ and filled the pollen sacs on his legs to the brim before flying off.

There were also lots of these guys flying today. I saw at least eight Polygonia species flying along with another Mourning Cloak and my first Spring Azure of the year. I could only positively identify these two individuals who each let me get a quick photo before darting off down the trails. Although they look very similar, these are actually two separate species. Above is the winter form of the Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma). The purple edging lets you know it is the winter form--which means it overwintered as an adult--and the lack of the fourth spot near the forewing tip is the diagnostic key that tells you it is a Comma and not the very similar Question Mark butterfly as below.

This, too, is a winter form as you can see the slight purple edging. The Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) also has that extra dot near the forewing tip. Confused? I used to be until I found one of my favorite websites--Butterflies of the Carolinas and Virginias by Randy Emmitt. Check out the Eastern Comma and Question Mark pages for yourself and see how easy he makes it to learn the differences. Make sure you put your mouse over each image to see the key field marks to look for!

Sun + Flowers= Spring!

2010-03-14T16:00:00.003-04:00

We have had such a beautiful day here at the park. It started out a bit foggy but it soon burned off and gave way to some glorious sunshine. Alisha and I went to set out her wildlife camera (to see whether a Gray Fox or a Bobcat is using the den we found) and happened upon this beautiful little flower below.

It is Round-lobed Hepatica (Hepatica americana) and they are not quite open yet. This week though, with the warming sun, they should be in full bloom throughout the park! The easiest place to see them is on the Blue Trail near the stream crossing between map stands 16 and 17.

We also visited the mature oak forest to see how all the blueberries were coming along. They are just starting to bud so it will be a while yet before they bloom. We found another Common Oak Moth--this one not nearly as heavily marked as the one I posted yesterday. It really blended in with the fallen leaves!

I love this section of the park because you really feel like you are "in nature" out there! It was especially nice today with the clear March sky and the puffy white cumulus clouds dancing around.

And finally, I got this great close-up of another Mourning Cloak butterfly. He was sunning himself along the River Trail and had some really worn wings. He was alert though and followed every move I made with those awesome eyes!

An Oak and A Dart

2010-03-13T15:10:00.002-05:00

Two more new moths for me today. Yaaaay! This one is a Common Oak Moth and the one below is a Reddish Speckled Dart. This moth season has started off with a bang---and I love it.

Four Spider Friday

2010-03-12T11:06:00.005-05:00

First the moths come out in droves, then the spiders! I was quite pleased to see such a variety today. I got out a few times in between sprinkles and here is what I found . . . a beautiful Carolina Wolf Spider (Hogna carolinensis) was hunting on the education building when I went to check for moths after opening the park. And yes--it is really big! (It is also the State Spider of South Carolina in case you are interested.)

Next is "Fred" the friendly jumping spider. "He" is our little mascot that we let live in the window sills and he comes out on warm days. "He" is actually a Bold Jumper (Phidippus audax) and he has iridescent green chelicerae--but I can never get him to sit still long enough to get a photo of that!

There were a couple of these on the back of the education building this morning too. I think this is Sisyphus Spider (Tidarren sisyphoides) which is very similar to the Common House Spider. Apparently, the Common House Spider prefers to be indoors whereas the Sisyphus Spider prefers to be outdoors. Both are guilty of making the ubiquitous cobweb.

I found this one while walking on the River Trail. It was very dreary and in order for me to use super macro--I couldn't use the flash--so the image is not the best. I don't know what this one is yet.

This bug, however, is a very familiar one to me! I see these all the time and get asked what they are all the time because we have so many around here. These are Box Elder Bugs (Boisea trivittata) and they hibernate together in several of our birdhouses for the winter. These two were being a little more "friendly" than the others!

Confusing Moths

2010-03-11T11:37:00.003-05:00

I am always excited to see moths--but this morning I had the distinct pleasure of finding over two dozen on the back of the education building! It's been since last October since I've seen that many. Except for the first and second photos, they were all very similar looking and in the Phigalia family.

1: Eupithecia species

2: #10495--Speckled Green Fruitworm Moth (Orthosia hibisci)

3: #06658--The Half-wing Moth (Phigalia titea)

4: #06660--Small Phigalia (Phigalia strigataria)

5: #06660--Toothed Phigalia (Phigalia strigataria)

6: #06660--Small Phigalia (Phigalia strigataria)

7: #06658--The Half-wing Moth (Phigalia titea)

8: #06658--The Half-wing Moth (Phigalia titea)

9: #06658--The Half-wing Moth (Phigalia titea)

Cloaks and Ichies

2010-03-10T10:02:00.002-05:00

It was a BEAUTIFUL day at the park yesterday! It got up to 70 degrees and gave the natural world a good wake-up nudge. Alisha and I were pretty busy getting ready to do programs for two 4-H groups--but we took a minute to look for butterflies just after lunch. We found this very cooperative Mourning Cloak perched on a sunny log on the Blue Trail just before mapstand #22.

Mourning Cloaks are one of the earliest butterflies to be seen in the spring because of their tendency to overwinter as adults. They will tuck themselves into a safe spot and spend the winter--only venturing out when the suns warm rays are too tempting to pass up! The adults have an affinity for oak sap and rotting fruit but they don't usually come to nectar at flowers as most other butterflies do.

As caterpillars they eat the leaves of Willows, Hackberries, and Cottonwoods here in the south. The caterpillar is black and spiny with a row of eight red spots down the back. Don't touch them though, because they are one of the stinging caterpillars! The "mom" lays her eggs in twigs of the host plant where the caterpillars will hatch and live in a communal web (like the Tent Caterpillars who are much more noticeable) and eat the fresh leaves together before crawling off to pupate by themselves.

Above you can see the clubbed antennae that are typical of butterflies. If the antennae weren't clubbed then it would be a moth! You can also see the gorgeous "soft" feathery body scales.

And here is a close-up of the creamy-yellow border and purpley-blue submarginal spots that make this species so easy to identify.

This little guy--or gal--as it is very difficult to tell sometimes in the Short-tailed Ichneumon ("Ichies") family made a visit to the education building as we were getting ready to lock up for the night. It seems a little early for them to be flying already--but if the temperature remains steady in the coming weeks it should be okay. This is one of 11 species that make up the Short-tailed Ichneumon family in which all have long, compressed abdomens, are pale yellow to reddish-brown in color, and with clear wings. The females ovipositor is barely visible at the tip of the abdomen.

Ichies are parasitic on caterpillars--and any kind will do! The female Ichy deposits her egg into a nice plump caterpillar and the larva eats its way out as it grows up. It is very amazing to me how things work together in nature to produce such varied and beautiful creatures. I hope to see more of these as spring really unfolds and I'm quite sure they'll be showing up at our sheet on Moth Club night too!

Ah, Finally Some Wild Weeds!

2010-03-08T17:53:00.002-05:00

Uh, I meant to say "wildflowers"--even though most everyone around here would call both of these species weeds. I was just downright glad to something blooming today--even if they are both non-native invasive species. Above is the delicate little bloom of Hoary Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) which, according to the Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians has milder leaves than the other Cardamine species and are edible raw or cooked and are commonly eaten in North America. Eaten by whom, I wonder? I much prefer a salad of lettuce over bittercress!

The next one is Purple Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum) and is a notorious invasive plant that is very difficult to remove once it becomes established. I know this to be true because half of my lawn in the early spring consists of this species! At least the bees and other little insects like it.

And finally, a last promise that spring is coming---a Carolina Mantis egg sac. I brought it back to the office with me and put it into our terrarium outside. I can't wait till they are born and I get to see hundreds of little mantis babies! I'll be sure to get some photos . . . . .

