Leader for today's Ramble, Emily
Link to Don’s Facebook album for this Ramble. All the photos that appear in this report, unless otherwise credited, were taken by Don Hunter. Photos may be enlarged by clicking them with your mouse or tapping your screen.
Link to Don’s Facebook album for this Ramble. All the photos that appear in this report, unless otherwise credited, were taken by Don Hunter. Photos may be enlarged by clicking them with your mouse or tapping your screen.
Today's emphasis: Winter tree ID and storm damage to Orange Trail watershed from the January 3-4 extreme rain event (4.5 - 5.0 inches total)
15 Ramblers today
New Rambler today…Lynn
Reading: Emily read from John Burroughs, at Dale's request. The reading is one of Hugh Nourse's favorite nature-related inspirational passages. Hugh was the initial leader of the group we know as "Nature Ramblers."
Terry's Birthday: Terry presented Dale with a birthday present, the wonderfully illustrated book, "American Wildflowers, A Literary Field Guide", Susan Barba, Editor, Leanne Shapton, Illustrator
Announcement: Emily announced that this is the 50th Anniversary of the Sandy Creek Nature Center. There be a celebration on March 18th.
Today's Route: We left the Children's Garden, and crossed the upper parking lot, to the Orange Trailhead. We followed it to and across the beaver pond wetlands then took the Purple Trail up to the Herb and Physic Gardens. From there we returned to the upper parking lot.
LIST OF OBSERVATIONS:
15 Ramblers today
New Rambler today…Lynn
Reading: Emily read from John Burroughs, at Dale's request. The reading is one of Hugh Nourse's favorite nature-related inspirational passages. Hugh was the initial leader of the group we know as "Nature Ramblers."
"After long experience, I am convinced that the best place to study Nature is at one's own home, on the farm, in the mountains, on the plains by the sea, no matter where that may be. You have it all about you, then. The season's bring to your door the great revolving cycle of wildlife, floral and faunal, and you need miss no part of the show. At home, you should see and hear, with more fondness and sympathy. Nature should touch you a little more closely there than anywhere else. You are better attuned to it than to strange scenes. The birds about your own doors are your birds. The flowers in your fields and woods are yours. The rainbow springs its magic arc across your valley. Even the everlasting stars to which you lift your eye, night after night, year after year, from your own doorstep, have something private and personal about them. The wild creatures about you become known to you as they cannot be known to a passerby. The traveler sees little of Nature that is revealed to the homestayer. You will find she has made her home where you have made yours…an intimacy with her there becomes easy. Familiarity with things about one should not dull the edge of curiosity or interest. The walk you take today, through the fields and woods, or along the riverbank, is the walk you should take tomorrow and the next day and the next. What you miss once, you will hit upon next time. The happenings are at intervals and are irregular. The play of Nature has no fixed program. If she is not at home today or is in a noncommittal mood, call tomorrow or next week."
Terry's Birthday: Terry presented Dale with a birthday present, the wonderfully illustrated book, "American Wildflowers, A Literary Field Guide", Susan Barba, Editor, Leanne Shapton, Illustrator
Announcement: Emily announced that this is the 50th Anniversary of the Sandy Creek Nature Center. There be a celebration on March 18th.
Today's Route: We left the Children's Garden, and crossed the upper parking lot, to the Orange Trailhead. We followed it to and across the beaver pond wetlands then took the Purple Trail up to the Herb and Physic Gardens. From there we returned to the upper parking lot.
LIST OF OBSERVATIONS:
Note: Paragraphs beginning with "**" indicate that there are photographs in Don's facebook album for today's ramble. The accounts that follow were written by Don.
Children's Garden, next to Comfort Station:
** One of the workers at the Children's Garden reported that a mating pair of Red-Shouldered Hawks were nesting high up in one of the hardwoods in the woods below the comfort station. We headed that way for a look and could see, and hear, the hawks up in the tree.
** While there, we all admired a thriving Carolina Jessamine vine growing on a pergola in the little plaza next to the comfort station. (Photo)
Upper Parking Lot:
** At the edge of the parking lot, we saw some of the first American Beech leaves to drop as their period of marcescense comes to a close. Laying on the ground near the leaves were the shed bud scales, releasing from the twigs at more or less the same time as the leaves. (Photo of leaves and photo of bud scales)
Upper Parking Lot:
** At the edge of the parking lot, we saw some of the first American Beech leaves to drop as their period of marcescense comes to a close. Laying on the ground near the leaves were the shed bud scales, releasing from the twigs at more or less the same time as the leaves. (Photo of leaves and photo of bud scales)
** As I was making my way across the parking lot, I spotted some beautiful fuzzy fruits on the otherwise bare limbs of a Winged Elm. (Photo)
Orange Trail:
** Emily pointed out some Loblolly Pines growing just inside the edge of the woods at the head of the Orange Trail. (No photo)
** In addition to the Loblolly Pines there were quite a few Shortleaf Pines. We stopped at one to take a look at some of it's identifying features, including the ball-shaped mass of limbs with short needles located high in the very tops of the trees. We also saw the characteristic rosin pits on many of the flaky bark plates. On some, the pits were weeping, creating damp areas around some of the pits. (Photo of the top of the tree, photo of the rosin pits on the flaky bark plates)
** Bill and Heather spotted a very conspicuous bright red Net-winged Beetle. These beetles have leathery fore wings, which indicates that they are related to fireflies. The bright coloration is typical of noxious insects that may secrete bad smelling chemicals. The other Net-winged beetles are known to produce compounds from the tubes visible in their fore wings.
