Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Rocky Trail – South Lake Trail

Continuing from the Frog Pond Trail…

From the quarry buildings at the end of the Frog Pond Trail, the South Lake Trail travels west over the stone outcrop to the woods and Arabia Lake. The South Lake Trail is marked with stone cairns. We left the trail on the Rocky Trail to find the Fern Trail and follow it to Arabia Lake.

Where the Rocky Trail left the South Lake Trail, the bank was covered with a blanket of Oneflower Stitchwort (Minuartia uniflora) in the foreground, Woolly Ragwort (Packera tomentosa) in the background, and False Garlic (Nothoscordum bivalve) to the right.

Close up of the False Garlic flowers.

The bank at the edge of the woods to the east of the Rocky Trail, a trail that is not marked with stone cairns. The bank was about 4 feet high. Organic matter from the woods has accumulated on the bank which no longer has the harsh scars from quarrying.

The outcrop to the south side of the trail also shows signs of quarrying that have not softened with time. Some Loblolly pines (Pinus taeda) have established on the outcrop.

As we approached the woods at the end of the Rocky Trail, we crossed a seep. Elf Orpine (Diamorpha smallii) blankets the thin soil on the outcrop in the foreground. Woolly Ragwort grows in the thicker soil along the seep.

As we were looking for the Fern Trail, we found the forest floor at the edge of the stone outcrop covered with fruiting Polytrichum commune moss and trout lilies (Erythronium sp.). We also found this small patch of Pixie Cup lichen (Cladonia carneola).

We couldn’t find the Fern Trail. We worked our way along the edge of the stone outcrop in the hope that we would spot the trail.

We found another area with a carpet of Elf Orpine in the foreground and Woolly Ragwort in the background.

At the southwest end of the stone outcrop we gave up our search for the Fern Trail and made our way back northeast around a patch of trees to the South Lake Trail. As we walked across the outcrop, a Kildeer (Charadrius vociferus) dashed from an area of Elf Orpine and began its ‘broken wing’ routine to distract us from its nest. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any photographs as she moved around so quickly. We looked around for the nest but the Elf Orpine carpet was so large, it would have taken a long time to search thoroughly.

We crossed this seep just before we reached the South Lake Trail

The last section of the South Lake Trail to the arch at the edge of the woods was fairly bare, with just a few scant patches of Elf Orpine.

From here we ventured entered the woods to reach Arabia Lake after a short walk. Then to the Arabia Lake and Forest Trails…
Click on an image to view a larger image

Related posts:
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: RR Trail - Frog Pond Trail
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Frog Pond Trail
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Bradley Mountain Trail (Part 1)

Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Frog Pond Trail

Continuing from the RR Trail - Frog Pond Trail…

The Frog Pond Trail leaves the woods and traverses the stone outcrop southwards to ruins of quarry buildings. On this stone outcrop, plants grow in ‘corners’ and crevices where soil has accumulated rather than in discreet dish gardens we saw on the Bradley Mountain Trail.

A particularly striking area of Elf Orpine (Diamorpha smallii) and moss, with some Oneflower Stitchwort (Minuartia uniflora) on the right.

This trail is marked with cairns similar to those on the Bradley Mountain Trail. Some creative person stacked additional stones onto this cairn to create a work of art.

Much more rock had been quarried from this outcrop. The wall to the left is 6 to 7 feet high. Stone had been removed in large blocks. Elf Orpine is growing in the very shallow soil that has accumulated in the area.

Some rocks in this rock in this area had been cut down into slabs about 6 inches thick. Some had been polished on one side.

This shows how the rock was quarried. Deep holes were drilled to split the rock and shallow holes were drilled to ensure that the rock split along a straight line.

Looking back along the trail. A slightly deeper area of soil is supporting grass in addition to moss, Elf Orpine and Oneflower Stitchwort.

The Frog Pond. This is a relatively small, shallow pond; about 20 feet long and 6 to 7 feet wide. The interpretive sign indicated that Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer), Green Frogs (Rana clamitans), and Fowler’s Toads (Bufo fowleri) frequented the pond. There were many tadpoles that looked like Southeastern [Upland] Chorus frogs (Pseudacris feriarum). Southern Cricket (Acris gryllus) frogs were calling while we were standing by the pond. The sign also indicated that Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum) snakes might be found sunning themselves on the outcrop.

An unexpected find. A wing from a Luna moth (Actias luna) floating in the pond.

