Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Scrounging around for seed... 

The platform feeder wasn't much of a challenge either...

August 21st, 2014

Raccoon (Procyon lotor) 

Walton County, Georgia

Mushroom

August 19^th, 2014

Mushroom 

Walton County, Georgia

Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis)

August 13^th, 2014

Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) 

Walton County, Georgia

Identification source:

- Bug Guide: Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis sinensis)

Blackberry Knot Gall

August 13^th, 2014

Blackberry Knot Gall 

Walton County, Georgia

I spotted this gall on a blackberry stem by the mailbox; it’s a Blackberry Knot Gall. Blackberry Knot Gall is caused by the Blackberry Knot Gall Wasp (Diastrophus nebulosus) which lays eggs in the ridges of the stems of blackberries. Read more about this wasp and the galls at Greg Dodge’s Journal.

Identification source: 

- Greg Dodge Journal: More Galls

Mushroom: Coprinus sp.

August 11th, 2014. 

Coprinus sp. These are very delicate.

Walton County, Georgia 

Redroot Flatsedge (Cyperus erythrorhizos)

August 10th, 2014. This is a particularly beautiful sedge that volunteered near the house.

 

Identification resources:

- Southeastern Flora: Cyperus erythrorhizos (Redroot Flatsedge) 

- Name That Plant: Cyperus erythrorhizos (Redroot Flatsedge) 

http://www.namethatplant.net/plantdetail.shtml?plant=2259

Distribution:

- USDA Plant Database: Cyperus erythrorhizos (Redroot Flatsedge)

Mushroom: More Lepiotas?

August 10-11th, 2014. Three more clusters of lepiotas developed where the previous ones had been.

Two of the three clusters

Cluster one: August 10^th 

Cluster one: August 11^th 

Cluster two: August 10^th 

Cluster two: August 11^th

Cluster three: August 10^th 

Cluster three, left end: August 10^th 

Cluster three: August 11^th 

Cluster three, left end from above: August 11^th

 

Related post:  

- Mushroom: Lepiota sp.?

Milkvine (Matelea sp.) Seedpod And Seeds

August 7th, 2014. We’ve visited this location many times. Two Matelea species,

M.carolinensis (Maroon Carolina Milkvine) and… 

M. flavidula (Yellow Carolina Milkvine), as well as a…
 

nonpigmented variant of M. carolinensis grow in this location. Since we didn’t track the flowers 

this Spring-Summer, and all three have spiny seedpods, we don’t know which species these are. 

The spiny seedpod

Seeds. The floss is still aligned in the pod bud deploys as shown with Asclepias amplexicaulis, when the seeds ‘break loose’ from the pod

 

Related posts:

- Maroon Carolina Milkvine (Matelea carolinensis) 

- Hancock County, Georgia: Yellow Carolina Milkvine (Matelea flavidula)

- Matelea carolinensis: Nonpigmented Flowers  

- Clasping Milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis): Seed Pods & Seeds  

- Clasping Milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis) Seedpod And Seeds

Bitterweed (Helenium amarum)

August 7th, 2014

Bitterweed (Helenium amarum)

Greene County, GA

Bitterweed plants line the roadsides in many areas and bloom throughout even the driest time of the year.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

August 7th, 2014

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Greene County, GA

This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail was feeding on nectar from Tuberous Vervain (Verbena rigida) flowers.

Clasping Milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis) Seedpod And Seeds

From a distance… asclepias are easy to spot from a distance when the seeds have been released from their seedpods 

Up closer… The characteristic leaves of this species are clearly visible 

Up close… An immature seedpod and seeds released from a mature seedpod

August 7th, 2014

Clasping Milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis) Seedpod And Seeds 

Greene County, GA

Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)

August 6th, 2014. 

Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) 

Walton County, GA

At least three Green Frogs were living in the container. All but one slid under the water when I looked but this one stayed around a little longer.

Damselfly: Blue-tipped Dancer (Argia tibialis)

August 4th, 2014.  

Damselfly: Blue-tipped Dancer (Argia tibialis) 

Walton County, GA

The first time that I’ve seen this damselfly.

Identification resource:
- Blue-tipped Dancer (Argia tibialis)

Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans)

August 4th, 2014.

Male Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans)

Walton County, GA

The pool by the creek is a good place to see dragonflies. Several were drinking while I was photographing the Eastern Yellowjacket. This Great Blue Skimmer landed just a couple of feet away.

Identification resource: 

- Libellula vibrans (Great Blue Skimmer)

Eastern Yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons) Nest

The nest cavity, from a distance 

The nest cavity, a little closer 

Dispatching the remaining wasps 

The nest cavity was about the size of a basketball 

A closer view with remnants of the nest wall 

Even closer...

Still a few wasps about 

Close-up of an Eastern Yellowjacket drinking from the pool.

August 4th, 2014.  

Eastern Yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons) Nest 

Walton County, GA

Several years ago, W dug a pool near the creek to provide a breeding pool for frogs, particularly Upland Chorus frogs (Pseudacris feriarum). He’s been expanding it recently while the weather is dry. 

 

While digging, he sliced horizontally through a subterranean wasp nest, releasing a swarm of rather angry wasps that proceeded to sting him. He beat a hasty retreat – as fast as you can on a tractor - but not before receiving at least 30+ stings, mostly on his arms although he received a couple on his neck and eyelid. This prompted a visit to the local hardware store to procure several spray cans of wasp killer and subsequent cautious visits to the nest to kill off most of the remaining wasps.

Then we were able to take a closer look at the nest. It was about the size of a basket ball. Remnants of the nest itself remained in the cavity. Bodies of wasps littered the bottom of the cavity and a few confused wasps wandered about. We identified the nest as belonging to Easter Yellowjackets (Vespula maculifrons) although we found the body of on Bald-faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) in the cavity as well.

 

I love the follwing desciption of the yellowjacket nests in a post entitled ‘Bees, Wasps and Hornets (Oh, My!)’ on the Clover Creek Nursery website:

… ‘The Hornets build nests that hang down from the branch of a tree or shrub, or under the eaves of your house. Yellow jackets make a similar type of nest, but usually it is in the ground or other enclosed space. In either case, the color of the nest is gray or brown with the appearance of an ugly formless papier-mâché.’

http://getplants4less.com/blog/2012/09/11/bees-wasps-and-hornets/