Heat is On! Hot days in early July...

In the post last week (June 26th post), I have 4 pictures. After some web searching, I have identified these critters as follows:

Picture 1: Two Pearl Crescent butterflies (Phyciodes t. tharos) perched on a dried piece of scat, perhaps getting some nutrients.

Pictures 2 & 3: Two shots of a Bull Frog (Rana catesbeiana) submerged in the duckweed along the shore.

Picture 4: A Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) sunning on a sunken log.

I know I probably shouldn't include these, since all previous posts have been from hikes in New Jersey, but I can't resist. The following five pictures are from a Swamp Boat Tour I took in Marrero, Louisiana. The tour company conveniently offers transportation from New Orleans, LA, where I spent the rest of the week. You know what they have in Louisiana...

...the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)! Several juvenile 'gators swam right up to the side of our boat during the tour. They were awesome!

The boat also cruised by a Tricolor (or Louisiana) Heron (Egretta tricolor).

(One more 'gator, snoozing on a log).

A Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) in danger of 'gator attack, according to our tour guide.

On July 3rd, I flew back to New Jersey. I was completely disoriented (even though LA is only 1 hour behind NJ), and I didn't make it out to a park until Sunday, July 4th. I hit the same trail as last week, in Washington Valley Park.

The sun was out and the temperature was hovering around 80 degrees when I started out around 10am.

A shortage of rain, and an abundance of sun had turned much of the trail to dust. All water lines were low, and grass had colonized much formerly submerged land.

Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) continue to liven the place up with their calls and antics.

I have no idea why my time stamp crapped out on me, but the picture of the Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) above is also from July 4, 2010. Aengus and I spotted two of them chowing down in one of my neighbors' front yard. I didn't want to disturb it, so I have no confirmation of what it was eating. Look at those legs - they look like fluffy feathery pants! Good thing this is a short week, because this vacation went way too fast.

Quick Post this Saturday

Hi! Welcome to another busy weekend. So busy in fact, that I have elected to delay the identification of the critters below until next week. With the Fourth of July weekend coming up, I should have plenty of time to do them justice next weekend. In the meantime, enjoy!*

*All photos taken at Colonial Park, Franklin Township, NJ.

Congratulations on 25 posts"Up"!

Good Morning! Today I am patting myself on the back for sticking with "Up," my weekly blog for a full 25 posts, or one half a year. "Up" is now at 183 views strong - I have a strong suspicion that at least 83 are me admiring my own photography. But really there is nothing wrong with that.

As you may have noticed "Up" is a nature blog, more of an online field notebook than a regular newscast. As its creator, I am quite pleased with what it has become. In future years, I hope to look back on the hikes of my 30th year and admire the creatures and natural landscapes I have encountered.

My current goal has been and remains one post per week, or 52 posts throughout the year. With time at premium between time at work and time on the trail I wasn't sure, initially, if I would meet my 52 post goal. However, I find such satisfaction from seeing each weekly post published and up on the world wide web that I believe I will continue going strong.

Last week (June 13th), with one thing and another, I had just enough time to strike out on the Delaware-Raritan Canal near Griggstown, NJ in a canoe with Aengus. I highly recommend the Griggstown Canoe and Kayak rental, located right along the canal in Griggstown, with another branch in Princeton. This is where I rent all my canoes/kayaks, as my tiny one bedroom living space has no room for one of my own. With several other family functions going that weekend, the time flew by.

Today, June 20th, the temperature has climbed to 103 degrees according to our outdoor thermometer. The sun is out and beating down with full force in a clear blue sky dotted with puffy clouds. Yesterday I walked the trail at Washington Valley Park, Newman Lane trail head in Bridgewater, NJ. As I've covered this area many times via blog, I will touch on it briefly this week, and write up my other adventure next week.

With hot days and light rain fall this June, the water level is low in stream leading to the reservoir. I walked up and down the newly exposed beach of gravel, startling fish and tadpoles away from the shore. A tadpole (baby frog) rests in water that is about 2 inches deep.

I walked out to the center of the stream on a newly exposed strip of rocks. I gazed up and down stream, wondering how all the critters who live in the forest were taking the heat. At that point in the morning, it was probably just hitting 80 degrees.

After I hiked up to my favorite viewpoint, I returned to the spot where rocks extend the trail across the water. A Green frog (Rana clamitans) gazed up at me for several minutes while I relaxed by the stream. I experienced a quiet idyllic moment where the frog sat next to me without fear and few turtles sunned and swam around a log partially sunk in the water. Then some other hikers approached from across the water...

...and with a tiny croak and a splash the frog disappeared. I suddenly felt quite overheated, and I immediately made tracks back to my vehicle where AC and a thermos of ice water waited for me. See you next week on the trail - I'll be there and then I'll be back online, blogging about it.