It's now the basis for an OPOD about mirages.
Here's another shot of the lake that isn't.
Mother nature can be quite the practical joker at times.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
The Lake that Isn't
Remember this post, No Water?
It's now the basis for an OPOD about mirages.
Here's another shot of the lake that isn't.
Mother nature can be quite the practical joker at times.
It's now the basis for an OPOD about mirages.
Here's another shot of the lake that isn't.
Mother nature can be quite the practical joker at times.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Monday, June 20, 2016
Death in the Pines
I came upon this collection of used hardware when out taking pictures in the yard.
I have no idea what creature may made use of it. But the teeth lead me to believe it was a carnivore.
Any guesses?
I have no idea what creature may made use of it. But the teeth lead me to believe it was a carnivore.
Any guesses?
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Hammer Time
"Steve", Patty called, "the tree is covered with caterpillars."
And it was.
Large caterpillars. And a lot of them.
The size led Patty to believe that they were large moths, reasoning that large caterpillar equals large moth. And we do have large moths about.
While Patty's reasoning was logical the number led me to believe they were tent caterpillars, this being a tent caterpillar outbreak year.
But we were both wrong.
These were bad. Very bad. Bigafy the image below and you'll see several pairs of blue dots (warts) followed by pairs of red dots. That pattern is diagnostic.
These are Gypsy Moth caterpillars. And there was only one thing to do. Thus I donned my work gloves (the hairs can cause an allergic reaction), grabbed a hammer and a hoe (for the ones higher up) and went to work.
I didn't get them all. And the splatter was at times unpleasant. But there are a lot fewer Gypsy Moth caterpillars in our yard then there were this morning.
And that's a good thing.
And it was.
Large caterpillars. And a lot of them.
The size led Patty to believe that they were large moths, reasoning that large caterpillar equals large moth. And we do have large moths about.
While Patty's reasoning was logical the number led me to believe they were tent caterpillars, this being a tent caterpillar outbreak year.
But we were both wrong.
These were bad. Very bad. Bigafy the image below and you'll see several pairs of blue dots (warts) followed by pairs of red dots. That pattern is diagnostic.
These are Gypsy Moth caterpillars. And there was only one thing to do. Thus I donned my work gloves (the hairs can cause an allergic reaction), grabbed a hammer and a hoe (for the ones higher up) and went to work.
I didn't get them all. And the splatter was at times unpleasant. But there are a lot fewer Gypsy Moth caterpillars in our yard then there were this morning.
And that's a good thing.
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Poults
Wednesday is trash day here. And as I was taking the can to the curb I spooked mom Turkey and her young.
Seeing big scary me they scrambled out of the mini-meadow into the woods. Where mom kept a wary eye on me from among the trees. The poults nowhere to be seen.
Look closely and you'll see seven sets of prints. Mom and six chicks.
I know they're out there.
I'll be watching. And ready with a camera. Hopefully getting more than just footprints.
Seeing big scary me they scrambled out of the mini-meadow into the woods. Where mom kept a wary eye on me from among the trees. The poults nowhere to be seen.
Look closely and you'll see seven sets of prints. Mom and six chicks.
I know they're out there.
I'll be watching. And ready with a camera. Hopefully getting more than just footprints.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Relics
As I mentioned in this post I visit the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, now part of the Joint Base MDL, doing grassland bird surveys.
But I also look around.
And once upon a time Lakehurst was pretty famous. Albeit for a tragic reason.
This simple monument, in an otherwise empty field, is all that marks the site where commercial airship travel came to an end.
The Hindenburg crash site.
Look at the plague closely. The monument was "donated". Really? The Ocean County board of freeholders dug into their own pockets for this? Maybe, but I doubt it. And shouldn't such a plague be about the event and not about the freeholders, who are all listed by name here?
Lakehurst was first home to dirigibles, airships with a rigid internal frame, when Hanger #1 was completed in the summer of 1921.
I've actually been in this building (you can too). It is big and empty. A relic of a former era.
An era when the navy had ships at sea and ships in the air.
Now all that are left are the hangers. And the history.
Of course there are still airships floating about. Here's one I spotted out my office window yesterday.
Blimps are non-rigid lighter than air craft common at major sporting events (and NASCAR races), as floating billboards and novelty camera platforms. Although this one is curiously unmarked.
Occasionally reports of new rigid airships appear.* I even spotted a test airship at Lakehurst a year or two ago (I thought I had some pictures, alas I can't find any, misfiled on a hard drive no doubt). The idea of an aircraft that doesn't need fuel to get off the ground has a continuing appeal. But they never seem to get past the test stage. Too slow to compete with planes and to small to compete with cargo ships I suppose.
I think it would be cool to have giant lighter than air craft floating by on a regular basis. Maybe someday. I hope they keep trying.
* Thanks to Marie for the link!
But I also look around.
And once upon a time Lakehurst was pretty famous. Albeit for a tragic reason.
This simple monument, in an otherwise empty field, is all that marks the site where commercial airship travel came to an end.
The Hindenburg crash site.
Look at the plague closely. The monument was "donated". Really? The Ocean County board of freeholders dug into their own pockets for this? Maybe, but I doubt it. And shouldn't such a plague be about the event and not about the freeholders, who are all listed by name here?
Lakehurst was first home to dirigibles, airships with a rigid internal frame, when Hanger #1 was completed in the summer of 1921.
I've actually been in this building (you can too). It is big and empty. A relic of a former era.
An era when the navy had ships at sea and ships in the air.
Now all that are left are the hangers. And the history.
🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈
Of course there are still airships floating about. Here's one I spotted out my office window yesterday.
Blimps are non-rigid lighter than air craft common at major sporting events (and NASCAR races), as floating billboards and novelty camera platforms. Although this one is curiously unmarked.
Occasionally reports of new rigid airships appear.* I even spotted a test airship at Lakehurst a year or two ago (I thought I had some pictures, alas I can't find any, misfiled on a hard drive no doubt). The idea of an aircraft that doesn't need fuel to get off the ground has a continuing appeal. But they never seem to get past the test stage. Too slow to compete with planes and to small to compete with cargo ships I suppose.
I think it would be cool to have giant lighter than air craft floating by on a regular basis. Maybe someday. I hope they keep trying.
🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈
* Thanks to Marie for the link!
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Grasslands
In the post on Lakehurst I lamented the lack of grassland bird habitat.
This is what good grassland bird habitat looks like.
This is Laurel Run Park, one of the newest parks in the Burlington County park system. And here we saw and heard at least five Grasshopper Sparrows, one Horned Lark, and two or three Dickcissels (as many as three have been reported).
Seems the birds know a good place when they see it.
This is what good grassland bird habitat looks like.
This is Laurel Run Park, one of the newest parks in the Burlington County park system. And here we saw and heard at least five Grasshopper Sparrows, one Horned Lark, and two or three Dickcissels (as many as three have been reported).
Seems the birds know a good place when they see it.
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