Grasshopper Photo-op

While digging around in the garden today, I discoverd this Melanoplus punctulatus / Pine Tree Spur-throat Grasshopper. Usually I'm not one for Orthoptera, but this one was quite an interesting species.

A Quote from Bug Guide:

"Traditionally this species is considered rare, but it is one of the most frequently photographed grasshoppers, and has as wide distribution. Perhaps this is because of habitat preferences; entomologists looking for grasshoppers rarely see it because it lives mostly in the trees, but people with cameras often find them in such places (or on the sides of their houses or wood porches and stoops)."

Cheesequake State Park Post Fire

Took an end of the year walk to Cheesequake SP to check out the fire damage and do some light birding. I was happy the staff finally opened up the Green Trail at the Cedar Swamp.

Boardwalk repairs

Burl on a Cedar

I then headed over to Steamboat Landing / Dock Road too check out what the recent forest fire left behind. It was quite interesting seeing that I never have had the chance to walk through an area like this.

Burnt Cones

Dock Road Wetlands

Dock Road

Control Trench

Top 12 of 2012, Backyard Moths

2012 was pretty crappy in the way of my freelance business but it was a pure gold mine in the way of moths. My plan for Moth Season 2012 was pretty simple, set up a station 3-4 nights out of the week & record the species that showed up. While getting bored of just photographing them on the sheet in 2011, I did what any photographer would do and built a small portable studio. It is pretty fancy and cost a whole 20 dollars to make, unless you add in the cost of strobes.

My backyard moth station consists of a 400 Watt Mercury Vapor Light, a Queen Size white sheet and a lot of containers. The studio is make out of an old box, which I designed after a swoop table, one flash over the top and one flat panel flash under the white background. This sits right near the light on an old card table I picked up at a yard sale.

Using this system and my new light which was nicknamed MorningStar, I was able to photograph over 300 species of moths in my backyard alone. This count excludes Micro Moths and add in another 200 for field trips & moth nights elsewhere. Now not all of these moths were "lifers" but I like to reset my count every year. I feel that it is a fun way to keep me in tune with what's flying and also keep a population count or a high count for individual moth species per year.

So hear are some of my favorite moth visitors from 2012, in Latin Alphabetical Order.

1. Agrotis ipsilon - Ipsilon Dart (Male)

2. Amphipyra pyramidoides - Copper Underwing

3. Anicla infecta - Green Cutworm Moth

4. Anomis privata - Hibiscus Leaf Caterpillar Moth

5. Atteva aurea - Ailanthus Webworm Moth

6. Ceratomia amyntor - Elm Sphinx

7. Ceratomia catalpae - Catalpa Sphinx

8. Cisseps fulvicollis - Yellow-collared Scape Moth

9. Hypena baltimoralis - Baltimore Hypena

10. Hypena madefactalis - Gray-edged Bomolocha

11. Marathyssa inficita - Dark Marathyssa

12. Zale lunata - Lunate Zale

Megarhyssa greenei

Back during mothin' season I started collecting other non-moth creatures. I figured that it would give me something to do during that long time frame before the start of the next moth season.

Going through my Hymenoptera folders I ran across this one that I brought into the studio. After giving up on searching Bug Guide I decided to post it in the Request ID section. Not more than 15 minutes had past and I had an answer. So I give you Megarhyssa greenei.

Not Too Shabby!

With all of my post Hurricane work done, i.e. yard clean up, tree chopping & helping the neighbors, it was time to take a walk to check out my local patch. The nearest wooded area near my house is Grekowski Park or as Townies know it, Bissett's Pond. It was named after a lifelong resident and first Mayor of the Borough of South River, James Bissett. If you are a Ham Radio Operator, you know what I'm talking about. For a small patch of woods (58.6 Acres, 38.9 acres are preserved Middlesex County Open Space) it usually has something interesting to find. Of course the eyesore of a baseball field they built sometimes distracts from the fun. I wonder how many Box Turtles were displaced during the construction of it?

