Cape May County Explorations

[bobpbx]

Does Cypress appear dark red on IR satellite images like cedar?

I've not heard that before in regards to the cedar. I'd like to see an example. Does one of Boyds IR maps show that?

Edit, I found it on Boyd's. Yes, it does work. I suppose I never pay attention do it because I can tell by the darker green and habitat on most normal aerials. But, yes, that is possibly a very reliable way to pinpoint cedar. I'll bet it shows red cedar as red too though.

 

[bobpbx]

The most shocking thing I found in Cape May Township was noted on my first visit. There is a parking lot for people off Bayshore road. This lot goes all the way back to the bay, but I could go no further than 80 feet before I hit a 4 acre wall of Blackberry 6 to 7 feet tall. This is no ordinary blackberry, oh no. This is what most people call Himalayan Blackberry; Rubus armeniacus. The only friends of this blackberry are multiflora rose and virginia creeper.

It is impenatrable, and ending up on the serious invasive list very quickly. I could not even try to wack through it, simply cannot be done. The Feds cut some out this winter as part of their standard practice of opening things up every 10 or 15 years (my guess). Whoever did the work bulldozed a road through the right side of it, but the primocanes are popping up like weeds and I'm betting the road will be completely blocked by September. Here are som photos.

In this photo, the camera is at eye level. I will not challenge this bramble.

 

[bobpbx]

Here's a couple serious-minded trees along a freshwater creek just 300 yards from the salt marsh. I'll let you give them an ID.

The other side of the one above.

This tree was even larger. That trunk in the rear belongs to it too.

 

[manumuskin]

Here's a couple serious-minded trees along a freshwater creek just 300 yards from the salt marsh. I'll let you give them an ID.


View attachment 22795
The other side of the one above.
View attachment 22796
This tree was even larger. That trunk in the rear belongs to it too.
View attachment 22797

I"ll say Red Maple

 

[bobpbx]

I"ll say Red Maple

I'll say you are right.

 

[bobpbx]

This Red Cedar growing on an old homestead site is possibly the largest one I've ever seen. Some branches in the upper half are as thick as the standard ones I see in disturbed areas up this-a-way.

 

[bobpbx]

This is why Rubus (blackberry, raspberry) can be so challenging. These 3 leaves came from the same plant. I don't study hybrids.

 

[bobpbx]

I'm sure one of you will get this photo. Also, saw my first red-headed woodpecker down there. The temp in Cape May County was kind of pleasant today.

 

[bobpbx]

These black caterpillars are all dead on the trees, but the swamp chestnut oak always had them on, whereas few other trees did not have any on them.

 

[bobpbx]

Found a car on Green Creek that has to be from the 50's I'm thinking. So old, and incredible as to how it got back there.

 

[bobpbx]

Saw a massive tree with roots you could see (on the other side) sticking up from the ground 10 feet away from the base. It's size made me go "ooomph!" when I saw it. Unfortunately, it's dead. Maybe a sweet gum?

 

[smoke_jumper]

These black caterpillars are all dead on the trees, but the swamp chestnut oak always had them on, whereas few other trees did not have any on them.
View attachment 22903

Several years ago my neighbor discovered catapillars all dead just like that. They were only on his oak trees. I had all pine so I didn’t have any. We assumed they sprayed for Gypsy moths and that’s what got them.

 

[66C10]

Found a car on Green Creek that has to be from the 50's I'm thinking. So old, and incredible as to how it got back there.

View attachment 22904

That's a 55 or 56 Chevy and sure looks like it's been there since the 60s.

 

[Jim_H]

Much Loblolly Pine in Cape May County, or just the Jersey typical pitch and shortleaf?

 

[bobpbx]

Much Loblolly Pine in Cape May County, or just the Jersey typical pitch and shortleaf?

Yes, loblolly is there in certain places, locally abundant. A good place to see it is Woodchuck Preserve, open to the public; in the lowland in the southern portion. I encountered this gaggle of them along the salt marsh.

 

[Rooftree]

I believe the white flower in Bob's post is called Lizard's-tail (Saururus cernuus), common to seasonally flooded woodlands.

 

[manumuskin]

I believe the white flower in Bob's post is called Lizard's-tail (Saururus cernuus), common to seasonally flooded woodlands.

There is a Lizard Tail Swamp natural area in Cape May county.Is that where you were Bob?

 

[Boyd]

I've been there, although many years ago. Always thought that name was curious, never even considered that "Lizard's Tail" was a plant!

Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve

Situated in the outer coastal plain on the Cape May Peninsula and within the richly diverse Cape May Forest, Lizard Tail Swamp Nature Preserve is home to a lush and diverse habitat.

www.nature.org

https://boydsmaps.com/pines/#15/39.137078/-74.820894/parcels07/0/0/

 

[Boyd]

I was trying to reconcile that small parcel with the website that said the preserve was over 800 acres and just got more confused by the map on their site. Then I looked at the compass on the map... East is at the top! Why would they do that? Just to confuse people? The map is basically square and would fit on the page either way.

So it looks like the main part of the preserve is south of the map I posted above. I was also confused by the WMA label for a Nature Conservancy property and wondered if that was a mistake in my data. However, if you look on the NJDEP website, it says "Fish and Wildlife co-owners of property with The Nature Conservancy". This is just a small screenshot, if you look at the full page you'll see that this is a Natural Heritage Priority Site as well.

Lizard Tail Swamp Site
The site is on the outer coastal plain of Cape May peninsula Goshen Road (Rt. 615). Communities include dry oak-pine forest oak forest The primary boundary includes all wetlands and the most proximal watershed tree species present at low densities. Secondary bounds include cleared or developed portions of the watershed An excellent example of a globally rare Cape May lowland swamp community. Good to excellent quality state and globally significant plant and animal occurrences are documented on site.

https://boydsmaps.com/pines/#14/39.120566/-74.814371/darkstreets/0/0/

 

[manumuskin]

I've been there, although many years ago. Always thought that name was curious, never even considered that "Lizard's Tail" was a plant!

Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve

Situated in the outer coastal plain on the Cape May Peninsula and within the richly diverse Cape May Forest, Lizard Tail Swamp Nature Preserve is home to a lush and diverse habitat.

www.nature.org

https://boydsmaps.com/pines/#15/39.137078/-74.820894/parcels07/0/0/

View attachment 22908

I"ve also been there and same as you did not realize it was a plant either.I figured someone tried to catch a Fence Lizard and wound up with a tail and named the area that.