#12 – Herkimer

3/22/18, Megtography #12 – Herkimer – I really need to plan a trip! I live in New York and I’ve never mined my own Herkimer diamonds! Luckily my grandma gave me some to hold me over.

Photo Journal: Bugs & Botany

The creepy crawlers have been plentiful this year. Everyday that I work outside, I find a new critter to marvel at. I have seen quite a few cicadas and cicada killers. The butterflies have been fluttering about and I have even seen a group of hummingbird moths this year. There has been an abundance of spiders as well!

With all this rain we have been getting, the gardens are full and vibrant. I can’t help but take a photo everytime I’m outside. I have compiled a few of my favorite bug and botany photos from the season. What a beautiful year!

 

Swamp Cicada or Morning Cicada (Neotibicen tibicen tibicen)

Swamp Cicada or Morning Cicada (Neotibicen tibicen tibicen)

Snow on the Mountain (Euphorbia Marginata)

Cicada, latin for “tree cricket”

Salsa Red Cone Flower (Echinacea)

Cicada Killer (Sphecius Speciosus)

Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia Hirta)

Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Lophocampa Caryae) Be careful around these guys and don’t touch them! Their hairs will get stuck in your skin and irritate you the same way poison ivy will! Itchy!!

Purple Vein Ray Petunia

Striped Petunias – Petunias originated in South America and there 35 different species.

A Bumblebee enjoying Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

 

Lantana camara

Lantana camara

Black Swallowtail, female (Papilio polyxenes) also known as American Swallowtail or Parsnip Swallowtail.

Knock Out Roses, a hybrid from the Rosa genus.

Unidentified Moth, possibly a White-streaked Prominent – (Oligocentria lignicolor)

Thanks for stopping by this week! I hope you enjoyed my collection. If anyone can identify that last moth, please feel free to leave a comment below! Or if you have any stories about creepy crawlies you have seen this summer, please share!

Until next time,

“Ladies and gentlebugs! Larvae of all stages! Rub your legs together for the world’s greatest bug circus!”

Bloom where you are planted.

 

Things to do: Raptor Fest

This past weekend my family and I went to Raptor Fest at Schodack Island State Park. No, it wasn’t dinosaurs. It was all about birds of prey. I had to work that morning so we showed up at the tail end of the event. Haha….tail end….see what I did there. Anyways, the festival was hosted by the Audubon Society of the Capital Region. They are an organization that started in the 1890’s to protect birds and their habitats. You can read about the history of the organization here. We were able to catch a fantastic seminar about raptors in the area which covered Kestrels, a couple owls to include the Great Horned, and a couple hawks. Sharon, the representative from Audubon, gave a great presentation and was very informative. I learned about some of my favorite birds and was introduced to some new ones as well. She would bring out each raptor one at a time, perched on her arm. They were beautiful and well cared for but unfortunatley were unable to be released back into the wild for one reason or another. The Great Horned owl sadly was hit by a car and lost a wing. One of the hawks suffered an eye injury and the others were found as hatchlings and raised by people. Therefore, imprinting with humans.

There were also vendors and other organizations related to raptors and nature preserves. I wish we could have made it for the entire event but just seeing that one seminar made it worth going. We had a great time at a beautiful park on a beautifully sunny day.

Have you ever been to a Raptor Fest before? Do you have a favorite raptor?  Leave your story in the comments below! Thanks for stopping by this week!

Until next time,

“Pin feathers and golly fluff!”

#26 – Oh, The Places We Could Go

2/19/17, Megtography #26 – Oh, the places we could go! 

Megtography – “Enchanting”

2/12/17, Enchanting.

Megtography – “Open Skies & Open Roads”

2/3/17, Open Skies & Open Roads.

Travel to: Kelley’s Island

There are several islands resting in Lake Erie. I’ve circled around West Sister Island a time or two. It’s a wildlife refuge for wading birds in the area. It was amazing seeing so many different flocks of birds flying around the island. Access to the island is only permitted for research purposes so we’ve never been able to step foot there.

One island that does invite the public is Kelley’s Island. It’s over four square miles and is the largest island in Lake Erie. There are wildlife preserves, hiking trails, camping, water related activities such as kayaking and scuba diving and much more. My family and I made
a day trip of it. We rode the ferry over and drove around the entire island first, to get a feel for it. We stopped at the winery to grab a map and adventured through out the rest of the island checking out the shops and sites.

One of my favorite attractions was the glacial grooves. It’s a 400 ft. by 35 ft. crater where the Wisconsin glacier gouged through the limestone over 30,000 years ago. There were fossils all along the edges. It was a beautiful formation.

It was a quaint little village with a great family atmosphere. We got some ice cream, went for a swim, and had an awesome day overall. If your looking for a calm and relaxing day out, Kelley’s Island is a great place to start.

Have you ever been to an island before? Which one and what was your favorite thing about it? Share your story below in the comments! Thanks for checking out my latest post!

Until next time,

“You’ve been chosen. The Island awaits you.”

 

Related Posts:

• Travel to: Oak Openings Preserve Metropark
• Travel to: Lake Erie
• Homeward Bound
• On the Road Again…

Travel to: Lake Erie

 

If you happen to end up in one of the four states that touches Lake Erie, your going to want to make your way to the water. Every year we manage to head out on my father’s fishing boat for an all day fishing excursion! We keep the perch for a delicious dinner and release everything else. My son always ends up with the biggest catch of the day! I’ve heard stories of the ginormous sturgeon that lurk at the bottom, though I’ve never had the pleasure of catching one yet. There are islands all through out the waters. One of which I will be sharing in my next blog post. There are so many different birds to see! I love trying to get photos of each one. The seagulls are the most popular, waiting for us to drop some minnows or crackers in the water. The boat ride itself is always fun, gliding through the water, the back splash spraying behind us leaving a trail of waves. The entire view is blue as the water and sky meet to become one. The air is cool and fresh! I love spending the day on Erie.

What’s your favorite thing to do at the lake? Have you ever been to Lake Erie before? Share your story in the comments below! Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

“It has been three weeks since my last fish, on my honor, or may I be chopped up and made into soup.”