About That Ditch...

It's Been Such a Long Time

So it's been months now since I've been out and crawling around in the ditches and it felt this morning like it was time to get back to it. I left a little too late, on a day that was a little too hot, and was disappointed to see that the County had mowed.

There's Still Hope After the Mowing

But no matter! There was a little breeze and some merciful cloud cover, and the County kindly left an un-mowed swath close to the fence line. Ahhh! Being out there again was perfect! With sweat dripping down my cheeks and mosquitoes swarming, I squatted down close to the Green Lynx Spiders and Little Metalmark Butterflies.

Green Lynx Spider on Carolina Yellow Eyed Grass (Xyris caroliniana)

Little Metalmark Butterfly on Orange Milkwort (Polygala lutea)

The breeze made it challenging to get good shots of the Yellow Eyed Grass, but I was in no hurry. Some of the old familiars from spring were still in bloom--Polygala, St. John's Wort, and the Pitcher Plants. But there were some new ones. 3 types of Rhexia, a couple of new St. John's Worts,  Barbara's Buttons, and a few others that I need to identify. The fall wildflowers are getting ready to put on a spectacular show, with Deer Tongue shoots leading the charge on the roadside and other Carphephorus species in the flat woods.

Hooded Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia minor)

Hooded Pitcher Plant Flower

St. Peters's Wort (Hypericum crux-andreae)

Pale Meadowbeauty (Rhexia mariana)

Handsome Harry (Rhexia virginica)

Barbara's Buttons (Marshallia tenuifolia)

St. Andrew's Cross (Hypericum hypericoides)

Unidentified flower with green hitchhiker
(Now identified at Carolina Redroot, or Lachnanthes caroliana--Thanks, Rex!)

I found some large and busy caterpillars eating Fetterbush leaves. They took an interesting offensive pose whenever I got close, rearing up like snakes. One even lay back and showed its legs, as if they were claws or fangs. Reading up on these caterpillars, I learned their food plants are oak and members of the rose family, but that they also feed on blueberry, birch, willow and other nearby shrubs. Fetterbush is is the blueberry family (ericaceae), so it would make sense that the caterpillars were feeding on it.  Grasshoppers popped out of the grass like popcorn pieces. I heard some frogs and a few Towhees in the trees. I didn't see as many swallowtail butterflies as I'd hoped, but it may have been too hot, or too early. They might be more abundant when the fall wildflowers bloom.

Yellow Necked Caterpillars (Datana ministra)

Grasshopper Waiting to Pop

It was so satisfying to be back, but I was a little rusty. Being away so long I got spooked by the idea of Cottonmouth Snakes and avoided walking into the tall grass around the swampy areas and the culvert. And I should have brought a long sleeved shirt to help protect from the mosquitoes. But I was still enjoying myself so much that I decided to stop in the Longleaf Pine Flatwoods for just a short visit before I left. The Winged Sumac is in bloom and every bunch had its own personal bumblebee.

Carpenter Bee on Winged Sumac (Rhus copallina)

I didn't see many other flowers along the first part of the path, but I did find a Green Milkweed and a little Black Senna.

Savannah Milkweed (Asclepias pedicellata_

 I found one snake--a black racer that was climbing a palmetto on its way into a bush. When it saw me it froze and I was able to snap off a few good shots. I resisted the urge to reach in and try to grab it. My photo sharing friend, Lloyd, posted a picture of the bite marks on his hand that he received after bothering a rat snake. I was bitten by a snake once (a ball python) and though I know now that a non-venomous snake bite isn't a big deal, I didn't like the surprise. I'll leave the snakes alone.

Black Racer Staring Me Down

After about 10 minutes of being swarmed by mosquitoes on the path, I gave up and went home. I could hear the Bachman's Sparrow and Eastern Towhee calling from the pines and I know I'll need to get back soon.

Dewy Spiderweb in the Grass

Life's A Ditch

Once again, I was reminded that there is wonder all around us, and you can find beautiful things in the most ordinary places. Today I found wonder in a lowly ditch. Actually, I think this is a pretty good ditch. This is a ditch I have visited periodically for several years because it often has lovely wildflowers. Fall beauties like Catesby's Lilies, Deer Tongue and Rayless Sunflowers (when they don't get mowed) and Barbara's Buttons in the Summer. Also, there are almost always great butterflies in this ditch. It happens to be right next to a piece of conservation land but there are many, many more like it on roads all over the country. Anyway, I was in the mood for a good flower/butterfly safari and so headed out to my sure thing spot with the hopes of finding something pretty. I got to my destination in time for the last bit of perfect morning light. Half an hour later it would be in full sunlight and start getting kind of hot. But now it was just right. At first I honed in on the tall, obvious things, which would have been satisfying all by themselves. Big purple Horrible Thistle, Oakleaf Fleabane, Gaura, Woolly Mullein, and some lovely Blueheart that comes in white and purple.

Horrible Thistle (Cirsium horridulum)

Oakleaf Fleabane (Erigeron quercifolium) and little grasshopper

Gaura (Gaura angustifolia)

Woolly Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Blueheart (Buchnera americana)

I got some nice pictures, and then I noticed that I had somehow missed seeing the bajillions of Hatpins and Polygala all around.

Bog Batchelor's Button (Polygala lutea)

Yellow Hatpins (Syngonanthus flavidulus)

So I squatted and crawled around in the grass to get a good angle, aware of the fact that I would probably be covered with ticks and chiggers, and ever alert for snakes. Also, my ditch is on the side of a scenic county road, which is great, except that people seem to need to drive very fast on this road, so I always keep a careful eye out for traffic. But traffic was sparse today, and I could hear the pretty "Here Kitty Kitty Kitty" call of the Bachman's Sparrows in the Longleaf Flatwoods in the distance. It was a totally pleasant morning. I walked along the ditch, looking for butterflies, and suddenly saw a Lady's Tresses Orchid! Then another, and another!

Ladies Tresses Orchid (Spiranthes vernalis)

This was great! Turning around, I realized there were White Long-leaf Violets all around my feet.

White Long-leaf Violet (Viola lanceolata)

Then I saw the tiny Dwarf St. John's Wort and got really excited because I'd never found these by myself before. I only learned about them on a guided wildflower walk.

Dwarf St. John's Wort (Hypericum mutilum)

Looking down at the minute yellow flowers, that's when I saw the Dwarf Sundews. Thousands of them! I'd been stomping all over them in my enthusiasm to find butterflies. I crawled around and took lots of closeup pictures of the tiny (dime sized) Sundews. Their sticky red droplets were shiny and pretty in the dappled light and I could even see a few insects stuck in the glue. Most of them had tiny flowers, too.

Pink Sundew (Drosera capillaris) with flowers

Sundew droplets up close

That's when I saw the big shiny spider. I think it may have molted recently because it looked so fresh and new in the morning sun.

Not sure what kind of spider--maybe a Trapdoor, or a Purseweb.  If you know, tell me!

It was all too beautiful to keep to myself, so I called my buddy, Maralee, to share what I'd found. After she arrived, we took lots more photos of the Sundews and Polygala. Then the Little Metalmarks came out to pose!

Little Metalmark on Polygala lute

We got some great shots, and as I was leaving, I saw my first little Argiope spider of the season.

Zipper Spider

So the lesson for the day--there are wonderful things in the most everyday places. You just have to look.