Seriously Creeped Out

Fishing Spider

This is NOT what I wanted to see on my studio window screen this morning!  The window was open, but at first glance I couldn’t tell whether this way-too-big-to-be-comfortable-with-it spider was on the inside of my studio, or outside, where it belonged.  Closer – albeit careful – inspection revealed it to be clinging to the outside of the window screen, so that was permissible.

Admittedly, spiders are not among my favorite forms of wildlife.  I do try to capture and release indoor trespassers before I resort to squashing or vacuuming, though that thought always crosses my mind.   Spiders that are outside my buildings are in their own habitat and  I respect that, and their right to be there.  It’s only the ones that come indoors that I have issues with.

Anyway, this one is called a fishing spider.  I’m not sure what he’s fishing for on my screen, but they do like trees and woods and there’s plenty of both here.  In fact, my guess is that it came off, or was heading for, the shagbark hickory that is only inches from the window.

As spiders go…a beauty, I suppose.  Though I think there should be a size-limit on spiders.  Things like insects and spiders tend to get creepier as they get larger.

 

Rough Green Snake

Green snake, NWS photos

I saw my first green snake yesterday.  Unfortunately, it was dead in the road.  Road kills on this road always disturb me, since this road has very low traffic and one shouldn’t be going more than 40 mph anyway, due to the narrowness, twists and turns.

Of course I didn’t have my camera along, so I had to go searching for a useable photo.  The snake I saw was a rough green snake; I’m not sure if this one is a rough or smooth or if there’s a huge difference, but it’s close enough.

How someone didn’t see this bright green animal in the road, I can’t guess.  Probably it was discounted as a bit of tree branch, or grass, or some green plant, because green it was.

Another possibility is that it was run over on purpose, because that’s actually something of a ‘sport’ around here, though normally directed toward copperheads.

This snake was absolutely beautiful, and it saddened me to think my first encounter had to be with a corpse.   I did stop to be sure the snake was indeed dead, and not just stunned or injured.  I left it where it lay – and on my return trip a few hours later it was gone.  I do believe some crow or other bird had a tasty lunch, as there were several crows scoping out the area when I saw the snake.

Not a needless death then, after all.

7 Random Thoughts

Dastardly ticks

So I was sitting here trying to decide what I would post about this morning – having not posted here in a while, and all I got were a lot of disjointed random thoughts – so here they are.  Some of these will no doubt become future blog posts.

1.  I’m tired of ticks.  There were no ticks when I was a kid.  I could go out and sit in the woods and not worry about being eaten alive, or getting some weird disease, from these useless parasites.  I’m usually tolerant of just about anything – but not ticks.

2.  I haven’t heard a wood thrush singing yet.  Or a hermit thrush. Or a veery.  Used to hear them all the time when I was a kid.  Used to hear a lot of birds I don’t hear anymore.  My hearing is still good..so the alternative reason isn’t.

3.  Must be thinking a lot lately about how things were when I was a kid.

4.  I enjoyed seeing that barred owl at the spring a few days ago.  Hope I see it again soon.

5.  I’m going to use the spring as my sit spot and take time to actually do this.  Ticks or not.  Surely there aren’t any ticks on that rock!

6. I have to find something to fill the void from not banding anymore.  Need to get out more with the camera and go exploring.  Maybe even do some real birding???  Also need to fix this blog.  It really needs some attention.

7.  This is a pretty lame post.

The Groundhog is Out of Work…

At least here in KY, because we haven’t really seen the dead of winter yet.  And I’m not complaining one bit.  In the 50s all this week.  I wonder what will happen in late March, when the daffodils are supposed to bloom?  Or is this just the longest spring ever?

Speechless

Sometimes, I just have to wonder.  The butterfly and bird- frequented puddle at the ‘quarry’ down the road, which I mentioned in this post, is obviously a spring-fed puddle.  It’s there year round, rain or not.  There are springs and hidden streams very near – on a quiet day you can hear them bubbling under the rocks.  The cave opening in the quarry wall has enlarged itself many times over due to running water.  This puddle is not in anyone’s driveway, not where it can interfere with the comings and goings of Man.  It IS a puddle where I’ve spent literally hours, observing literally hundreds of butterflies and birds around it and in it,  drinking and bathing.

Well – the highway dept. came through a few weeks ago and patched the potholes in the road, even repaving a section that was particularly bad.  Very nice.  But did they have to put that last bit of leftover blacktop in this spring-fed puddle?  Really?

Tarred puddle

Of course, it may not matter in the long run that the puddle is now contaminated with tar.  Last spring, the power company came through and cleared and cut the vegetation under the power lines.  Understood – this is a necessary thing, and it keeps my power on during a storm.  But, they did this in May and June, at the height of the breeding season.  I can’t even imagine how many bird nests and young were destroyed.  They also trimmed the lines along the road just down from the spring, which were thick with milkweed, butterfly weed, and black-eyed Susans.  Not one plant survived to bloom last summer, and there weren’t many butterflies to be seen either.  One can only hope that the plants will recover and bloom this summer.

And this, mind you, takes place in a national forest.

I do think I will pay the ranger station a visit….

NJ Visit and Empty Sky Memorial

I enjoyed a short but lovely visit with my son in Jersey City, NJ over the Christmas holidays.  A bit of culture shock for me to stay in the city, after living out here in the Daniel Boone National Forest.  On Christmas day, with temperatures incredibly in the mid-50s and the sun shining,  we decided to visit Liberty State Park and walk off our dinner.  Amazingly, even though I was born, raised, and lived in NJ until 1995, I’ve never been there or even close to the Statue of Liberty.  And, I had not been anywhere close to the NY Skyline since 9-11.

They’ve built a beautiful memorial in Liberty Park, called the Empty Sky Memorial.  It was dedicated on Sept. 11, 2011.  You can read more about this park here.  The two walls are as long as the Towers were wide and direct the visitor to a view of Ground Zero, just across the water and a little more than a mile away.  The names of NJ residents lost on 9-11 are inscribed on the walls.  The Freedom Tower is filling the empty space where the Towers once stood.

Under Construction - the Freedom Tower

 

Old train station

The old train station is still there, and I realized my father probably came right through here after Ellis Island.  We drove around to the other side of the park and then walked again, for a closer view of  Liberty  and Ellis Islands.  From this vantage point we were behind the Lady, but that didn’t matter.  I couldn’t help but think of my father, my grandmother, my aunt and uncles who came to America in the early 1920s, passing through this place – and tried to imagine what they were thinking and feeling.

Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island

I’m sort of ashamed that it’s taken me this long to get this close, especially having grown and spending most of my life in NJ. I suppose, living a little over 50 miles away, it was either too far, or we just never found the time.  Or,  quite possibly, we just took it all for granted.

But I think getting closer to it, seeing it in person – is something every American should  do.  You’ll understand why when you do it.

So Wrong…But So Nice

January Dandelion

This is so wrong – but so nice.  I dislike winter  and so there is no complaining coming from me about this unusual weather.  But I do wonder about the consequences.  For instance, will we have enough water this spring – without the snowmelt?  I don’t pretend to know all of the effects this non-winter may have on the environment,  but I’m certain there will some side effects.  I’m guessing we’re going to have a heavy bug season this spring and summer.

January Daffodils

My daffodils should be hibernating in the dirt under last fall’s leaf litter, instead of pushing up through, about ready to bloom.  It’s a little weird.  But nice.