Impressive Ice

Although we are having a bit of a thaw this weekend, central Ohio has had some real winter weather lately. The Hocking Hills, about an hour southeast of Columbus, is a great place to hike in winter, with its impressive sandstone cliffs lining deep hollows. In addition to the large hollows in Hocking Hills State Park, many others are worth visiting. I've written about various adventures in this area in several other posts, but each visit is a little different. 

One day last week we accompanied several friends to a couple of hollows that featured beautiful hemlock forests and dramatic frozen waterfalls. In the morning we were in an area that gets a fair amount of sun, and the ice was starting to melt. As we hiked, we heard the sound of crashing ice on the other side of the hollow before we saw any along our path--fair warning to be very careful as we made our way along the shear walls.

Soon enough we could see some beautiful ice formations:

We were able to safely hike behind some of the hanging ice for a different perspective:

This formation seemed quite delicate:

In the afternoon we hiked up a hollow that doesn't get as much sun, a fact which was dramatically illustrated by the top to bottom ice formation:

I've included some people in these pictures to give an idea of the size of the cliffs and the iced waterfalls. Many equally dramatic hollows can be found throughout the Hocking Hills--it is worth the time to go exploring during any season of the year!

It All Starts with the Geology!

Since we are facing a REALLY cold week here in central Ohio, I thought I'd provide a diversion with a post about a recent trip to the Florida Keys. Today, the Keys are accessed via U.S. Highway 1, which stretches 127.5 miles from Key Largo to Key West. The route is flanked by a hodge-podge of roadside retail establishments, making for dismal scenery, except at the bridges where views of clear turquoise-blue water and small forested islands are spectacular. A good way to avoid the commercial overload is to visit the state parks, which have done their best to preserve a bit of the "real Florida". 

To understand both the natural and human history of the Keys, some background is necessary. The rock that underlays this archipelago was formed over 125,000 years ago by tiny marine corals that laid down layer upon layer of what became "Key Largo Limestone". Changing sea levels exposed the islands that we see today. The alkaline pH and porosity of this rock has influenced the types of vegetation on the islands, which in turn has influenced island wildlife. The rock has also had a huge impact on the human history of the Keys.

Various tribes of Native Americans inhabited the Keys before European explorers arrived. Gradually non-natives settled the land with small homesteads and farms. Then in 1905 along came Henry Flagler, one of the wealthiest men in the world, who had the idea to build a railroad from Miami to Key West, to bring tourists to the area and to develop Key West's deepwater port to support trade from the Panama Canal. Many years were required to complete the railway, due to the huge engineering challenge, the heat, mosquitoes and hurricanes. 

Vast amounts of limestone comprising the Keys made construction of the railroad possible. Thousands of tons of fill were taken from area quarries for the roadbed and bridge approaches. Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park protects and interprets one of these quarries. Here is a view of the quarry walls and some of the equipment used to cut and move the stone:

A closer look at the walls of the quarry reveals fossilized specimens of ancient coral animals:

A bit of polishing produces attractive building exteriors:

The abundance of shallow limestone means that soils on the Keys are extremely thin. Despite this, lush and diverse vegetation covers the undisturbed areas, particularly in the "hammock" forests:

On the left is a poisonwood tree, which is related to poison ivy and is said to cause
worse dermatitis. I love the mottled bark but restrained myself from touching it! On
the right is gumbo-limbo, a common tree in south Florida which has characteristic
reddish, peeling bark. Over 40 different tree species occur in small Windley Key State Park.

Some interesting flowers can be found in the Keys, including this monk orchid. This plant originated in west Africa, and botanists theorize that its tiny seeds were transported on the wind to South America in the 1800s. It has since spread northward, and is now found as far north as central Florida.

Stately coconut palms and shrubby sea grape often dominate the shorelines of the Keys:

Butterflies aren't abundant on these small islands in the winter, but a few gems can be found. In a small citrus grove in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park we found a tiny silver-bordered hairstreak:

and a fulvous hairstreak:

We had looked long and hard for a hammock skipper and finally found one on our latest visit to the Keys:

Another butterfly that doesn't stray too far from warm shores is the mangrove skipper:

And the lovely martial scrub-hairstreak rarely strays from bay cedar, its caterpillar host plant:

Although relatively common, we always enjoy seeing a gulf fritillary:

Today, suitable habitat on the Keys for these creatures and many others is mainly restricted to parks and preserves. Habitat loss has been extensive, rendering once-common wildlife rare or extirpated. Henry Flagler's dream of opening the Keys to tourists and commerce succeeded, but natural areas have been vastly reduced as a result. 

The railroad was completed and finally, in 1912, the first train arrived in Key West. The dream didn't last long, though--hurricane winds of 200 mph swept through the Keys on Labor Day, 1935, and despite the tons of underlying limestone fill, 40 miles of track were destroyed. Rebuilding was impractical due to the depression, but eventually US Highway 1 was completed. Here is a piece of what remains of Henry Flagler's project at beautiful Bahia Honda State Park--Highway 1 is visible on the far right:

A Tropical Haven

Recently Bill and I did a 2 week road trip to Florida and made it all the way down nearly to Key West. We visited lots of our favorite parks and preserves and found several new places that deserve a return visit. We were mostly looking for butterflies but as usual we couldn't resist checking out all of the birds and plants as well.