Orange Trail:
** Emily pointed out some Loblolly Pines growing just inside the edge of the woods at the head of the Orange Trail. (No photo)
** In addition to the Loblolly Pines there were quite a few Shortleaf Pines. We stopped at one to take a look at some of it's identifying features, including the ball-shaped mass of limbs with short needles located high in the very tops of the trees. We also saw the characteristic rosin pits on many of the flaky bark plates. On some, the pits were weeping, creating damp areas around some of the pits. (Photo of the top of the tree, photo of the rosin pits on the flaky bark plates)
** Bill and Heather spotted a very conspicuous bright red Net-winged Beetle. These beetles have leathery fore wings, which indicates that they are related to fireflies. The bright coloration is typical of noxious insects that may secrete bad smelling chemicals. The other Net-winged beetles are known to produce compounds from the tubes visible in their fore wings.
** Moving down the trail, we came to a single Sparkleberry tree, growing dead-center in the middle of the trail. The bark is very thin and slightly flaky, with a prominent cinnamon color. (Photo)
** Cranefly Orchids were omni-present, seen at many locations along the trail and in the woods. (Photo)
** We soon came up on the first major storm scouring feature from the January rain event. Wide swaths of bare soil were visible in the woods to our left. At this location, and many more we would see further downstream, thick and "mature" accumulations of duff/leaf litter were removed over large areas where gathering volumes of runoff made their way to the main stream next to the Orange Trail. (Photo of scour)
** Blue violets (Common Blue, Southern Wood, ??) were seen along the entire length of the Orange and Purple Trails. Some were undoubtedly Common Blue Violets but there were possible other species, as well, such as Southern Wood, Walter's, etc. (Photo of blue violet)
** Emily stopped at one of the many Hophornbeam trees found along the Orange Trail, pointing out the "cat scratch" bark and the rings of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker holes circling the trunks at intervals up the lower sections of the trees. (Photo of the bark and sapsucker holes).
** We soon started seeing an assortment of early spring wildflowers, including Rue Anemone, Bloodroot, Violet Wood-sorrel, Mayapple, White Avens, Wild Geranium and Round-lobed Hepatica (Photos of Rue Anemone, Violet Wood-sorrel, Bloodroot and Mayapple, White Avens (foliage) and Wild Geranium)
** We continued to see examples of damage and severe erosion that occurred during the January flooding, including mass slumping and exposing of root systems in areas adjacent to the stream. (Several photos documenting these affects)
** As we approached "Ben's Bridge" we saw Green Arrow Arum beginning to emerge from the mud and silt along the edge of the wetlands of the old beaver pond.
** One of the most interesting observations of the morning was the discovery of a bushy liverwort, Pinnate Scalewort, never noticed before on any Nature Ramble. (Photo of entire specimen and closeup of the pinnate "fronds")
SUMMARY OF OBSERVED SPECIES
Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus
Carolina Jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens
American Beech Fagus grandifolia
Winged Elm Ulmus alata
Loblolly Pine Pinus taeda
Shortleaf Pine Pinus echinata
Red (Golden) Net-winged Beetle Dictyoptera coccinata
Sparkleberry Vaccinium arboreum
Cranefly Orchid Tipularia discolor
Blue violets Viola sororia and other species
Hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana
Rue Anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
Violet Woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
White Avens Geum canadense
Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum
Round-lobed Hepatica Anemone americana
Green Arrow Arum Peltandra virginica
Pinnate Scalewort Porella pinnata
** Cranefly Orchids were omni-present, seen at many locations along the trail and in the woods. (Photo)
** We soon came up on the first major storm scouring feature from the January rain event. Wide swaths of bare soil were visible in the woods to our left. At this location, and many more we would see further downstream, thick and "mature" accumulations of duff/leaf litter were removed over large areas where gathering volumes of runoff made their way to the main stream next to the Orange Trail. (Photo of scour)
** Blue violets (Common Blue, Southern Wood, ??) were seen along the entire length of the Orange and Purple Trails. Some were undoubtedly Common Blue Violets but there were possible other species, as well, such as Southern Wood, Walter's, etc. (Photo of blue violet)
** Emily stopped at one of the many Hophornbeam trees found along the Orange Trail, pointing out the "cat scratch" bark and the rings of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker holes circling the trunks at intervals up the lower sections of the trees. (Photo of the bark and sapsucker holes).
** We soon started seeing an assortment of early spring wildflowers, including Rue Anemone, Bloodroot, Violet Wood-sorrel, Mayapple, White Avens, Wild Geranium and Round-lobed Hepatica (Photos of Rue Anemone, Violet Wood-sorrel, Bloodroot and Mayapple, White Avens (foliage) and Wild Geranium)
** We continued to see examples of damage and severe erosion that occurred during the January flooding, including mass slumping and exposing of root systems in areas adjacent to the stream. (Several photos documenting these affects)
** As we approached "Ben's Bridge" we saw Green Arrow Arum beginning to emerge from the mud and silt along the edge of the wetlands of the old beaver pond.
** One of the most interesting observations of the morning was the discovery of a bushy liverwort, Pinnate Scalewort, never noticed before on any Nature Ramble. (Photo of entire specimen and closeup of the pinnate "fronds")
SUMMARY OF OBSERVED SPECIES
Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus
Carolina Jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens
American Beech Fagus grandifolia
Winged Elm Ulmus alata
Loblolly Pine Pinus taeda
Shortleaf Pine Pinus echinata
Red (Golden) Net-winged Beetle Dictyoptera coccinata
Sparkleberry Vaccinium arboreum
Cranefly Orchid Tipularia discolor
Blue violets Viola sororia and other species
Hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana
Rue Anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
Violet Woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
White Avens Geum canadense
Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum
Round-lobed Hepatica Anemone americana
Green Arrow Arum Peltandra virginica
Pinnate Scalewort Porella pinnata
