Day number 2 of a typical camping trip is the first full day spent out in the field so to speak. The Great Marsh trail is about a mile away, so that is one I usually hit up when I go camping.
Wetland trails are my favorite, the biodiversity is just amazing and this particular trail never disappoints. This particular trail encompasses a part of the Great Marsh which was drained and used for residential purposes. Much of the area has been obtained by the park and some areas like this have been significantly restored.Joepyeweed is unmistakeable this time of year. It is tall enough to stand out above the dense foliage and is visible in open areas from quite a distance. I like the effect of the more subdued (neutral) brownish red color. Butterflies really like it and you can get lots of good pictures of them simply by hanging around nearby Joepyeweed.Late August is a good time of year for insect photography. Most species are present and individuals are likely to be fully matured and thus more easily spotted like this Stink Bug hanging out on a stick. Stink Bugs are “True Bugs” meaning that is the name of their taxonomic order. Most insects which are commonly referred to as bugs are not technically “bugs”.Inchworms are an interesting case. Their characteristic looping form of movement is due to the fact that they have feet only at very front and back ends. Most of the body of the caterpillar is legless. This one is checking out the distant view before deciding whether or not to proceed to cross the leaf.Considering how large they are Praying Mantis’s are really hard to spot. They are so motionless and their form blends in with the leaves and stems of the foliage so well. But when you do spot one you can spend some time setting up to get nice photographs as they are not prone to scurrying off easily. They certainly know you are present however, their visual acuity is excellent and they watch you intently.Spend any amount of time out in nature photographing wild flowers and you will quickly get used to being in close proximity to all kinds of bees, wasps and hornets. They are simply all over the place and cannot be avoided. So long as you don’t bother them or swat at them, they will completely ignore you. I don’t enjoy being stung anymore than anyone else, but I regularly get up close to them and have yet to attract their attention.Most of the Smooth Phlox along this trail are a deep purple color, but occasionally you come across one which is pure white. The bulge which this green Stinkbug is standing on is a Gall created by a Goldenrod Gall Fly. These hard spherical bulges in Goldenrod stems are common. Where ever you find lots of insects you will also find plenty of spiders such as this Banded Garden Orb Weaver. Orb Weavers seem to like to hang upside down from their webs. I suppose this makes sense because many predators such as birds and wasps are likely to approach from above.
On day number three of this camping trip we went to the trail at Miller Woods. Specifically the southern portion of the trail that circles a wetland area which is created by water that gets trapped between successive dune ridges. This trail and the Great Marsh trail are both wetland ecosystems, but the variety of plants and insects are very distinct and I knew we would see plenty of things at Miller Woods which we had not seen the day before. Of course the two trails still have a lot in common, as the closeup of the Grasshopper above shows.
This has been one of the most intense years I can remember for mosquitos. Few things can make being out doors more miserable than mosquitos, I hate em. I also love them. This is a male mosquito I captured on some Goldenrod. Two things make it clear that this is a male mosquito. One is the antenna which look like fuzzy antlers. The other is the fact that it is feeding on nectar rather than my blood. It is the females that feed on blood. So on the one hand mosquitos are awful, but as you can see above they are also quite fascinating and beautiful.Here we see a couple more male mosquitos feeding on a Boneset plant. Unlike many pollinators, these are relatively cooperative when it comes to taking photographs because they stay relatively stationary when feeding.This is a Net Winged Beetle. Usually when I see beetles like this they have their wings closed. This one was slowly opening and closing its wings which would have made for a unique photograph if I could have caught it with them full opened. Alas it was swaying back and forth in the breeze and I was not able to get a clear photo of it with the wings extended. This was one of those times when Nature decided to taunt you, letting you get oh so close before saying “Nope” over and over…A view down into the wetland area which this trail circles. Depending on the time of year and amount of rain this area can look very different. It is not uncommon for it to be half to three quarters full of water. Earlier in the year we had some pretty good rains and now it is quite lush. It never looks the same from year to year and season to season. But it is always beautiful.This Soldier Beetle appears to be on lookout duty, guarding over the Flowering Spurge plant.Rough Blazing Star. They are beginning to pop up all over the park. A great attractor for Butterflies.I will admit I am pretty much obsessed with the ambush insects; Crab Spiders, Praying Mantis’s and now Jagged Ambush Bugs. Saw my first one of these maybe a month ago, now I am finding them everywhere. This one (look close just above and to the left of the wasp) has snagged a wasp. Nature is just so amazing and cool. You may have to click on the image and view it full size in order to make out the ambusher, absolutely fascinating little creature.My Day 1 and Day 2 posts both showed examples of different types of Galls. Here is yet another example of them. Not sure what insect created these, but they are spiky little red balls attached to the leaves. You can click on the image to see it full size.Rattlesnake Root, one of my favorites this time of year. The colors are subdued compared to many other plants, but that makes them stand out even more in my mind.I believe this is a Cuckoo Wasp. The rough texture and unmistakable blue metallic color are characteristic of that species.This Bumblebee has most of its face shoved down into the flower. They crawl completely into the larger ones. Despite being large, Bumblebees are one of the more difficult ones to photograph. They are in constant motion, always twitching and moving all over the place. A Paper Wasp grabbing a quick snack atop some Godenrod.
