May Arethusa

[bobpbx]

Myself, Guy, Jess, and Mike Baker did a little local exploring this morning for Arethusa. I love this orchid, as each is original. I give them female names because of their beauty.

This is Grace.

This is Kim.

And we went to a spot I always wanted to visit. It is stunningly beautiful. The water is clear and rippling, and the bottom is hard gravel, and the best part; hard to get to. Photos do not lend it justice. The first is downstream, the second looking back up. It curves a bit and makes it even more interesting.

Upstream

 

[Teegate]

Here is Bob taking a few shots.

Closer view

And some Turkey Beard are still blooming.

The ever popular Turtle! The boxer is a female and I suspect the second one was laying eggs when we disturbed her.

Then the surprise of the day. Bob had been wanting to get here for years, and tried on several occasions, so today we took a different route and was successful. This is a wonderful place I am certain very few people ever visit.

Bob

Now for some help. Jessica was pulling stones out of the stream, and attached to one that was underwater was this creature. Can anyone give any insight???

Now to the video's. The first one is two video's merged into one, and the second one was just me playing around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Le1Vpr7C4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDPjFFLfkdA

Now that you have watched them, did you notice in the first one there was two instances of bugs flying around. One in particular reminded me of the video at Atco dragway that was posted here a few years back where we were discussing what was flying across the dragstrip. After looking my video over more closely I believe that was some sort of bug at Atco.

These are from the first video.

In the second one in the very last frame I found this. That frame was removed so you did not see it. I guess it was a bee.

Guy

 

[dogg57]

Thanks for sharing.Great photos and enjoyed the video.Looks like a great place.Nice job Guy

 

[Teegate]

Thanks dogg!

All,

Compare post 1 and post 7 with the bug in the photo's above. It is right in the beginning of the video in post 1.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/something-caught-on-camera.5643/

Guy

 

[manumuskin]

Now for some help. Jessica was pulling stones out of the stream, and attached to one that was underwater was this creature. Can anyone give any insight???

Guy

I no longer know how to get rid of all the pics in this reply since the sites been changed but I do believe you have a stonefly nymph in that pic Guy.Good Trout bait but I doubt there is any trout in there.No tornadoes in the barrens either,nice.I'm tornadoed out.
Al

 

[Teegate]

I fixed the problem Al. Thanks for the info on the stonfly. I did see a fish in there so maybe they are feeding on them. It was a very small fish.

Guy

 

[oji]

Today would be a great day to sit in the middle of that stream! I was in that area this morning and saw about 2 dozen arethusa and some Listera australis.

 

[Teegate]

Today would be a great day to sit in the middle of that stream! I was in that area this morning and saw about 2 dozen arethusa and some Listera australis.

I believe I have viewed the Listera australis with Bob on a few occasions, but I don't think they mentioned that yesterday.

We saw a bunch of Turks Cap Lilly starting to grow yesterday. I found one blooming one time a few years ago with Al, so I want to go back and photograph these. Mike said about July 4 but they do bloom later. The one I found was July 25. I also found a seed on 9/5.

Guy

 

[woodjin]

Nice report and great spot you found there. I was out fishing yesterday on the sleeper and mullica and in both locations I found a flower that resembled the arethusa but was a bit more blue in color. It was also growning right next to arrow arum. I didn't have my camera. Any ideas? Maybe arethusa in a bluer shade? Didn't seem rare though, I would describe it as abundant.

Jeff

 

[Hewey]

Thats a real pretty area! Real nice waterway.

Chris

 

[bobpbx]

Nice report and great spot you found there. I was out fishing yesterday on the sleeper and mullica and in both locations I found a flower that resembled the arethusa but was a bit more blue in color. It was also growning right next to arrow arum. I didn't have my camera. Any ideas? Maybe arethusa in a bluer shade? Didn't seem rare though, I would describe it as abundant.

Jeff

Was it big Jeff? Blue flag Iris or Pickeral weed?

 

[woodjin]

After seeing a photo online, I think i'd have to go with blue flag iris. definitely not pickerel weed, I know that one.

 

[manumuskin]

Bob,
Are there any plants in the Barrens that you have looked for but have not been able to find yet?I'd assume them to be very rare if this is the case.
Al

 

[bobpbx]

Bob,
Are there any plants in the Barrens that you have looked for but have not been able to find yet?I'd assume them to be very rare if this is the case. Al

Yes Al,...I am always on the look out for Platanthera ciliaris. I know it was here before, but it is all gone except some down by you. I maintain that it is not native to the pines like people like to think though. I could be wrong, but all the records are from roadsides.....leading me to think it was brought here by carriage or horse hoof, or other some such.

http://web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/abstracts/botany/Platanthera_ciliaris.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platanthera_ciliaris

There is another plant that only occurs in one location that I also keep an eye out for...though now according to Oji they are transplanting it elsewhere. Still, it does not count if I don't see a wild population....Schwalbea americana:
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/schwalbeaamer.html

 

[PINEY MIKE]

I no longer know how to get rid of all the pics in this reply since the sites been changed but I do believe you have a stonefly nymph in that pic Guy.Good Trout bait but I doubt there is any trout in there.No tornadoes in the barrens either,nice.I'm tornadoed out.
Al

Yep, thats the Golden Stonefly, family Perlidae. At different stages they can look just like a mayfly nymph, but the dead give away are the two claws at the end of the leg (barely noticeable in the photo). Mayflies have a single claw. All stones have two elongate tails and most mayflies have three, but some mays have two. First thing I do when I hit a trout stream is flip some rocks to identify some nymph species and their colors and sizes. Catching and identifying some hatching aquatic flies helps if trout are top feeding. Then its into the flybox to "match the hatch." I wish there were trout streams in the pines, but unfortunately the water's ph is much too low (acidic) for them.

 

[Trailhead00]

May I ask which stream this is? One of the most beautiful areas I have ever seen.

 

[Teegate]

May I ask which stream this is? One of the most beautiful areas I have ever seen.

It is mentioned in the first video. However, don't expect to get there easily. It is a very remote and hard to get to.

Guy

 

[oji]

Bob,
Are there any plants in the Barrens that you have looked for but have not been able to find yet?I'd assume them to be very rare if this is the case.
Al

And the rarest of the rare is the sparkling Alfreda blossom. I hear it really starts beaming in the presence of momma's home cookin'.

 

[Teegate]

And the rarest of the rare is the sparkling Alfreda blossom. I hear it really starts beaming in the presence of momma's home cookin'.

You and Scott come up with the best comments

Guy

 

[bobpbx]

Good lore on Arethusa

http://www.botany.wisc.edu/orchids/Arethusa.html