There were a number of Blue Corporal (Ladona deplanata) dragonflies flying around the pond; this male was sunning itself on the rock. In addition to the Blue Corporals, quite a number of Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) dragonflies were also flying over the pond. They didn’t settle so we weren’t able to photograph them. There were also some small green damselflies flying among the sedge just above the water.

Looking back along the trail just beyond the Frog Pond. A series of four cairns shows the way we had come. It was a short walk to the end of the Frog Pond Trail where we found ruins from the old quarry…

The remains of a weigh station.

An old quarry building. The windows to the left have bars. This appears to have been an office and garage.

The doorway from the garage area looking into what appears to have been an office.

From here we ventured out along the Rocky Trail to find the Fern Trail…
Click on an image to view a larger image

Related posts:
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: RR Trail - Frog Pond Trail
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Bradley Mountain Trail (Part 1)

Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: RR Trail - Frog Pond Trail

We enjoyed our hike on the Bradley Mountain Trail and wanted to explore the section of the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve on the west side of Klondike Road. This section of the preserve is accessed through the north entrance.

Map of trails. Each of 12 sections of trail has it’s own name. A circuit of this section of the preserve involves making a loop of different individual trails.

A number of interpretive diagrams explaining the vegetation in the preserve are on display at the kiosk at the north entrance to the park. This is the diagram for the Outcrop Solution Pit Community that includes Lichens (Cladonia sp.), mosses (Polytrichum moss [Polytrichum commune] and Campylopus sp.), Elf Orpine (Diamorpha [Arenaria] smallii) and Oneflower Stitchwort (Minuartia uniflora), and larger plants; Elliott’s Bent Grass (Agrostis elliottiana), Orange Grass (Hypericum gentianoides) and Porter's sunflower (Helianthus porteri).

We decided to hike the RR (Rail Road) – Frog Pond – Rocky – Arabia Lake – Forest Trail loop.

Our hike began along the RR Trail that follows an old railroad bed, passing a large stone outcrop on the right.

We saw leaves of trout lilies (Erythronium sp.) at the edge of the trail both here and along several other sections of the loop where the soil was moist.

We found a new wildflower along this trial. It’s Japanese Mazus (Mazus pumilus) and it grew along this trail as well as a couple of dish gardens out on the stone outcrop. We’d seen patches of Oldfield Toadflax (Nuttallanthus canadensis) and it would have been easy to dismiss mazus plants as toadflax. It pays to take a closer look at a lot of flowers.

We wandered out onto the stone outcrop where we saw Oneflower Stitchwort (Minuartia uniflora), Elf Orpine (Diamorpha smallii), and Woolly Ragwort (Packera tomentosa).

A female Blue Corporal (Ladona deplanata) was sunning itself on the rock.

The Common Pricklypear (Opuntia humifusa) was coming back to life. Both new pads and flower buds were developing.

At the end of the RR Trail, we turned west on the Frog Pond Trail. The Frog Pond Trail begins in the woods and turns south across the stone outcrop to the remains of the old quarry storage building and weigh station

Here, and in other moist areas we found the moss, Polytrichum commune, fruiting.

A closer inspection showed that these fruiting bodies had already dispersed their spores. The remnant is quite striking though.

The Frog Pond Trail leaves the woods here and traverses the stone outcrop southwards...
April 9th, 2011. Click on an image to view a larger image

Related posts:
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Bradley Mountain Trail (Part 1)
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Bradley Mountain Trail (Part 2)
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Bradley Mountain Trail (Part 3)

Periodical Cicada (Magicicada tredecim)

The cicada world is abuzz in anticipation of the emergence of Brood XIX of the 13-year cicadas.

I know this now, but I was clueless yesterday morning when W and I went down to the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Jasper County, Georgia, to see if we could spot Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (Picoides borealis). We were also looking for butterflies and wildflowers including plants of Asclepias sp. that we had seen last Fall. But we’re also on the lookout for anything unusual – and 'unusual' is what we encountered yesterday.

We were driving into the refuge along Sugar Hill Road from Hillsboro. Something relatively large and with clear wings flew across in front of us and settled on a leaf of a Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) tree. We piled out of the truck with cameras in hand, fully expecting what ever it was to fly off. But it didn’t and we found ourselves looking at a red-eyed cicada. This was noteworthy since most of the cicadas we usually encounter have brown or green eyes. This cicada flew off. I started stalking a Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) and W wandered over to the other side of the road where he found another red-dyed cicada, and then another one, and another…

A cicada posing on the leaf of a Sweetgum tree.

Another cicada posing on the trunk of a Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda).

As we looked around, we found skins such as this one on a Sweetgum leaf, the trunk of a nearby Loblolly Pine, and on a twig.

