Insect digging a hole - August 31, 2007, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
This little guy(or gal) is along Massasauga trail behind the Tamarack Lodge. It amazes me to see this creature digging, because it’s like using chopsticks instead of of shovel.
IMG_1322, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
As I’m walking home from work I see this Blanding’s turtle in the middle of the trail. What a beautiful creature!
Insects in a mud home with 2 caterpillars, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
I find these “gems” in a 1/2 inch wide mud “home” that is attached to a tent that is left outside to dry. The caterpillars are still alive but can’t move very well. I assume that they are stund by a wasp like creature to be food for the small green larva (in the center of the picture). The mud structure looks like a vase. It’s pretty amazing! The small black piles are probably fras(insect waste) from the caterpillars. When I broke this “vase” open I had no idea that I would find this!
Here what the opening of the mud structure looks like. The bottom and right side are broken from me removing the structure from the tent. It reminds me of potter shards that would be found at an archaeological dig.
Hognose snake - found by the cross #2, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
Some of the bethany christian freshman class found this hognose snake when they were out for a team building day here at camp. It’s only about 4 to 5 inches long. It looks like it just ate a toad. It’s pretty plump.
crayfish in the parking lot, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
I’m riding on a golf cart when I spot this 2 inch long crayfish crawing in the sand in the main parking lot of camp. This is quite a surpise. I guess these creatures are able to get oxygen from the air? I thought they got it via gills? I’ll have to check this out.
I’m not sure what plant this is. The purple plant in the back is the invasive plant, purple loosestrife.
HPIM3573, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.
Bumble bee on Goldenrod.
Wasp and another insect on goldenrod
Mayfly on Autumn Olive(Autumn Olive is an invasive species).
I think this might be an early phase of a spicebush swallowtail caterpillar on spicebush leave(?). It looks like bird scat which is great camouflage. If this is a spicebush swallowtail then the silk that it’s sitting on will be used to seal up the leave as it transforms.
Here’s what it looks like with its antenae out:
Here’s a yellow jacket(upside down) eating a dead cicada(circle of life).
Here’s the after effects of a leaf miner on the shrubs by main beach at Camp Friedenswald
Here’s a spring peeper.
Colorful Milkweed Tussocks Moth caterpillar(Euchaetes egle) on a milkweed plant.
Female praying mantis.
