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Stream surface with acorn caps.
This stream was just outside my camping spot last month. The natural detritus will eventually sink to the bottom, supporting populations of insects and other small creatures that will eventually be eaten by the trout that patrol the rare healthy waterways protected in this park.
๐ธ open for horizontal pic
๐งต #SouthMountainsSP #Camping #Hiking #Nature #PhotoMonday #FotoMontag
๐ท Open for horizontal pic
๐งต #SouthMountainsSP (for related pics)
#Nature #NaturePhotography #Autumn #StatePark #Camping
๐ฅพ Spring wildflower hikes are very popular and rightly so, but Fall wildflower hikes are nice as well.
๐ป They are also instructive for what native pollinators and beneficial insects should have available in my own garden at this time of year.
๐ฎ The path of my recent hike in South Mountains State Park was full of asters, which come in many shapes colors.
Snakeroot (from the aster family!)
Calico Aster, pale purple rays and
Calico Aster, white rays (in forest shade)
Asters are very important for insects and wildlife in the Eastern U.S.
๐งต #SouthMountainsSP #Bloomscrolling #Aster #Asters #NativePlants #BiodiversityGardening #HabitatGardening #Nature
๐ฅพ Day 2 was a day to hike with perfect weather. Exploring the western trails was diappointing because they were shared horse trails. Hikers should not be subjected to horse trails. Too wide, too gravelly, and too many flies on too many piles. In this essay, I will...
๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฟ Sorry, pet peave. After climbing 2700 feet in elevation before lunch, I turned southeast to find solace in a pure hiking trail. Soon I was rewarded with a Rhododendron bald, one of my favorite features to hike through. It's a cool, quiet tunnel surrounded by dense dark green leaves. ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฟ
#FootpathFriday
๐งต #SouthMountainsSP #Camping #Hiking #Nature
Have just returned from my trip to South Mountains State Park. Have been quiet because, once I got there, found that cell coverage was worse than last time. Basically none.
I had to be alone with my own thoughts and not yours. ๐ฌ
When I arrived it was 78F and sunny. Completed campsite setup and checked the map they gave me with trail closures from hurricane damage. Most of the central scenic trails were closed! ๐
I just let the sounds of the nearby stream lull me into a trance.
Prepping a tent I haven't used in years, 'cause I'm headed to South Mountains State Park next week. My ultralight tent was damaged in high winds during my ill-fated trip to the barrier island weeks ago.
Most trails at SMSP have just reopened since #HurricaneHelene. I'll see what damage remains. Unfortunately, none of the Mtn bike trails are open, but I have my trusty hiking boots itching to tromp on the ground.
An Eastern Fence Lizard takes up space on a rock step, blocking progress on my #hike. Probably not on purpose. Still, it's looking back as if to say, "Choose another step." So I did.
Wonderful coloration. They are common and eat almost any insect.
These lizards happen to have a protein in their blood that kills the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.
[Edited typo]
#Nature #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #Lizard
#SouthMountainsSP #Hiking
horizontal pic - open for full view
Edit: Added hashtags
#Nature #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #NaturePhotography
Stairs constructed from fallen rock alongside a river gorge on the way up to a waterfall.
#FeelingItSaturday #LandscapePhotography #SouthMountainsSP #Travel #Nature #Hiking
I saw this Red Admiral butterfly on the forest floor while #hiking. These are resilient creatures, as they are uniquely flexible in what they eat.
๐ฆ This adult travels around this large forest drinking nectar from flowers, and even will feed on tree sap and liquid from overripe fruit. What could it be doing on the ground? Sometimes they snack on poop! ๐ That's flexibility.
๐ฆThe brightly colored patterns discombobulate predators.
Just returned from a few days in #SouthMountainsSP NC, where there were minimal cell connections. Many interesting things to see along the trails that I will share in coming days.