The cicada flew from the pine trunk onto the ground where it blended into its surroundings. I'd watched its flight path and found it. It was easy to pick it up gently and…

It posed on my hand for some time before I returned it to a tree branch.

It was early afternoon when we found the cicadas and they were calling in the woods to the south of Sugar Hill Road. So many were calling that it wasn't possible to distinguish individual calls.

Based on the distribution of Magicada sp., this species is Magicada tredicem.

Dr. Nancy Hinkle and colleagues at the University of Georgia are studying the emergence of Brood XIX this year. If you live in Georgia and find these cicadas, please take a few moments to take photos of cicadas and shed cicada skins that you find as well as some notes on where you found them, and e-mail them to Insects@uga.edu.

You can also report your sighting at the magicada Brood XIX website
Click on an image to view a larger image

Information and Distribution Maps:
- www.magicada.com: Brood XIX
- www.magicada.com: Magicicada tredecim
- www.magicada.com: Magicicada neotredecim
- NPR: 'Brood 19' cicadas poised to swarm the South

- Nancy Hinkle: Calling All Cicada Seekers
- Walter Reeves: Have You Seen This Creature?

And A Good Morning To You Too

We walked out the front door and there he was – a Carolina Anole (Anolis carolinensis). The first one I’ve seen this year.

He was on the rim of a plastic container. He looked very comfortable because the rim was about an inch wide and he didn’t have to exert any energy to balance on it. At first I though he was simply sunning himself.

It was a little strange that he didn’t run off. He was only four to five feet from where we were standing looking down at him. Usually, an anole won’t hang around with a human so close. But he did.

And then he moved. He was looking around below him, not at us. He was ignoring us. Even when he was not moving, his eyes were constantly moving, surveying his surroundings.

And then it became obvious. He was staking out some some prime real estate..

He would raise his head and body.

And then he would do three to four ‘pushups’, bobbing his head up and down, followed by…

Extending his dewlap.

He repeated this display four times while we were watching. We couldn't see any other anoles in the area .He was either threatening another male in the area or trying to attract a female. After all, it is Spring.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification and Distribution:
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Herpetology Program: Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)

Related posts:
- Green Anole: Anolis carolinensis

Yellow Sunnybell (Schoenolirion croceum)

Schoenolirion croceum is known by the common names Yellow Sunnybell or Sunnybell. Yellow Sunnybell plants require deeper soil like Woolly Ragwort (Packera tomentosa) but don’t stand out in the dish gardens. Unlike Woolly Ragwort, which stands out at a distance, Sunnybell plants grow among the grasses and blend in especially if they are not in bloom. Even in bloom the plants still tend to blend into their surroundings unless there are a lot of them.

Sunnybell plants in a dish garden near the summit of the Bradley Mountain Trail.

A closer view of plants in a dish garden.

An individual plant in bloom.

Buds in the raceme.

Blooms starting to open.

A closer view

Close up of an individual bloom.

Schoenolirion croceum (Yellow Sunnybell) is native to Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Texas.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Schoenolirion croceum (Yellow Sunnybell)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Schoenolirion croceum

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Sunnybell (Schoenolirion croceum)

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower – Wildflower Index
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Bradley Mountain Trail (Part 1)
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Bradley Mountain Trail (Part 2)
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Bradley Mountain Trail (Part 3)

Woolly Ragwort (Packera tomentosa)

Woolly Ragwort (Packera tomentosa) is known by the common names Hairy Ragwort and Hairy Groundsel. The Woolly Ragwort plants require more soil than either the Elf Orpine (Diamorpha smallii) or Oneflower Stitchwort (Minuartia uniflora) and played the role of the bold centerpiece in dish gardens.

Woolly Ragwort plants in a dish garden at the summit of the Bradley Mountain Trail in Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve.

Leaves at the base of the stem are ovoid. Leaves further up the stem have distinctly serrated margins

En masse, the basal leaves dominate; they are turned sharply upward. Part of the effect is caused by the light underside of the leaves being exposed.

The blooms with some buds.

Packera tomentosa (Woolly Ragwort) is native to the southeastern states – coastal states from Maryland to Texas and Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Packera tomentosa (Woolly Ragwort)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Packera tomentosa

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Hairy Groundsel (Packera tomentosa)
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Packera tomentosa (Woolly Ragwort)
- Alabama Plants: Packera tomentosa (Hairy Ragwort)

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower – Wildflower Index
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Bradley Mountain Trail (Part 1)
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Bradley Mountain Trail (Part 2)
- Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve: Bradley Mountain Trail (Part 3)