If you ever get to the Miami area, be sure to check out the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. It is a mecca for plant enthusiasts, hosting a variety of species that are native to south Florida as well as lots of strange and beautiful plants from all over the world's tropical latitudes. Admission isn't cheap, but it is free if you're a member of Newark's Dawes Arboretum or many other similar facilities all over the country. 

Plenty of sun, heat and rain supports beautiful displays such as this:

Just a few days before our recent visit, several examples of Chihuly glass were installed in the gardens. I'm kind of a plant snob and feel like the botanical treasures in this place can stand on their own without the addition of these pieces but they are rather amazing and are probably very beautiful illuminated at night. Here are a few examples:

One of my favorite plants at Fairchild is the baobab tree, an African native that is enormous:

Here is what the sign says about it:

"In the grassy plains of Africa, baobab trees swell with water during the rainy season, attracting thirsty elephants that strip the bark to get to the moist tissue. The baobab has long provided people with material for cloth, rope, soap, dye, glue, fodder and medicine. For instance, in West Africa, the young nutritious leaves are cooked and eaten like spinach.

"It is impossible to accurately determine the age of baobabs because the wood is soft and spongy, and has no age rings. One thing if for sure, baobab trunks become very large and sometimes hollow out over time, prompting people to use them as houses, prisons, bars, garage barns and even as but stops! Our giant tree was planted in 1939 and is still growing."

I always marvel at this next odd plant, the cannonball tree (Couroupita guianensis)! Its fruits are the size of coconuts

and the flowers are quite unusual:

Here is a picture of the entire tree:

It is native to the Amazon rainforest and grows to 75' tall. Apparently the white flesh of the fruit smells awful so most are not eaten.

This gigantic flower, Aristolochia gigantea, is in the same genus as the dutchman's pipe that grows in the eastern US (Aristolochia macrophylla):

This Brugmansia was stunning--it overwinters well in the Miami area but not in Columbus! I had one in a big pot one summer and loved it, then kept it leafless in the garage over the winter, and then it did well a second year. That was enough for me despite its gorgeousness--it needed loads of water and fertilizer to look anywhere near this good!

Some of this tropical vegetation attracts birds and butterflies. We were excited to see this white-crowned pigeon high in a tree--this bird is usually hard to see in thick hammock forests where it is usually found. We haven't seen one in a while and were surprised to see this one in the open!

We were pleased to find a lot of caterpillars of the atala butterfly, a once-common species that recently was difficult to find in Florida. Thanks to widespread planting of its host plant, called coontie, now it can be readily found in many gardens. Here is the striking red caterpillar

and what could be more gorgeous than this fresh adult!

And this is a beautiful Julia Heliconian that we spotted in Fairchild's butterfly garden:

Behind the scenes, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is active in botanical exploration, education, native orchid propagation, and many other endeavors. It is named for David Fairchild (1869-1954), one of the most famous plant explorers in history. He visited every continent, and brought back thousands of plants including the baobab tree pictured above. 

The beauty and history of this place and its devotion to promoting biodiversity make it a worthwhile destination in south Florida.

Another Hocking Hills Adventure

This week Ohio has had unusually cold weather for mid-November, with night time lows in the low teens and daytime highs in the mid-20s. Several inches of snow fell early in the week and haven't completely melted yet. Everyone is complaining about the weather, but yesterday it worked in our favor and we saw an amazing sight in the heart of the Hocking Hills.

We parked in the parking lot for the Rock Climbing and Rappelling Area of the Hocking State Forest and headed up the Long Hollow bridle trail. Apparently it was too cold for horses, but clearly it is a heavily used trail. Fortunately the ground was frozen solid because otherwise the trail would have been a muddy quagmire due to all the horse traffic. Footing wasn't easy at all, but it would have been a lot worse on a warmer day.

The trail passes through a young hemlock forest

and past numerous huge sandstone outcrops. In spring, a waterfall graces the top of the hollow but today we just saw small frozen falls amid the dramatic sandstone formations:

This picture gives an idea of the scale of the place:

A side trail looked interesting so we followed it up past another huge outcrop and around a corner to a large cave that was incredibly beautiful in the early afternoon light:

We came at just the right time, when the sun's angle was such that a patch of the cave's floor and part of the interior walls were brightly illuminated with an ethereal glow. The light on the walls was ever-changing and was beginning to fade as we left.

We all were in awe of this gorgeous interaction of rocks and sunlight.

Later, I found out that on the maps of the area this is called Chapel Cave. A post on the TrekOhio blog indicates that it is also known as 21 Horses Cave, since apparently it can accommodate that many horses within its walls.

In any event, we felt very fortunate to visit this place at a perfect time, when the usually muddy trail was frozen and the ideal light gave us an almost other-worldly experience.

