[caption id="attachment_4821" align="alignleft" width="360"] Old Erie Canal (Clinton's Ditch) on left and the "New" Erie Canal on the right[/caption] This time we diverge from looking at plants. On our hike on the Butterfly Trail at…
[caption id="attachment_3986" align="alignleft" width="300"] Mound - 1 June 2013[/caption] The Allegheny mound ant (Formica exsectoides Forel) is a field ant that found on the refuge. It ranges along the Atlantic Coast of North America…
(Above photo: Two whooping Cranes at Patuxent Research Refuge.) The Patuxent Research Refuge is home to the USGS's (United States Geological Survey's) Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. One of the on-going projects conducted by the USGS…
Several individuals of this beautiful butterfly, called the Great Spangled Fritillary, were flying around the North Tract Contact Station this afternoon. They were feeding on the nectar of the Common Milkweed growing in the flower…
This afternoon, I took a quick jaunt out to Lake Allen to take some pictures of the Eastern Prickly Pear, a type of cactus that is found on the Refuge. Its scientific name is Opuntia…
While I was driving on Wildlife Loop on the North Tract today, I saw a small black object in the road. At first, I thought it was a piece of debris, but on closer examination…
I don't know which species of Harvestman this is. It stood still long enough for me to take a couple of good shots. Some people mistakenly believe that Harvestmen are spiders, but they are not.…
I found this little guy, called a Thistle Tortoise Beetle, crawling on some musk thistle that I found on the refuge. Its scientific name is Cassida rubiginosa and it is native to Eurasia. From what…
This morning a common snapping turtle was trying to cross the road in front of our house. I believe this was a female in search of a nesting site, and could be the same one…
Today, while looking at a Black Oak (Quercus velutina) specimen, I spotted a green fuzzy object moving around on a leaf. It was a Crown Slug Caterpillar (Isa textula) It is a fairly common moth…
[caption id="attachment_945" align="alignleft" width="200"] Spider on web[/caption] This rather industrious Yellow and Black Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia) built one of the most unusual webs I have ever seen. She took the pappus from nearby Yellow…
[caption id="attachment_707" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Watch it buster!"][/caption]Today while slogging in the steam which flows between Beaver Valley and Shangri La I had a close encounter with a snake called a Black Racer - (Coluber constrictor).…
While traipsing through the woods near Wild Turkey Way at Loblolly Fork I stepped on a log which broke and exposed a bunch of little critters scurrying about. I examined the log closely and discovered…
While driving down Telegraph Road, I saw some movement in a mud puddle in front of me. I slowed down and discovered a bunch of American Toad (Bufo americanus) swimming around. Looking a little closer,…
Today I did not do much botanizing. Instead I just drove around to see what I could find. Along side South Road near the BGE Powerline Right-of-way I spotted a lizard, which I believe is…