Two Surprise Visitors

2010-02-25T16:55:00.002-05:00

We've had snow on the ground here since mid-December. There isn't a whole lot now-but there are still some shady spots throughout the park and at my home that are still pretty well laden with the white stuff. I think that is why I have had the good fortune to host this beautiful Hermit Thrush at my home feeder for over a month now. I think there is little for it to eat---or he just took a liking to the dried cranberries that I put out trying to attract a Mockingbird---or a little of both. Either way, it isn't a bird that you see at the feeder very often and it has allowed me to appreciate the species in a whole new way.

My other surprise visitor came in the form of a caterpillar! My husband actually found it last week when he and Emmy came to see me at St. Stephens Park. It was right after those really strong winds that came through and it probably got blown out of wherever it had chosen to spend the winter. It is the caterpillar of the Giant Leopard Moth--a very beautiful species that is fairly common in our area. You can read more about it here if you wish.

Emmy, of course, was fascinated by how it stay curled up in a circle (which is its defense mechanism) and wanted to keep it. I talked her into going back out with me and tucking it into a deep crevice in a large Sweet Gum. I figured it would keep it out of harms way--at least for the night. I checked back a few days later and it was gone. I sure hope it found another spot to call home--and I sure hope I get to see it when it transforms into its final , glamorous self!

Our Visit to Discovery Place

2010-02-21T09:23:00.003-05:00

Even though we live near Charlotte, we seldom visit the downtown area. I was amazed by how populated the area had become. I would guess I haven't been in the downtown area in about 15 years! (I'm more of a grass and woods kind of girl.) The kids were enthralled by the skyscapers and kept looking up at them. They wanted to go to the top of them---but that's not why we were there--we were there to conquer Discovery Place! And we did. We got there when they opened and we left when they closed. And we all slept superbly all night long!

We visited all of the exhibits together and then Emmy and I spent a great deal of time playing in the Kids Science Room. There were wind machines, huge plush building blocks, build your own race car, and so much more! Her favorite was the area for 3 and under--I think because it was less crowded!

Nate and George tried making a design on the life size Light Bright--but Emmy kept pulling them out and putting them back in the box!

It was fun getting to play with all the cool stuff they had. This wind machine showed you how different materials took different amounts of air to make them rise.

Of course this was a favorite too! I can only imagine how many of my pots and pans will somehow make their way out of the cabinet this week!

Nate is learning that it matters a great deal from which point you are pulling the load. Emmy was on the other side---and she won. He liked the top floor a lot better--so he and his dad spent their time up here while we played down below on the first floor.

3 . . .2 . . . 1 . . . Blastoff! This was a favorite of both the kids. They had to press a button with each thumb that caused the lift to go up and then gently back down.

Nate looked a little less sure than Emmy! He is afraid of heights though . . . and I think that may have been the difference.

We also REALLY enjoyed the 3D theater! There were two shows--one on Dinosaurs and one on the life of a Green Sea Turtle. They were both equally amazing and made you feel like you could reach out and touch what was on the screen. I was quite surprised that Emmy kept her glasses on and enjoyed it as much as she did. Nate was styling in his glasses and wanted to take his pair home! I guess I'll have to see if I can't find him a pair somewhere . . . .

And then back to the water table where she spent over an hour (and, of course, got nice and wet) playing with the different features. She actually shared with the other kids pretty good too which was great to see.

Our last hoorah was to watch the Coral Reef movie in the IMAX theater. We were all pretty tired by this time and Emmy was a little cranky about having to sit still until the movie started! But once it started she was alright and flinched everytime a cuddlefish snatched another little fish from the sea!

Crowder's Mountain ELEE

2010-02-01T05:30:00.003-05:00

Last week, Alisha, Tabitha, and I drove down to Crowder's Mountain State Park for their "Twin Peaks Monadnocks" Environmental Education Learning Experience (EELE for short) so that we could learn more about what a monadnock is. (We were especially interested in this class because our own Bakers Mountain Park is also considered a monadnock.) We started off at the main park office with this beautiful view of King's Pinnacle!

Inside, we had time to explore their interpretive displays. I liked this photo (above) because it shows the route that we would take later in the day to reach the top of Crowder's Mountain. (We followed the Orange Trail.) There were displays about the benefits of lichens, lots of carved songbirds, and some great Turkey Vultures hanging from the ceiling! There was also a nice display showing some of the plant communties you would typically find in a monadnock forest. (I mentally compared these with what I KNEW we have at Bakers Mountain: Chestnut Oak? check; Yucca filamentosa? check; Trailing Arbutus? check; Turkey Beard? check!)

For lunch, we had a nice--and slightly chilly--picnic at the lake before heading back to learn more about how rocks are formed. We made our own "rocks" with crayon shavings. It was actually quite fun when we compressed our shavings to make sedimentary rocks--then slightly heated the compressed harder for metamorphic rocks--and finally, with the help of a hot-plate, we melted the "rock" to make igneous rocks.

In the afternoon, we headed for the trails for a "hands-on" look at the rocks that form the monadnocks. Most of the tops of the mountains "include rocks of both sedimentary and volcanic origin that were deposited in a shallow sea over 500 million years ago. Later, these rocks were deeply buried, altered by heat and pressure (metamorphism) and then tilted on edge." Thus the exposed Quartzite peaks that everyone loves to climb were born!

There were some rather large boulders that had eroded off from the high peaks along the trail. We could see the "rice-like" crystals of Kyanite all through the boulder. Kyanite is "a mineral used in making heat resistant ceramic products such as spark plug insulators" and is the reason that the Crowder's Mountain State Park exists today. In the early 1970's, a local citizens group petitioned the governor and legisture to preserve the mountain as a natural landmark and recreational destination instead of a strip mine where they completely remove the entire mountain. Today, over 500,000 visitors a year come out to enjoy the scenic beauty of the place and has earned the nickname "Crowded Mountain" instead of Crowder's Mountain!

The view to the North brought us a special view! Can you see that little "hill" off in the distance? That is Bakers Mountain. It sure looks small from here--but trust me--the trail to the top of Bakers is just as hard as the trail to the top of Crowders!!!!

And this was the view of Gastonia. Talk about urban sprawl! I couldn't believe how many houses you could see. I guess I'm spoiled by all the Blue Ridge Parkway vistas where no houses can be seen!

And on the way back down we could even see the skyline of Charlotte off in the distance. It was a great day learning about the geologic history of our area and getting to know folks from other parks and schools. I'm already looking forward to the next ELEE to learn about something else!

Snow Birds!

2010-01-30T18:08:00.002-05:00

I love when it snows! I'm like a kid that way, I suppose! I get to stay home and drink hot chocolate and watch my bird feeders. I was duly rewarded for watching today. We got GREAT looks at some species that we don't normally get to see at the window feeder--like this male Red-bellied Woodpecker. I purposefully placed the suet that I knew he would be after on the feeder right outside the livingroom window so we could see him up close.

Even the Dark-eyed Juncos couldn't resist the pile of black oil sunflower seeds and corn!

Mommy's little helper is out spreading birdseed on top of the snow. We got about 7" overnight and then the sleet packed it down to about 5" this afternoon. It is starting to snow again now though with showers on and off all night--so who knows how much we'll end up with!

Blue Jays don't normally eat from our bird feeders--but they were out in droves today along with entire flocks of Common Grackles, Mourning Doves, Eastern Towhees, Field Sparrows, American Goldfinches, House Finches, Song Sparrows, and a lone Brown Thrasher whom I haven't seen around too much this winter.

Another shot of one of the Blue Jays . . . . .

A mix of Towhees, a Cardinal, several White-throated Sparrows . . . . and my first ever Fox Sparrow in the yard!! Not only did we have one---but at one time I counted FIVE hopping back and forth between the seeds and my neighbors brush pile and bushes.

