Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Red & Black Burying or Sexton Beetle

 

Red and Black Burying or Sextant Beetle   Nicrophorus Sayi

Red and Black Burying or Sextant Beetle   Nicrophorus Sayi

Red and Black Beetle2 Nicrophorus sayi

Burying beetles or sexton beetles (gensus  Nicrophorus) are the best-known members of the family Silphidae (carrion beetles). Most of these beetles are black with red markings on the elytra(forewings). Burying beetles are true to their name- they bury the carcasses of small vertebrates such as birds and rodents as a food source for their larvae. They are unusual among insects in that both the male and female parents take care for the brood.

CCMP_HVShelfLog

I have never spotted any on dead carcasses but see them a lot on old logs that have Shelve Mushrooms.

Red and Black Beetle Nicrophorus sayi

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Hope Furnace Revisited

 

The Hope Furnace is near Zaleski, Ohio at Lake Hope.

H-Sign

In the 1850’s the furnaces were used to  produce iron for the nation’s growing railroad system. The railroads in turn provided transportation for iron exports linking the southeast Ohio to distant markets that could be reached by way of the Ohio River, or the Great Lakes. During the Civil War the furnaces provided iron for canons and other military equipment used by the Union Army, including the iron plating that sheathed the army’s famous iron-clad warship, the Monitor.

Hope Furnace closed in 1874 and the last of the furnaces closed in 1916. The forest’s around the furnaces provided  wood to fire the furnaces and provided jobs for this area of the state. Though it provided jobs for the area and towns grew around the Furnaces the homes  and stores built there  were owned by the companies that paid the workers with company script. The script was suppose to be used to purchase over priced goods from the company owned stores but in fact the script was worthless and could not be used in the stores.

 

Hope_Furnace

 

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Zaleski

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Native Plant “Indian Pipe”

 

In the hills here in the  summer as you are walking along the deep shady woodlands you may run across a strange and unusual white plant growing in the fertile soil.

EJC_Indian_Pipe

Monotropa uniflora,  Indian Pipe, Ghost Plant or Corpse Plant is a herbaceous perennial. Unlike other plants it contains no chlorophyll and needs no sunlight to grow. It likes the dark fertile forest.

Indian_pipe

In reality it is parasite plant  that thrives on certain fungi of trees from where it receives its energy. Single stems grow that range from 3 to 4 inched in height.

Indian_Pipe2 
The waxy looking stems only produce one single flower.
Sometimes the stems may have some black spotting or even a pinkish cast to them.
It is quite an impressive plant to see and is getting rare here in the parks area. When I run across one that some hikers have mangled it always saddens me because they either do not respect or realize how rare and beautiful a plant it is. And also the plants here in the parks is off limits to picking or destroying.
So if you run across this plant in your walks or hikes please let it grow undisturbed.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Signs of Spring on Wing

 

I was glad to see some familiar signs of spring wining their way into the Hocking Hills and around the house this week.

Spring_Robin
I always watch for signs of the first Robins to appear each year and I saw my first one out in the yard this week.

 

Buzzard
The Turkey Buzzards returned this week and were circling around the field nearby.

 

Bluebird_House
I spotted a pair of Eastern Bluebirds checking out the boxes in the yard where I hope they take up residence. With three around in the yard to choose from I hope they find one they like.

 

Bluebird

 

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The sound of the Mourning Doves could also be heard this morning as they scratched around for something to eat under the birdfeeders.

 

Doves

 

Grackle5
Although I did not get a picture of them a small flock of Grackles were feeding at the birdfeeders. They are not my favorite bird but that metallic blue head is very pretty.

 

Grackle

So there are signs of Spring winging their way into the Hocking Hills now.

 

Friday, March 8, 2013

Flowering Buckeye Trees

 

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Aesculus pavia  Koehenii Flowering Buckeye tree

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DA_Aesculus_pavia_Koehenii_FloweringBuckeye_SM

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DA_Aesculus_pavia_RedBuckeye
Aesculus pavia Red Flowering Buckeye tree

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DA_Aesculus_splendens_pavia_RedBuckeye2

 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The Frozen World of Old Mans Cave

 

Old Mans Cave in the Hocking Hills region is a beautiful  sight when the freezing winter cold freezes over the water and falls that are in the park. Add a little snow and it  becomes  spectacular.

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Upper Falls


 IMG_0004

OMC_FrozenCreek_Dec
Every cliff becomes the support for huge displays of sparkling icicles.

OMC_Icicles_Dec

OMC_NearUpperFalls_Dec11

 

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Bridge over the Upper Falls

 OMC_UTrail3_Dec
Upper Trail

 

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Don’t Forget to Feed the Birds

 

It is cold and snowy here in the Hocking Hills which makes it tough on our feathered friends to find food so do not forget to feed the birds. Most like to feed the birds in the Summer when there is plenty od food for the birds and then neglect them in the winter when they may really need fed.

Junco_Jan2012
Junco

 

BlueJay_Jan21_2012
Blue Jay

 

Dove2_Feb
Mourning Dove

 

FCardinal
Female Cardinal

 

Card3_Feb
Male Cardinal

 

RBWPecker_Feb
Red Breasted Woodpecker

 

 Chickadee_Feb8
Chickadee

 

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Male House Finch

FFinch

Female House Finch

Titmouse_Snow_Feb
Titmouse

 

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Sparrow

 

Nuthatch2_Feb
Nuthatch

Goldfinch_Feb
Goldfinch

Monday, January 7, 2013

January at the Parks

 

With the cold  temperatures the ice was starting to form at the parks in the Hockings Hills State Park system which would have added to the beauty of the Winter Hike that is being held on Saturday, January 19th.

AshCave_Jan42013
Ash Cave

But with the warmer temperatures this week the ice will be melting and  falling from the cliff walls and the falls areas in the parks.

AshCaveFalls3_Jan42013
On my walk last week the falls at Ash Cave was already melting and ice could  be heard falling along the cliffs.

AshCaveFalls4_Jan42013
And the pool at the base of the falls was not building up into the pillar of ice that is often seen in colder years as in the picture below.

AC_BelowFalls

Ash Cave pillar below the falls 2010

AC_BlowingSnow_Jan42013
Melting snow was seen blowing from the limbs of the giant pines along the trail at Ash Cave and shimmered in the sunlight.

AshCavePAth_Jan42013
Ash Cave Gorge Trail

CedarFalls_Cliff2_Jan42013

At Cedar Falls it was colder in the gorge so the ice was not melting as fast upon the cliff walls.

CedarFalls6_Jan42013


But the falls itself at Cedar Falls which catches the sunlight was not frozen very much at all except for a few icicles here and there.

 

CedarFalls_FrozenFalls

 Cedar Falls in 2010

CF_Icicles5_Jan42013
With the warmer temperatures this week these beautiful ice formations will be gone so although we do not welcome cold weather, for the upcoming hike and the hikers seeing the beauty of the parks in winter and for the Winter Hike we hope that the cold temperatures return for them.

CF_Icicles2_Jan42013

 

CF_Creek2_Jan42013

CF_Creek3_Jan42013

CF_Icicles_Jan42013

CF2_Jan42013