Usually one can find at this time of year, White-throated Sparrows, Dark Eyed Juncos, Tufted Titmouse & Song Sparrows going about their business in the mixed woods. These being the most noticeable bird species other than Canada Goose & Mallard. While watching a flock of Junco's, I hear a Alarm Squeak from a Titmouse. Only to look up and see a Hawk flying overhead at about 12 feet of the ground. And not just any hawk but a Red-shouldered Hawk! I can recognize that rufous anytime, most likely because I only see it once in awhile & think is was female based on size. She can to rest on a large branch about 25 feet away with prey in the talons (smaller than a Chipmunk maybe some type of Vole). I made a move to line up a photo, but she moved up to a higher branch. Trying to be extra quite and sneaking trough some dead Goldenrod, I stepped on a branch and spooked her off.

Done with lunch

After letting the trees hear my sailor trained language skills, I headed off to check the banks of the South River. As luck would have it, she didn't fly that far off, managed to pop a few shoots off, then I let her be.

Eyes are some what too soft.

Post Hurricane Blog

So like many other East Coast Bloggers here is my Hurricane Sandy post. As one can see I survived, only lost a few roof shingles and a mid-sized tree. My house sits right at the edge of the flood plain for the South River. With the surge I actually had water up to my second front step, only 3 days with no power, cell or internet. I was horrible!  Anyway here are some pics of the aftermath.

Before the storm

After the flood

I think I had one of these as a kid

Floated into the street from a block away

Across the street from the trailer

Flood Line

Trash

More trash

Downed Pole

Two days later

Flat Roof Gone

Thursday Morning

Apparently one needs to be from a newspaper to take this photo

Local Lads cleaning up Main Street

Someone should of told Sandy

Babbling Bamboo Brook

I swung by Rutgers Gardens the other day to ease my want of hiking. While it was no Hackelbarney State Park, it was still a fun walk. Usually I head right off to the Pine Stand but decided to spend some time in the Bamboo Patch. While I don't know if the stream there has an actual name, I always call it Bamboo Brook.

Near the new Footbridge

It was flowing a little quicker than usual, which was quite fine with me. There was a lot of entomology activity along its shallow banks. Mud Dabbers were gathering building materials, Ebony Jewelwings fluttered around looking for mates (counted around 13) and once again many Water Striders.

Still wanting to photograph flowing water, I scouted some positions. One of the best spots in my opinion is right near the spot of the old footbridge. There is a nice slab of rock that the water flows over.

Just above a little pool

The sun was getting low and the camera was metering at around 10 sec exposures at f/11. So I was a happy camper, just right around were I like to take my slow shots. I'm thinking of doing some extra long shots soon, minutes not seconds. Any way here are a few more tight shots from slightly different angles.

Just long enough for a bit of blur

While not the slowest shot, I'm always interested in these roots. They make for a great subject and look extra awesome come Winter.

Roots with a bit of flow.

Gang Bangers In Blue

A few weeks ago, I walked outside to smoke and ran into some of the finest "Drug Warriors" I have ever met. They were busy making a bust at the neighborhood barbershop. Most likely that bust was about the evil "weed". They just haven't figured out that this drug war is a complete failure.
Being a fan of both carlosmiller.com & copblock.org, I knew my cell phone was the best protection I had if things turned bad.
They were quite nice and understood "public servant in a public space" as well as my right to photograph on a public street. Oh wait this is Amerika, so I guess you know what really happened.

Secret Police? Not so secret with the state issued badges.

Apparently taking pics of police in a public space is now secret in South River, NJ. By the way, if I let this pic get out they will know where it came from. I think these fine upstanding men were from the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, so if you are upset with their actions & attitude let the big guy know. I really don't know because when I asked for them to ID, they left it to #18 PTL. Schmidt of the SRPD to take care of things. I have to admit the only one that wasn't that big of an ass was the cop in the light blue jacket, he even waved before this pic. How can one be secret when hanging around with uniformed cops & fancy bling around the neck?
Remember this is what you are forced to pay for people, a camera & accountability is what they fear!
Anyway you can listen to the audio here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZejBzAoiWQ.

Winter Edition

Now that it is cold here in NJ, insects are not viable content till the spring. My net is itching for some warm weather, in the mean time I will focus on birds of the week, not that I'm a great bird photographer. So I present the easiest ornithological photographic subject, The Northern Mockingbird a.k.a Mimus polyglottos.