A close-up of one of the Fox Sparrows . . . .

And of course I had a squirrel! I hadn't seen one all day until Emmy and I made a mix of cashews, walnuts, pistachios and dried cranberries to add to the window feeder. He didn't stay too long though because our neighborhood Red-shouldered Hawk made a pass over head and he got gone pretty fast. We are looking forward to tomorrow to see what else might be out there!

Cedrick Comes Home!

2010-01-24T15:27:00.003-05:00

I got a call from the Raptor Center this week that Cedrick the red-phase Eastern Screech Owl was ready to come home! He was in great shape and much more "spirited" than when I saw him last! (You can see the first part of his story here.)

I let Dwayne show him off to some of our 4-H Junior Naturalist families so I could take photos. All of the kids (and the adults) were mesmerized by him.

Emmy and Sierra, of course, were the first two in line to see him come out of the box! They loved hearing him make his "clicky" noise--which meant that he was agitated--so we hurried things along!

So everyone got a nice look and then--quick as Dwayne opened his hands--Cedrick was gone. He flew straight up the trail (and I imagine into the large cedar that was there) while the kids all waved their little hands and said: "Bye, Cedrick, Bye!" I sure hope he has a wonderful life. Who knows, maybe we'll see him in a couple weeks when we do the owl prowl with the Junior Naturalist club!

It's My Blog-aversary!

2010-01-15T16:55:00.003-05:00

I didn't realize until after lunch today that January 15th marked the anniversary of my first post! I hope you all have enjoyed seeing the things I have seen here along the Catawba River. I look forward to the next year and am sure I will find lots and lots of new and exciting things to photograph and share with you along the way.

Cedrick the Screech-Owl

2010-01-15T10:17:00.004-05:00

Last week my sister-in-law called to tell me that her parents had a baby owl in their mailbox. The notion seemed quite strange to me--but since they only live a few miles from the park I decided to go check it out. I was secretly hoping it was a Northern Saw-whet Owl--but I was not terribly disappointed when I opened the box to find a beautiful red-phase Eastern Screech Owl!

I very carefully reached in (with gloves on, of course) and retrieved him and put him in the only thing I had available at the time--one of our traps used for catching and banding hummingbirds. He was very polite and didn't bite me. He dug in a little with his very strong talons--but not enough to break the skin. He looked a little rough and no one was sure how long he had been in the mailbox, so I decided to call the Carolina Raptor Center to see if they would be able to see him.

We drove him down after the park closed. Emmy was so excited to see the owl. She named him Cedrick right away and asked the whole way there if he was going to be okay. I assured her that we were taking him to the best doctors around and that he may have to stay at "the bird hospital" for a little while. That did not stop her from crying all the way home about having to leave him there though.

When we arrived, the volunteers were working to set the the broken wing of a Red-tailed Hawk. It was great to be able to see their process. Emmy was glued to the window and had found a new friend to worry herself about. She asked the ladies several times when they came out if the hawk would be okay. They told her he probably would if his wing set right and then got out a frozen mouse to give to the hawk.

That's all it took for Emmy to begin a new line of questioning! Why are they feeding it the mouse? Is the mouse okay? Will the hawk be okay? Will Cedrick be okay? Will Cedrick eat a mouse? On and on she went . . . and my mom and dad and I loved it. I love the fact that she is so curious and gets to participate in such "hands-on" learning.

After they were finished with the Red-tail, they transferred Cedrick to a light weight cardboard box with holes so he could get weighed. I snapped a shot of him looking through one of the holes at me and wondered if he was thinking what in the world had I done to him.

He weighed 119 grams--which is really low. An average male should weigh around 200 grams. The exam revealed that he had probably been hit by a car as there was some damage to his left eye and left wing--but it wasn't terribly bad. He just needed to be re hydrated and kept until his eye was better and he could hunt on his own again.

They called me yesterday to let me know that he had gained up to 159 grams and was doing well. He is in the outside flight cage and is hunting on his own. He should get to come home one day next week if things continue as they are. They also said that out of thousands of Screech Owls that they've gotten over the years that not one of them had been found in someone's mailbox.
Emmy has asked everyday about Cedrick and can't wait to go back with me to pick him up. She has been pretending she is an owl a lot more too . . . .

Snowy Scences From The Bird Count

2009-12-29T08:43:00.002-05:00

I know, I know--it has been over a week since I posted . . . but I've been playing in the snow! Seriously, the stuff just isn't going away--maybe it is hanging around for more . . . one can always hope! Here are a few shots I took while helping with the inaugural Catawba Valley Christmas Bird Count. Alisha and I had the "non-lake Alexander County" section. There are lots of farm fields, stream crossings, and the only mountain in the count circle--Barrett's Mountain. It is 1,867 feet and offers quite the view of the surrounding countryside and Brushy Mountain range in the distance!

We saw several White-tailed Deer. They were quite comical and snorted and stomped at us to leave . . . and we did.
Here is one of the many creeks feeding into the Lower Little River which feeds into the Catawba River about a quarter of a mile past Riverbend Park's boundary. You can see there was still PLENTY of snow on the ground and made for a few "interesting" turn-around moments on some out of the way back roads. Thank heavens Alisha has a 4-wheel drive!

We were hoping to perhaps find a Grouse on top of Barrett's Mountain . . . as it would be about the only shot in the count circle at finding one . . .but alas, all we turned up were tons of Turkey Vultures. Other highlights of our list (just the non-lake Alexander County portion) included Pipits, Brown Creeper, Swamp Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, and lots and lots and lots of hawks. I guess with the snow cover they were more visible or maybe stayed perched longer? Anyway, we had 8 Red-tails, 6 Red-shoulders, 2 Cooper's Hawks, 1 Sharp-shin, 1 Kestral, and perhaps our best bird all day--a male Northern Harrier looking very dapper against the backdrop of pines.

Oh, and I had a moth on my window when I got home last evening! December 28th and still getting moths--who would have imagined? I am pretty sure it is another Fall Cankerworm Moth like the one in the previous post. But it is just so cool to see one flying with the weather being as it has this season!

A Pair of December Moths!

2009-12-14T09:37:00.006-05:00

I was surprised (and very, very happy) to find not one but two different species of moths this week! I can't believe they would still be flying with the weather that we've been having . . .but I am certainly not complaining! This first moth--whom I think is a Bruce Spanworm--Operophtera bruceata [EDIT: I have since been made aware that this is more likely a Fall Cankerworm Moth--Alsophila pometaria]--was found INSIDE my vehicle when I got to work this morning. Just imagine the odds of that . . .

I took several photos on different backgrounds to try to bring out the wing patterns. Above, what stands out to me, is the venation in the wings. Below, you notice the white-ish "spots" on the outer wing. I know there is a proper term for that particular "spot"--but I'm still learning!

The second moth was found by my boss during our office Christmas party. He quickly came to get me and I had my dear husband scoop it up with the only net we had available--my daughter's pink Barbie butterfly net. It was too cute--but I guess you would have had to have been there!
This one I'm not sure about at all. I was leaning toward the Carpet Moth family . . . but it is really too worn for me to even make a guess. [Edit: This is most likely a Green Cloverworm Moth--Hypena scabra--thanks Parker!]

And lastly, I leave you with a bonus! I found this terrific cocoon attached inside a huge multi-flora rose that I was trimming to let our Leadplant have it's light back next spring. My first thought was hummingbird nest--but then reality sunk in (it is way too deep for a hummingbird nest--but, hey, I was dizzy from bending over and chopping limbs--okay?!). I did send the photo to a friend who thinks it is a Polyphemus Moth cocoon. It is absolutely stunning how intricately woven together it is. Nature is amazing.

