Morning at Little Pond Comes Early

Let me stress that it's just not early, it's REALLY early.  Sunrise in June occurs as early as 4:58 a.m. To get up to capture the pre-sunrise light, I had to set an alarm for 4:30.  That's pretty darn early for a vacation, but I did wake one morning that early.  Unfortunately, it was cloudy, and the light was flat and gray.  After looking through all my photographs I have taken at Little Pond, I noticed a gaping hole- I had hardly any photos taken in the morning on the pond.  I remedied that with this photo, one of my favorites from this summer.

New Series- Summer at Little Pond

This summer, we had the opportunity to travel to Little Pond Maine, Megan's parents' home in the woods, twice.  The first trip happened in early June, in time to catch the pink lady slippers in full bloom.  We went back about five weeks later to celebrate Megan's birthday with her three brothers. We also had the opportunity to meet nephew and cousin Duncan for the first time, who traveled with his parents from Denver.

I had plenty of time to explore the pond and the woods surrounding it.  Over the next two weeks or so I'll share some of my favorite images from this summer.

One of my favorite ways to explore the pond is by boat.  I have taken great advantage of the stability of a pedal boat to get many images taken from the water.  Here, I managed to sneak up on a song sparrow that was on a perfect perch in morning sunlight.

-Tom

Brody and his Pumpkin

-Tom

On the Olentangy

Last Sunday, I had a chance to return to Kenney Park along the Olentangy River where it runs through the Beechwold neighborhood of Columbus.  I spent much of my free time here many years ago. It was nice to visit again.

-Tom

Royal Tern, Litchfield Spit South Carolina

We enjoyed a wonderful trip to Litchfield by the Sea, South Carolina the week before last.  It's our one week the boys look forward to year round. It's really our last hurrah for the summer.  Preschool starts up next week for both boys, and so does Megan's semester.  It'll be fall before I know it!

-Tom

Japanese Beetle - Popillia japonica

It seems they're having a banner year in our backyard.  Here they feast on the leaf of red raspberry.

-Tom

Female Common Whitetail - Plathemis lydia

Our yard isn't a mecca for dragonflies.  They seldom visit, but every once in a while, they do make an appearance.  This common whitetail was a surprise as it hovered in and out of the bottlebrush grass.  Since I had been photographing absolutely tiny insects, pointing the lens toward this dragon made me feel I was shooting a giant.

-Tom

Red Aphids- Genus Uroleucon?

This year, I haven't found any of the yellow colored, non-native Oleander aphids, but we do have a fairly nice colony of these red aphids.  Perhaps these belong to the genus Uroleucon?  It seems there isn't much information readily available about aphids. Perhaps aphids are the next big thing.  Do I see a aphidapalooza festival in the future? Probably not, but they are fascinating creatures, though. These individuals are feasting on my double flowered green-headed coneflower, Rudbeckia laciniata 'Hortensia'.  This Victorian era "heirloom perennial" has been passed through our family- our clone originated from relatives in northeast Indiana.  Calling it an heirloom perennial seems to be a bit out of place, however, since I also read that it was affectionately known as "the outhouse plant".

-Tom

Red Milkweed Beetle

This year we are hosting at least one Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus, I believe).  Up close, they sort of look like some type of deranged teddy bear.  This individual has been feasting on swamp milkweed, seriously stunting the plant.

-Tom

Common Eastern Firefly - Photinus pyralis

I suspect that the humidity was so high this evening, that this "lightning bug" had to prepare its wings for its nightly flight.  It took several warm up runs leading up to sunset.  Each time I thought it would take off, but no, it was just getting ready.

Also- check the previous post, I've updated it with the help of www.bugguide.net

-Tom

More Insects from the Backyard Native Plant Gardens

Hyphantria cuneata - Fall Webworm Moth - Hodges #8140

Dark-Winged Fungus Gnat (Sciaridae)

Glyphipterigid sedge moth- possibly the genus Diploschizia

All awaiting I.D.'s via www.bugguide.net

-Tom

Leaf Miner Fly

While most gardeners despise a pest that takes advantage of a prize plant, I relish it.  In fact, I plant natives to provide homes for things like this leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae.  Thank you to John Carr for helping place this to family.  Isn't is fascinating?  This tiny fly is resting on the tip of a leaf blade of Mondarda fistulosa, wild bergamont.  I've never observed it before, but it is tiny, no more than a few millimeters from head to folded wingtip.

-Tom

A Syrphid Fly Saturday Night

-Tom

Syrphid Fly

Syrphid fly.

-Tom

Some Type of Plant Bug with Red Eyes

This one is pretty cool!

That's it for now.

-Tom

A Yellow "Inch Worm"

10 points to the whomever guesses what plant this little bugger is eating.  He wasn't any thicker than a mechanical pencil lead.

-Tom

Common Green Bottle Fly

It's time to look for bugs in the backyard again.

-Tom

Three Turtles at Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve

Northern spiny softshell, northern map turtle, and a midland painted turtle bask in blue hole of the Little Miami River.

Inniswood Metrogardens

Inniswood Metrogardens is a plant lover's paradise. We're lucky to have this sanctuary of both the natural and cultivated located in Westerville. In addition to the snapping turtle and red-eared slider (an introduced species), we saw several pairs of eastern bluebirds. The boys had a blast exploring the various little structures around the grounds. Weston even turned a large gazebo into a rocket ship. It's a great place to spend a Saturday morning. -Tom

It's National Parks Week

I received a nice e-mail from the National Park Foundation reminding me that National Park Week is going on now.  During my winter hibernation riding the spinning bike in the basement, via Netflix, I watched the entire Ken Burns' series The National Parks: America's Best Idea.  We tend to take for parks granted as something fundamental to our nation, but Burns clearly lays out that was not always the case.  In Ohio, we're lucky to have one of country's 58 national parks merely miles from where I grew up- Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  I've been remiss to explore and photograph the park- I need to spend more time there.

One of my favorite National Parks trip was a 2010 trip to Yellowstone.  I have shared a few images from that trip below.



Cherish our National Parks and the people that had the foresight to set aside these areas generations ago so that we could experience some semblance of what a wild North America may have once been like.

-Tom