Park It, Mister!

Now that Spring is sprung, I've been wandering through my local park systems. For a someone who bases his business model on Entomology, Old Man Winter is a real downer for me. It is a tad bit early for some of my favorite subjects but I have a backup plan so don't worry about me.

My first stop yesterday was to Tamarack Hollow off of Fresh Ponds Rd in East Brunswick, a very nice and somewhat quite parcel of woods. I was greeted by a Red-bellied Woodpecker as I crossed the chain at the head of the trail. Trying to increase my Botany skills I spent most of the time shooting new plant growth, flowers and seeds.

Blackberry Flower

Maple Seeds

Fern Head

Found Midge

After this I made my way to Rutgers Gardens / Helyar Woods. This is one of my favorite walks in Middlesex County, plus its close by so sometimes it ends up being the default. There were quite a bit of people using the paths and there was the smell of burning rope so I think Hippies might have migrated back as well as birds. I found a few trees hosting what looks to be Eastern Tent Caterpillars on the opposite side of the Indian Cave.

Malacosoma americanum?

I find that ferns are quite an interesting photo subject. For those that don't know some people call the rock erosion near the stream the Indian Cave but that just might be us New Brunswick Old Timers.

I then headed of to the Pine Patch to look for Owl Pellets but found this first. I found some pellets as well but can not be certain if they belonged to an Owl.

Piney Castle

Owl Pellet?

On my way back to the car I wander toward the Native Plant Garden, were I watched some Tree Swallows preform their air show. Someone installed nest boxes in the field, so they would land for a quick rest then head back up. This was about as close to them as I could get.