Creep, Creep, Creep'n Along!

2009-12-06T16:06:00.002-05:00

WOW! The Brown Creeper is one of my favorite little birds ever (probably #2 on my list). Yesterday--between rain showers and Sharp-shinned Hawk feeding runs--"my" Creeper kept visiting the suet.
Every time the Sharpie would make a pass, the Creeper would plaster itself to the side of the tree and remain there for long periods of time--long enough for me to "sneak" up on it and snap a few shots before I made it nervous enough to move. Then I would back off and let it feed again.

It always amazes me at how tiny and exquisitely patterned they are. I don't think I could ever tire of seeing them--even if they were the most common species around.

Pseudo Snow

2009-12-06T11:22:00.002-05:00

As I said yesterday, I love snow. I wanted it to snow so bad . . .and they had called for it all week . . . and then--NOTHING. Well, rain isn't "nothing"--it is good for a lot of things--but I felt a little "let down". My reward came this morning though--not as snow--but as frost that LOOKED like snow!

The entire park was literally blanketed by a thick layer of frosty whiteness. It was beautiful.

I guess with all the rain from yesterday combined with the brisk 25 degrees this morning--it was bound to happen.

This is the Green Trail out towards Eagle Point. I think it was the frostiest spot of all this morning. There were lots of birds flitting around in the frozen blackberry brambles. All the usual suspects plus a Brown Thrasher--which wasn't a total surprise but not a very common bird this time of year either.

The Coral Berries were frozen . . .

The Asters were frozen . . .
The Goldenrods were frozen . . . and so was I before I got back to the office! BRRRR! I put on a pot of coffee and got the bins ready for Project Feeder Watch which we do on Sundays and Mondays around the feeders.

Rainy Day Wildlife

2009-12-05T10:51:00.003-05:00

Rainy days are great! (Even though I really wanted the snow they were calling for all week!) But I love going out into the woods right after it rains! You get to see some great things--and there are no crunchy leaves to tell the natural world that you are coming! Rain drops on River Birch limbs along the Catawba River . . .

"Twin" River Birchs deformed by floods many years ago along the River Trail . . .

A little brown 'shroom growing along the trail . . .

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet flitting amongst the branches . . .

A close-up of Saw-brier berries . . .

Rose-hips from one of the "pink" blooming Multiflora Roses along the trail . . .

A squirrel eating dogwood berries . . .

And a deer crossing the river! I had to get back to the office because it was starting to rain again--but I can't wait to try again for a Barred Owl or a Mink or an Otter (or two!) Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

A December Walk

2009-12-04T15:08:00.005-05:00

I was rather surprised to find so many different types of fungi out in the park today. I guess, technically, it is still fall--but for all intents and purposes it FEELS like winter! Tomorrow's forecast is 2 to 4 inches of snow and the high today was in the low 40's. I caught quite a chill and had to make a pot of coffee when I got back to the office . . .

Here are some lichens on a dead River Birch limb. The entire limb was completely covered in different types of lichens and fungi. I wish I knew more about lichens . . . .perhaps I'll see if there is a guide out there somewhere.

Lots of tracks in the mud due to all the rain we've had. I think the one above is a Coyote track. It could be a dog--but it was not on a trail--it was off of a deer path that I followed in the cut over area and it seemed more likely to be a Coyote.

Lots and lots and lots of White-tailed Deer tracks! They seemed to be in every soft sandy spot I found.

The Raccoon tracks seemed to only be around the creeks. Quite a few of them around the swollen stream coming out of the wetlands. Lots of little birds out there too! Several Winter Wrens, a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets and a Wild Turkey who peered at me from the midst of the River Cane and then disappeared in an instant.

I found these beautiful shelf-type fungi growing along the Blue Trail just past mapstand #22. They were absolutely exquisite.

Close-up of the gills . . .

And of the top . . .

You can actually see Barrett's Mountain (one of the highest points in Alexander County) during the winter from the Blue Trail. It is nice to have the view since there isn't much else to look at!

And finally, here is "Hitchhiker Rock" as we affectionately call it around here. (Don't you think it looks like a fist with its thumb stuck out the the left?) It is a great spot to go and sit and ponder life. It doesn't hurt that there are a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers who frequent the area and it has the densest population of Viburnums in the park. Lots of birds love to eat the Viburnum drupes in fall so it is agreat spot for migrating Thrushes, Tanagers, and Grosbeaks.

Suburban Sanctuary

2009-12-03T15:48:00.002-05:00

I spent the weekend working over at one of our other parks--St. Stephens Park. It is a small neighborhood park with a dog park, small playground, and a 1/3 mile nature trail through the rather nice 10 acre woodlot. I was surprised to see so many different berries, grasses, and fungi in such a short walk. Birds were everywhere flitting about. Most were things you see everyday--but I did have one Brown Creeper who I watched for 10 minutes or so as it creeped up one tree and then flew down to the base of another to begin the process over again. This is a great spot for kids--it gives them a taste of real recreation with the playground and walking trail with a touch of real nature in the middle of suburbia for a nice balance. If you haven't made it over there yet--you really should!

In case you may be interested in seeing the parks newsletter that I've been lamenting about doing (really, I don't mind--it is a labor of love)--you can check it out here. Let me know what you think!

Deer!

2009-11-23T12:24:00.003-05:00

I know I've been out of touch again . . . but I had MBS again (where I've been working on the newsletter too long!) Diligently working, I got the feeling that someone was looking at me--and when I looked up, I was right! Right outside the window were two of my friends. Its bad when the wildlife come looking for you to see if you're okay. Guess I need to get out there and visit with them for a little while.

Nature in November

2009-11-09T17:22:00.001-05:00

I guess I've never really paid too much attention to how the natural world slows down so "all of a sudden" in fall. It seems my sightings are few and far between--but I'm still looking--and still finding a FEW goodies to share. The cold weather has severly limited my mothing hobby--but these Bicolored Sallows have been whetting my appetite for the last few days. I've had about a dozen or so of them at the porch light every nite this week.
I also found some cool fungi in the woods. This is Lion's Mane and is one of the few fungi that commonly grow here in the cooler months. You can read more about it here.

This Wolf Spider was patrolling its little territory on one of the trails.
And finally, the Dwarf Sweetgum that is in the lower parking lot here at the park is stunning right now! The leaves are only quarter sized and colored every color of the rainbow.

White-footed Family

2009-11-09T17:18:00.002-05:00

We had quite a surprise when we emptied one of the trash cans by the river this evening! A family of White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) had created an extensive tunnel system under the can and had chewed a little hole in the bottom of the trash can and trash bag. Two of them were in the bottom of the can and returned to their underground tunnel system as fast as they could!

These three--which I assume is a parent with two youngsters were not quite as "quick on the draw" and got stuck in the trash bag. They made their way out though before I threw it in the dumpster. They were running around in the back of the ATV and were sooo cute that I couldn't resist snapping a few photos. They are the most common species of mice (native ones, at least) that we have here in NC--and yet I only get to see them once or twice a year! What a treat.

Foggy Sunrise

2009-11-06T09:15:00.002-05:00

How could you possibly have a bad day when it starts out like this? I am so fortunate to work in such a beautiful, serene place. Sunrise was awesome this morning!

Bakers Mountain in Fall

2009-11-06T08:52:00.005-05:00

Yet again I missed the peak foliage at Bakers Mountain! I think I am destined to never get to experience "glow" as they call it there on the mountain. They canopy there is dominated by Chestnut Oaks which turn a beautiful golden color---and they all change at the same time--so for a day or two each fall the whole mountain glows!

