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Today, I retraced my steps from the day I did the "Oak Bottom" Post back in February. This time it was much warmer; and after the major forest fire that took placed a couple weeks ago. This area suffered a direct hit. The most intriguing observation between the two visits was the valley that...

I was in the Pines yesterday where I did some minimal bushwhacking without the use of Permethrin protection. Being March, I never gave any thought about using it. Well, I found a tick on me when I got home. It didn't take me too long in getting one of those babies. I'm going to the store...

Photos from Cuthbert Road Bridge at Cooper River, Camden County Park, just off RT 70 this morning. Standing there with all the high tech photographers and me with my 40X pocket camera.

Yesterday, I drove out to Warren Grove to roam the Pygmy Pine Plains on the west side of RT 539. I first stopped at an area called the Little Plains just north of Beaver Dam Road, and then traveled south to Bombing Range Road to an area called the East Plains. These are two areas among others...

There's been a brief discussion on the Pygmy Pine Plains on another post. I thought a new post would be best showing a few photos of an aftermath of a fire as the Pine Plains are dependent on fire for its survival. It appears the seeds from serotinous cones were able to germinate better in the...

Back in the early 1900's, botanist, John William Harshberger described an area in the east lobe of the West Plains as an "oak bottom". An area of a depression with an oak forest in the valley of the Sykes Branch. Today, I had the incentive to find this location since my Grandfather knew Prof...

Well; my outing in the Pines today didn't go as planned. It hasn't been the first time. My objective was to explore a portion of the Shreve Branch where I had discovered remnants of several old corduroy roads and bridge foundations on my last visit back in April of 2011. First I had to...

Recently, I hiked to a remote area of the Pine Barrens into coyote territory (heard them), to explore some open sphagnum swamps along a stream I've been there several times before Not having a 4-wheeled vehicle, it's about a two mile hike, with three water crossing (not caused by recent rains)...

Yesterday, I set out to hike along a stream to its headwaters, where the waters are crystal clear before iron and tannic acids start to build up. It was tough going in the lower half due to the heavy thicket and the extremely saturated swamps caused by recent heavy rains. Further up where the...

On Monday, I spent a couple hours on a very flooded road within the Wharton section of the Pines. Having been on this road before, I knew what to expect, especially with all the hard rains we been having. It was somewhat challenging, but manageable, slushing through 2 to 8 inches of water...

I have been roaming the Pines for the past ten years. Even though I've traveled to the deepest parts, I've done very little exploring on the west side of RT 206, south of Atsion Lake. For the past month, I spent much time there searching out numerous spungs and areas showing remnants of past...

While out in the Pines on Monday, I came upon a wetland bog. As the bottom was hard, I was able to walk around in ankle deep water. I came upon what appears to be bubbles laying on the bottom. I never seen anything like this before. ( See attached two photos). With a little research, could...

Yesterday morning, I took a walk along a stretch of the Bisphams Mill Creek in the 4-Mile area of the Pines. Weather wise, I've couldn't have picked a better day. A good variety of mushrooms/fungus were present in the area. Lichen, but it doesn't seem to be the one that I often see with a...

Yesterday, I took two friends new to the Pines to visit the bogs at Friendship. We hiked a 2 1/2 mile planned loop at the lower end heading toward Hawkins Bridge. I've been in this area a good number of times over the years. In the past it was an easy walk following the network of dikes. But...

Yesterday, I made a trip down to IBSP, to do a little surf fishing and see if I can find the Snowy Owl that had been spotted there the past few days. I had no luck in those cases. At times, in helping to locate fish, you look for working birds hovering over schools of bait fish. To find snowy...

Back on Thursday, I hiked downstream along the banks of the Batsto River on the right side starting near the railroad bridge. I mainly wanted to check out the old growth cedars along its banks. In one area, I came upon several large ones. Measuring 4 1/2 feet up from the ground, I measured the...

Several years ago while viewing aerials, I noticed an orange colored area along a major river in the pines. An investigation was required. Upon arrival it appears to be an old iron ore bog with groundwater coming to the surface forming a good size orange color swamp. Several small streams...

This past week I make a trip to the pines to check out a savanna I've had visited before. I followed a road that leads you into the savanna that stays flooded year round. Knowing that, and not having a pair of hip boots, I put on my waders that I use for surf fishing along IBSP. I followed...

Being treated with some early fall weather on Friday, I explored the area east of Route 206 about 1/2 mile south of Atsion Lake. I walked down a road for about 1 1/2 miles, loaded with water hazards with go arounds that were probably created many years ago. Looking at the change in the foliage...

With the heat of today, I explored a bog that has easy access from a well know road in Wharton. There are two small bogs with some separation between the two. The second one has a more defined stream along its edge with signs of cranberries. Lophiola aurea (Gold-crest) was the predominant...