There were still some bright spots of color around--especially the maples and a few hickories were still in all their glory.

I didn't have time to hike to the top, so all of these photos were taken from the quarter-mile ADA accessible paved trail around the perimeter of the parking lot and office!

I'm going to "steal" John's idea and make a board here at our park with wildflowers and birds that you can expect to see! I think it is a great idea and I'm sure everyone enjoys seeing the wildflower diversity on the mountain.

There were lots of little birds flitting about and feeding at the feeders. John said they already have lots of Brown Creepers and a few Red-breasted Nuthatches (which they seem to attract a lot more than we do!) around the office. It is a great place to spend an hour in the winter watching the feeders and enjoying the shenanigans of the chipmunks.

Fun With Fall Leaves

2009-10-26T10:58:00.002-04:00

I took Emmy out into the woods yesterday to look for leaves. We had a fabulous time looking at all the colors and picking out the ones we wanted to bring back to the office with us! She kept saying, "Mommy, it's so beautiful!" And I agree---100%! It is the most beautiful I've seen in years. (Click on the photo below for a closer view.)

She liked being able to decide which leaves to get and which ones to leave behind. And for some reason, she wouldn't stay out of the Lowbush Blueberries.

So here are the leaves we brought back: We counted them out and talked about how different their colors were. The first one displays the rainbow of Sweetgum leaves that we found.

The second is Sassafrass. I thought this was awesome--especially since I've been trying to teach her about the colors of the rainbow! We've got the first part down part now--red, orange, yellow, green . . . .

And then we got creative in discussing the rainbow and made our own "wheel" using the Sassafrass leaves (and yes, that is a Persimmon in the middle--we picked it up on our walk too.)

And the last one includes all the leaves we got--you can see the Hickory and Paw Paw leaves in lower right side.

I hope the leaves last another week or two so I can enjoy it even more with my favorite little girl!

Halloween Bug!

2009-10-26T10:18:00.004-04:00

How appropriate that my brother and his wife should find and bring to me this "Halloween Bug" yesterday! It took me a little while this morning to figure out what the heck it was---but I did--and its two common names are Halloween Bug and Florida Predatory Stink Bug (Euthyrhynchus floridanus).

It must have been very thirsty after spending the night in a jar on my desk. It drank up some of the morning dew that was on the picnic table. After looking at the species account, I realized that I had, in fact, already photographed this species--only it was last month and they were in their 5th and final instar before becoming adults!

They congregate as juveniles so they can catch and consume larger prey. They are very beneficial insects as they eat a wide variety of plant pests like aphids, caterpillars, and beetle larvae. They are very striking throughout their lives! Hope you get to see one this Halloween Week!

Watching Nature Unfold . . .

2009-10-25T10:47:00.002-04:00

I decided to sit at one of my favorite spots for a little while this morning and see what I could see. I was not disappointed! Shortly after arriving at Eagle Point on the Green Trail, I had the privilege of watching two adult Bald Eagles chatter and "play" with each other. It was truly an awe-inspiring sight--especially coupled with FOUR Pileated Woodpeckers in the same binocular view! Most of my photos were distant and grainy--but this one turned out great--because it flew right over my head!

The water was like glass. The foliage was great too--but the sun was behind the clouds and wouldn't come out! Other birds I saw while sitting here included: a Northern Flicker, a Downy Woodpecker, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a Double-crested Cormorant, six Great Blue Herons, a Belted Kingfisher, two Song Sparrows, an Eastern Phoebe, and perhaps most surprising to me--a Common Snipe who flew in low over my head and into the dry creek bed right behind me.
There was plenty of non-bird activity too--lots and lots of Raccoon tracks, a White-tailed Deer crossing the river and every River Cooter in the county I think were making their respective ways to cover the rocks and take in the glorious sunshine.

I couldn't resist another shot of the bench above the office. A few days makes all the difference!

Finally Looks Like Fall!

2009-10-23T16:27:00.001-04:00

It has felt like fall around here for over a month! Now it is finally starting to look like it! Enjoy . . . .

A Celebration, 10 Years The Making

2009-10-19T09:42:00.004-04:00

On July 3, 1999, Riverbend Park opened to the public with a day full of activities and lots of pomp and circumstance! I was there that day--helping to lead a Birdwalk, as was Dwayne. Blair was there too--leading Tree Hikes . . . . . but none of us worked there. So much can change in ten years! Blair is now the most awesome "boss" in the entire world and Dwayne and I each have our dream jobs. I can't imagine what would have happened if the county had went ahead with their origional plans of making this property into a landfill. I don't like to think about things like that for too long . . . . so let's move on!

We decided to have the official celebration in the fall (July can be miserable around here--although this year it was quite pleasant!). No one expected Fall to pass so quickly and Winter to move in! It was COLD! But we still had a fair bit of participation and we hope that everyone who came out had a great time despite the weather and are as happy as we are that Catawba County "gets it" and is way ahead of the curve on having passive parks.

We slated a FULL day of activities, beginning with a Birdwalk. In this photo, the group is looking at a very cooperative Cape May Warbler just above the platform. They also saw Black-throated Blue Warbler, Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets, White-throated Sparrow, Osprey, Bald Eagle, N. Rough-winged Swallow and many others!

Next, we had a Paddle Trip down the Catawba River. I was supposed to lead this trip, but since I had been very sick with a head cold all week, I decided it was in my best interest to stay out of the water. (It was 44 degrees with a hefty wind!) My dear friend, Monroe, stepped up to lead the trip for me and 12 daring souls made the trip. Everyone had a great time and said it wasn't too cold once they got paddling!

I imagine it was quite beautiful with the foliage starting to change. They got to watch an Osprey being chased by a Bald Eagle and explored several creeks on their way down too!

Dwayne also led a Fall Foliage and Wildflower Walk right after this. Most of the color we have right now are Sourwoods, Hickories, and Dogwoods. There are a few Poplars with good color--although most look pretty bad this year--with Sassafrass, Maple, and Sumac just starting to color up. Somehow I missed getting any photos of his walk, so you'll just have to come out on Halloween for a Leaf Hike (10 am) and see for yourself how beautiful our woods can be!

We began our Creek Exploration Walk at the office! I checked the filter on the pond and found these two Bullfrogs hanging out! My sister-in-law is crazy about frogs and held them for everyone to see. Just look at how cute this one is below. . . . .

We found several salamanders in the creek behind the office. They were fairly easy to catch because it was so cold!

We had two of the "dark" Northern Dusky Salamanders.

And one "light" version of the Northern Dusky Salamander. This was the first time we had seen one marked up like this . . . .and it took Alisha and I a few minutes to figure out what it was!

A little later, the Kid's Fishing Tournament started. Only 5 kids showed up--but that was okay--it just meant that EVERYONE got prizes! The water was on (most likely because everyone had their heat on and was using power!) and that made for terrible fishing in the cold weather.

Here I am with my Emmy. She didn't want to use her small pole. She liked the big poles that were easy to reel in! And in fact, that's about all I got done was cast out so she could reel it in! She had a blast though and that's all that matters.

My brother was the only one who caught a fish! (I think because he was the only one patient enough to leave his worm in the water longer than a few minutes.)

I was excited to be able to use my new Mercury Vapor bulb for Moth Mania. I just knew we would have anything because of the weather . . . but we had three species show up at the sheet! The light was very warm and as long as you didn't look right at the bulb--it was kind of nice!

But what REALLY felt nice was the huge bonfire we had. Look at the size of those logs! It made such a good, hot fire that no one wanted to leave! It felt wonderful.

Doesn't it just make you want to roast a marshmallow and make S'mores? Yummmmm . . . Next week, to continue the "party", the Catawba Valley Astronomy Club will be set-up at Bakers Mountain for a little star-gazing. They'll be telling Ghost Stories around the campfire and hopefully, we can talk Frank into playing us some bluegrass on the dobro.

The Moth and Me #7

2009-10-16T09:23:00.005-04:00

Welcome to Reflections on the Catawba and The Moth and Me issue #7! My name is Lori and I am a Park Ranger at passive nature park in the foothills of Western North Carolina. I am still very new at "mothing" as a hobby--although my interest has been years in the making. I guess the first moth experience I ever remember having was of two beautiful Luna Moths--who spent the night on the litrine door several nights during my annual week at Girl Scout Camp some 25 years ago. I never forgot that experience--I can still see their fresh, pristine wings with long tails and the most unique color I had ever seen--and it was perhaps part of the reason that my friend Alisha and I started our Tuesday Night Moth Club at the park where we work. I want to share this little known world with others--especially kids--so they will grow to appreciate that the natural world is always moving, always changing--even while they sleep.

Here is a photo of our present set-up. It is a king size sheet strung between two large trees with two four-foot blacklights. (The net is used mostly to catch European Hornets and keep them from eating all of our moths! We usually get 2 or 3 each week.) This set-up has worked amazingly well--but after I saw this photo and read that they used a mercury vapor bulb--well, I just had to have one. It just arrived last week, but I don't think we'll get to use it until next season as it has suddenly become winter a few months early here in the southern US!

Next year we plan on revving up the effort to find new species for the park. My boss is VERY supportive and finds it fascinating that some of the species we've found are not very common. The United States is so far behind Canada and the UK when it comes to documenting species accounts! He has even arranged for us to have a "Moth Intern" from our local college--so we'll be putting him to work making some light traps to place in different habitats throughout our 480 acres. We'll be making several traps--probably in a couple different designs to see which ones work best. Grahame has detailed instructions on his Llendorin's Nature Blog and so does Seabrooke on The Moth and Me equipment and techniques page. I also found a great video a while back entitled: Lindo at Large: Mothing that really helped me grasp the concept of how the traps work.

Since I am such a "beginner" I thought it would be helpful to any other beginners out there to have a few of these links to help them with their identifications: some silhouettes to at least get you headed in the right direction and a pattern/color page both on BugGuide.net. They have both helped me tremendously! I hope they'll help someone else too . . .

Here are a few photos from our last Tuesday Night Moth Club meeting on September 29th that I never got around to posting. The one above is yet another Papaipema species--we saw quite a few in September--and they were all this gorgeous! You can see more here.

This was our first Many-lined Wainscot (Leucania multilinea). It was a beautiful creature!

And this is a Juniper Twig Geometer (Patalene olyzonaria). We saw them off and on all summer--not at all unexpected with the huge banks of Juniper surrounding the parking lot.

Seabrooke informed us last month that National Moth Night was taking place September 18-19, 2009. The above moth is one that she had while participating in this fun event. Check out what else she saw in Part One and Part Two of her National Moth Night monitoring!

Other folks who participated in National Moth Night include: some BEAUTIFUL photos from Bedfordshire's flora and fauna; I like the list/tally that Essex Moths has on his site--(his list is from Sunday the 20th--close enough for NMN!); Rhayader by Nature also has some great photos and a comprehensive list posted; Calderdale Moths has a list posted; and finally, read an account from the Berkshire Moth Group who took a field trip to Sheepdrove Organic Farm to celebrate the national event!

Lots of folks are still seeing moths in good numbers--even though I have seen very few here in North Carolina due to the cold, wet weather. (The weather man just said it is snowing just to our west--and that we should see a few flurries over the weekend.) The above photo is from Ben Cruachan's blog. Head on over to see more photos! John, from A DC Birding Blog had a close encounter with a Chickweed Geometer and Martin, from Martin's Moths has had a Red Underwing, a Cappucinno Moth, and this beautiful Magpie Moth whose photo is below.

The above photo is a Green-brindled Crescent and is simply stunning against the back-drop of fall foliage! Check out more photo's by Mark Skevington on Skev's Blog. Stewart from The Notebook . . . blog also has some nice photos of moths he's still seeing. You can also see what Ben from Essex Moths is still seeing. (He also has some great photos--I was drawn into his slideshow when I scrolled down the screen!) Ashwin from The Butterfly Diaries Blog in India has an incredible moth that is possibly the most beautiful one I've ever seen!

Also, you should check out Steve's Birds, Birding, and Me blog for some of his recent sightings including a Frosted Orange. It seems to me that a lot of "moth-ers" have followed the same path that I'm on. A strong "bird addiction" soon leads to a greater appreciation of the entire natural world . . .so you start looking at other things when birds aren't around . . . like butterflies and then when you least expect it---the Moth Bug bites and you're hooked for life!

Lots of caterpillars have been around too--this photo above is from barefootheart from Willow House Chronicles. Do you know what species of caterpillar makes this beautiful Isabella Tiger Moth? Check out her post here to find out! Martin--from Martin's Moths has been seeing Fox Moth caterpillars (I love that he calls them "catties!") and Alex from Myrmecos Blog shows us the "not-so-glamorous" side of caterpillar parasites.

I sure hope you have enjoyed this month's The Moth and Me! Thanks to Seabrooke Leckie for starting this wonderful forum and for unknowingly helping to start the spark in me to discover a new passion . . . .

A Vacation and A Milestone!

2009-10-12T03:53:00.004-04:00

A lot has went on over the past few weeks! My family and I went on vacation to beautiful Hunting Island State Park near Beaufort, SC. It was a truly majestic beach with tons and tons of great habitat----and even more mosquitos! I don't think I've ever experienced them in the numbers we did last week and I sure hope I never do again! (I'm still itchy!)

We walked up to the inlet each morning to see the dolphins, the birds, and the sunrise. There was a pretty good variety of birds that roost on the northern tip of the island including: Brown Pelican, Black Skimmer, Marbled Godwit, Royal Tern, Caspian Tern, Red Knot, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover and Wilson's Plover. I'm sure there were more species present--but I rather enjoyed sitting on the beach drinking my coffee and watching the sun peak its happy face over the eastern horizon!

This part of southern South Carolina is the northern limit for several palm tree species. Emmy was excited to see all the "coconut trees" . . . . and we had a great time playing with some of the fallen Saw Palmetto "fans". Near this spot on the beach, we kept seeing a Bald Eagle. One afternoon, it even chased an Osprey out over the ocean in an awesome chase to steal a fish. The Osprey won--but the drama was "edge-of-your-lawn-chair" and we had the whole human population of the beach fixated on it!

This is a small snip-it shot of the beach. You can see tracks through the dunes (which are closed to human traffic) between the right side of the ropes. A six-point White-tailed Deer walked through there and right over to the playground which was across from our campsite! I see deer ALL the time--but I hardly ever get to see the bucks with their antlers! It was very cool--especially since the kids also got to see it as it grazed rather nonchalantly in the grass while they played. Other "friends" around the campsite included five, count them FIVE Raccoons who did their very best to get into our food. They succeeded the first night . . .but not thereafter!

A parade of migrating songbirds also graced our campsite, visiting this tree (whose identity I cannot pin down yet!). A seemingly endless string of Wood Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Gray Catbird, Northern Flicker, and even Black-throated Blue Warbler visited this particular tree to partake of its fruit. It was great to be able to lay in the hammock and watch such beautiful birds overhead.

So, are you wondering what the milestone is? This is my 100th post to the Reflections on the Catawba blog--here's to 100 more over the next year! Hope you all enjoy it and perhaps learn along with me about nature and its ever-changing parade.

Green Comma

2009-09-27T08:59:00.003-04:00

While on a field trip to Ridge Junction and Mt. Mitchell during the Hickory Carolina Bird Club Meeting on Friday, several of us also took time to notice the butterflies during the brief periods of sun. Most notable were two Green Commas nectaring on asters and goldenrods near the beginning of the Commissary Shelter Road. The above photo is a different individual than the photos that follow. Both were very co-operative and allowed close ups! Kent Fiala got some great shots of the one above, while I got them of the one below. An awesome site to visit to learn about this species is the Butterflies of North Carolina website maintained by the NC Natural Heritage Program. Hope you enjoy the images!

A Rainbow of Night-Flying Jewels

2009-09-23T10:47:00.004-04:00

Have I mentioned that my favorite color is green? Did I mention that yesterday was my birthday? Well, someone took notice--and sent me a very beautiful creature for me to observe during Tuesday Night Moth Club for my birthday present. . . .

This Red-borderd Emerald Nemoria lixaria was a fine present indeed. Just look at how exquisitely patterned it is.

Here it is with it's wings folded like a butterfly--which I thought it was for the first few seconds I saw it. In the blacklight it appeared a grayish-purple color just like one of the hairstreaks. The flash of the camera soon revealed otherwise though . . . .

This one was breathtaking! Only I can't decide which species it is. I've narrowed the choices down to one of the Borer moths in the Papaipema family. I have three species I'm leaning toward--P. birdi (Umbellifer Borer Moth); P. rutila (Mayapple Borer Moth); and P. pterisii (Bracken Borer Moth). Please feel free to offer an opinion, if possible.

I really tried to make this Parthenice Tiger Moth (Grammia parthenice) into a different species (Phyllira Tiger Moth-Grammia phyllira) because of the vivid red coloring on the underwings! It was gorgeous--and had much deeper coloration than any of the ones I've been seeing over the last month. Based on the differences, though, in this description in BugGuide---I have to say it is still a Parthenice.

This is a pretty little moth--and I bet you have some experience with its larval stage if you've done any gardening here in the South! It is the Bristly Cutworm Moth (Lacinipolia renigera) and it has a bad reputation of shearing off newly emerged garden plants off at the base.

This was our first American Idia (Idia americalis). I love all the intricate patterns and spots!

Another Brown Angle Shades Moth (Phlogophora periculosa) turned up tonight. It made me wonder if it was the one I took to the Box Elder tree the other day?

This one is Zanclognatha obscuripennis (no common name).

And here is a Ruddy Quaker (Protorthodes oviduca). We had lots of other things come to the sheet too--like more Alianthus Webworm Moths, Large Maple Spanworms, Master's Dart Moth, Faint-spotted Palthis, and Black-bordered Lemon Moth. A nice end to a great 35th birthday!

A Weekend Of Wonderful Moths

2009-09-21T10:58:00.003-04:00

I really thought that the "cooler" weather we've been experiencing here in the Carolinas over the last few weeks would put a damper on my moth obsession. (It's been dreary and drizzly with highs in the low 7o's and lows in the low 60's for weeks.) Much to my delight---I was WRONG! I've had some of the most beautiful moths I've ever seen in the last week!

This one (and maybe my favorite EVER--at least so far) is a Rasberry Crown Borer Moth (Pennisetia marginatum). I noticed them several days ago behind the education building and thought they were Yellow Jackets at first. But as I watched them--I noticed they did not BEHAVE like Yellow Jackets so I looked a little closer--and saw they had pectinate antenna. I called Alisha--because I knew she would be just as excited--and we got some great photos of them yesterday. They are so cool . . . .

While looking along the Blackberry thicket, we also came across this unbelievable beauty. It is the caterpillar for the Black-spotted Prominent moth. You can click here to see more images of both the moth and the caterpillar.

I believe this one is Epipagis huronalis (no common name). It was on the side of the Dollar General just above the park. What a spectacular specimen!

This one is a Dot-lined Wave (Artace cribrarius). So furry and soft!

This one got my attention as I walked into the door of the Dollar General! How could I pass by without noticing something so fantastic? I went back to the office and grabbed the camera. We've seen this one at the park--it is a Plebian Sphinx Moth (Paratrea plebeja).

I thought this one was a Green Marvel, but upon looking it up in several sources, I'm not so sure. I'll keep looking and see if I can find it . . . .

This Yellow-collared Scape Moth (Cisseps fulvicolis) landed briefly on the window as I was making my post yesterday evening! We had to close the blinds so we'd have a better background. And then it was off into the enveloping darkness. . . . .

This is one of the Loopers--but I've never seen one so metallic looking. I'll have to search BugGuide and Moth Photographers Group for images to see if I can find someone else's photo that looks similar.

This is another Looper--same species I presume--just at a different angle.

And lastly, this Brown-angle Shades Moth (Phlogophora periculosa) was on the education building Saturday. I loved how the wings looked "curled" on the outer edges. I actually moved this one to a nearby tree since some folks were having a wedding reception in the building and I didn't want it to get disturbed. I checked later in the day and it was still there--just had moved up the tree about five feet!

Fabulously Fun Fungi (and Flowers)!

2009-09-20T18:48:00.003-04:00

Oh, my goodness, I didn't realize how beautiful the Striped Gentian was until I downloaded the photos and realized that the stripes inside are green AND purple! I did not notice that with my naked eye. I have found it is several spots now and hope it will still be blooming when the Carolina Bird Club comes to town next weekend!

Here is a shot of the flowers from the outside--where you cannot see the purple.

Alisha and I tired of being couped up in the office, so we headed out to the Beech woods (where it was very dark--even for 3 o'clock in the afternoon!) and found some GREAT fungi! She found this Oak limb covered in electric blue fungus (which is Pulcherricium caeruleam we think) and we placed it between these flourescent orange mushrooms to see the contrast. WOW!

These Coral Fungi are everywhere along the creek bottoms. They are so fun--especially to show kids! Occasionally, I'll find some deeper colored ones--some peachy colored, some rosey colored . . . .but not today.

Oh, but we did find these! Dog Stinkhorns are at their peak here now at the park--you can catch wafts of their stinkiness floating through the air as you pass by. YUCK! But their "unique" shape makes them quite the conversation starter . . . . "Did you see that mushroom shaped like a @#%8?" . . . . .

And finally, here I am spreading out Moth Goo (see recipe here). We haven't tried this yet and are hoping it works to bring in some different moths. We had a TON of great moths today--but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see them.

Moth Club Roll Call . . . .

2009-09-16T12:17:00.004-04:00

Lots of goodies on the sheet last night! Homemade cookies and coffee were the perfect complement to these fine specimens . . . . This is a Master's Dart Moth. It very briefly visited and then was gone into the dark night . . .

This one is a little more complicated! It, too, only visited for mere seconds--and then was gone. It seems to be in the Xestia c-nigrum/dolosa complex and is sometimes referred to as the Great Black-lettered Moth.

At least three of these Baltimore Bomolochas were "present" for roll call. Two males and a female. I've been seeing them in fairly good numbers over the last few weeks on the education building in the mornings.

A very beautiful Bold-feathered Grass Moth showed up and stayed the whole evening!

This Black Bit Moth showed up for the meeting a little earlier than the rest. It was on the education building while I was setting up.

This one is the Dark-spotted Palthis and there were at least two of these "present".

The very closely related Faint-spotted Palthis greatly out-numbered the Dark-spotteds with about a dozen on the sheet tonight.

A single Lead-colored Lichen Moth . . . .

Four Alianthus Web Worm Moths were attracted to the sheet--the most we've had at one time. They are so beautiful!

And lastly, the Parthenice Tiger Moths were also present in good numbers. At least four--maybe five. They were very "tame" and let us hold them without trying to fly away. They are awesome.

Lovely Things

2009-09-14T19:24:00.002-04:00

WOW! I wasn't expecting to find this when I headed out the door for a late evening walk! I noticed it move---or I would have passed right by and not have known it was even there. (I was down on the Red Trail past #14.) I looked it up as soon as I got back to the office! It is Megarhyssa macrurus, one of the Giant Ichneumon Wasps, and is a female--as noted by the very long ovipositor.

See how the ovipositor is almost as long as her body! It was so cool--and the first time I had seen this species.

I also came across this. I am clueless at the moment as to what it could be. The leaves and "gist" reminded me of Aster--but I know the flower is NOT in the aster family. I felt the "bulbs" and they feel hollow inside--like maybe this is the seed head forming and I missed the flower? I don't know. It is weird so rest assured I'll keep my eye on it! Stay tuned . . . .

Beech-drops! They are everywhere too right now. I lucked up and finally found some in the sun so my flash didn't wash out all that pretty fuschia coloring. These are a parasitic plant that grow on the roots of the American Beech.

Bling! Bling! We've been seeing these Gold Moths pretty regularly now for several weeks. They look like a little hunk of gold. Their caterpillars feed on Crownbeard and Wingstem--so it's no wonder we have so many!

Busy As A Bee . . .

2009-09-14T15:30:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts! I have been really busy with things at work and last minute details for the Carolina Bird Club meeting we're hosting next week . . . .I know, I know, it is just a lame excuse! I have seen a few great things--like this duo of male Parthenice Tiger Moths who so willingly posed for a great shot one morning.

Saturday, my family had it's reunion here at the park and about a hundred of my Grandmother's side of the family showed up! Afterwards, I took a walk with my brother and his family and we turned over some old logs to find these beetles. They are both Patent-leather Beetles---the red one is just freshly molted (and was very soft) and hasn't resumed the regular dark coloration.

And here is my Emmy looking like she is doing bodily harm to a baby squirrel that we found. She certainly didn't like the claws!

And Blair and I found these the other day when he was here out in the wet meadow. It is Gerardia and it is ALL OVER the little loop that goes through the wetlands.

Attack of the Killer Oak Caterpillars!

2009-09-04T09:08:00.004-04:00

Well, not really--but they sure look dangerous! This one above is a Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar. My brother called yesterday evening to tell me the kids had found it on their trampoline--and of course I was on my way with camera in hand--good thing they only live the next block over! There is a large oak tree above the trampoline so I assume it dropped from there--and good thing they saw it because it is a stinging caterpillar and I imagine this wouldn't feel too good on bare feet! You can see what this little 'pillar grows up to be here. (Be prepared to gawk! It's a beauty!)

And Emmy and I found a ton of these yesterday crawling on the house, on the ground, and one on my husbands pants leg! I thought they were looking for some place to pupate since they were climbing up the house--but they pupate underground so they were probably looking for lunch! It is an Orange-striped Oakworm Caterpillar. We must have had a boat load of the moths to have this many caterpillars! BugGuide says they are looking to pupate now and they will stay in the soil all winter. That's a long time to sleep! You can see what this one grows up to be here.

Moths, Moths, and uhhh, Spiders!

2009-09-02T10:30:00.012-04:00

It certainly was a beautiful evening at the park--feeling more like late fall than late summer. Things got off to a sluggish start for our Moth Club meeting, but it soon picked up and we found a few new friends to look at! This is an Eyed Paectes moth whose food plant is none other than our dreadfully itchy Poison Ivy vine. We had at least two--maybe three of these on the sheet last night!

Our freakishly eery Copper Underwing phenomenon continues . . . . appearantly they "roost" together in the eaves of our picnic shelter and come out when we shine our flashlights up there. The freaky part is that their eyes glow red and they appear to be staring right at you .. .. spooky indeed!

I think this may be another Celery Leaftier . . . but I'll have to check!

I'm not sure about this one, although I feel I have indeed photographed it before.

Another unknown.

It was definitely the night for Large Maple Spanworms! They seemed to be everywhere we looked--at least a dozen of them I'd say.

This one was too shy to come to the sheet--choosing instead to hang out on the pine beside the sheet.

Another White Lichen Moth. Actually there were at least three!

One of the Tussock Moths--perhaps a worn Definite Tussock Moth?

This one (actually there were two!) was beautiful! They have a very pale carolina blue-ish underwing. I photographed one during our very first moth club---and I still have not been able to identify it. Don't worry though--winter is long and I will have lots of time to go back through my photos!

This is an Orange Holomelina moth. BugGuide doesn't have much info on it though . . . .

I believe this one may be a Packard's Lichen Moth . . .

I think this is a Pleabian Sphinx moth whose caterpillars feed on Trumpet Creeper.

Another Woodgrain Leafroller--haven't seen one in a while!

And another Porcelain Gray . . .

And here begins the spiders. I will have to say, that for someone who is so scared of spiders---my sister-in-law sure has a knack of finding them! This one is a little blurry--but I assume it is some sort of Wolf Spider.

This is the underside of the Giant Lichen Orbweaver (the same as the large green-bodied spider who caught and ate a Yellow-Jacket in an earlier post!) Look how beautiful!

This appeared to be too big for a Green Linx Spider---but is it? It was about the size of the usual Writing Spider that you'd come across.

This one hunts all around the education building at night. I have photos of it with its prey in the morning all covered in silk and ready to be eaten! It is HUGE--about the size of the palm of my hand!

And here would be the ubiqutous Writing Spider that everyone knows and loves. (And yes, you should LOVE spiders too ya'll!)

Late Summer Wildflowers

2009-08-28T17:21:00.003-04:00

Ahhh, the joys of my job. I try to get out on Thursday evening (or Friday morning as today) to see what is blooming where so I can make a small "poster" to put in the sign-in kiosk for patrons to see what we have to offer. They should not be disappointed this week! Cardinal Flower and Monkey Flower are peaking this week--I found some on the Green Trail near Eagle Point with some nice Common Sneezeweed (above). It is truly a beautiful spot!

This little guy was on the River Trail--I haven't looked it up yet--but it was too cute not to post!

This is the first Slender Gerardia I've seen in a while. It was among a bunch of other flowers on the Blue Trail in the cut-over area. Gorgeous!

Blue Curls! I found Blue Curls! I've been looking for them forever! We have a cultivar of it planted near the observation platform on the river--but this is the first time I've seen them "in the wild". (Actually, my mom spotted them both times before I did!) They too were on the Blue Trail in the cut-over area AND lots of them in the powerline clearing just off the Red Trail.

Rose Pinks are still blooming their hearts out. These look like they had just opened--as did several other "bunches" in the cut-over area.

Mom and I found a nice stand of Green-headed Coneflower at the creek crossing near #4. The book (Wildflowers of Tennessee . . ) says it is also called Cutleaf Coneflower. I think I had some of these up on the parkway the other day too . . . .

Here is some Marsh Fleabane or Camphorweed. It was a neat plant to smell! I thought the leaves smelled rather citrusy--and very pleasant! You can find this along the pond margins and at Eagle Point--just to the right of the first photo!

Here is a teeny-tiny caterpillar making lunch (?) of the Common Sneezeweed.

Here is a Clouded Skipper nectaring on Monkey Flower.

Some sort of fly (?) on Cardinal Flower--its eyes matched the flower!

This Hackberry Emperor kept landing on us to drink our sweat. It was all good until it wanted to land on my eye. I didn't care for that too much!

Oh, yeah! Our Turtleheads are starting to bloom too. It is just too pretty around here. They are along the River Trail and at #2 near the bridge crossing.