Butterfly Time in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

Last year we had such a good time in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in late October/early November (you can read about it here and here) that we decided to go again, adding a few more days on to the trip. At this time of year, butterfly abundance in the Valley is at its maximum, and there is always the chance for a rare Mexican stray. The Texas Butterfly Festival (November 1-4), headquartered at the National Butterfly Center in Mission, hosts lots of excellent programs and tours which attract outstanding guides and participants from all over the country. 

We used our time to explore a lot on our own and also enjoyed attending some of the festival events. We ended up seeing about 115 different species of butterflies, lots of birds and other interesting animals, and basically had a great time. I won't bore readers with lists of all that we saw, but some of the many highlights are worth describing!

In the weeks leading up to our trip, we read about lots of interesting butterfly sightings on the "Rio Grande Valley Butterflies" Facebook site. One was especially tantalizing, a gorgeous critter called the Two-barred Flasher. We figured that it would be gone before we got down there, but they kept turning up in various parks and gardens so we thought we had a chance. 

One of our first stops in the Valley that had reported the flasher was Estero Llano Grande State Park, one of our favorite birding and butterflying destinations. Of course, as soon as we pulled into the parking lot a handful of people told us that it had just been seen a few minutes ago, but had since disappeared. A half dozen of us looked for at least 45 minutes with no luck. Bill and I wandered around some other parts of the park, until I decided it was getting late and that we had better check into our hotel. Bill is persistent about these things, though, and suggested another look at the lush flowering shrubs around the parking lot. We rounded a corner and there it was!

This spectacular insect is even more stunning in person, with its iridescent blue back and white stripes against a dark background. While we saw several Two-barred Flashers during our trip, this was the freshest. At one point, not six inches away was another spectacular butterfly, the Guava Skipper:

Wow--what a great way to start!

Some butterflies are rare because their preferred habitat is restricted in the US. Such is the case for the Xami Hairstreak, a tiny green creature whose caterpillar requires succulent host plants that only grow in arid scrub habitats. Many are found in remote areas that require trekking through a cactus-studded landscape. We had a good tip about a promising area, so we joined up with a fellow butterflier, Steve from New Jersey, to see if we could find it. Within about 5 minutes I spotted one in a patch of its host plant, right by the dirt road! 

All three of us managed to get photos; none of us had ever seen this beautiful butterfly before. 

Buoyed by that successful stop, we headed to nearby Palo Alto National Historical Site, which preserves the location of a battle between the United States and Mexico in 1846. For years it has also been a fairly reliable location for a rare butterfly called the Definite Patch. We have tried to find it a couple of times in past visits but were never successful. This time, I spotted one near the visitor center pretty quickly but before I could really look at it off it went up and over a tall fence. Fortunately, soon after that Bill called out that he had one right in the center's garden and it was quite cooperative. 

Another popular area for both butterfliers and birders is the Frontera Audubon Center in Weslaco. It isn't one of my favorite places, probably because one area is a roosting site for lots of turkey vultures and that area can get pretty disgusting. A gorgeous butterfly called the Crimson Patch was reported to be there in good numbers, though, so it was definitely worth a visit. We spotted some before we were out of the parking lot! They basically were never still, so I had to set my camera to burst mode to get decent shots:

On Sunday we attended one of the festival programs at the National Butterfly Center, an all day session aimed at improving identification skills for some of the more confusing groups of butterflies. The leaders presented very helpful slides and then we went out into the center's extensive gardens to practice identification. Word of a sighting of an extremely rare butterfly came in from one of the festival's tour groups, from a site about 25 minutes west. When we had the chance we headed out there and joined several other people who were looking for this rare Mexican stray, the Blue-studded Skipper. We had spent about 3 hours at the same spot the day before and had about 30 different species but nothing unusual. Even with several observers, we were unable to find it.

The next morning we were planning a trip to Falcon State Park, and the Blue-studded Skipper site was on the way so we decided to give it another try. Steve from New Jersey was there too. Bill and I stood at the spot where it had been reported the day before, and after about 10 minutes I noticed a dark spot on a leaf and checked it out with my binoculars. There it was! I grabbed Bill's arm, tried to explain which leaf to look at, took some pictures and texted Steve who was around the corner. We all got photos--what a cool-looking bug! 

It looked like fine iridescent blue glitter had been sprinkled on this butterfly. Two vans of people from the festival were pulling into the parking lot as we were leaving, but as far as I know the Blue-studded Skipper was not spotted again. Once again, persistence paid off for us.

On we went to Falcon State Park, which reportedly had huge quantities of butterflies in the garden there. That seemed likely to be an exaggeration, but it most definitely was not. There were literally thousands of butterflies of all shapes and sizes bouncing around the flowers, and with each strong gust of wind it looked like handfuls of confetti had been tossed into the air. My favorite was the tiny Lantana Scrub-hairstreak:

This and many others were so intent on feeding that I could get within an inch of them and use the macro setting on my camera! Among many other species there were hundreds of Queens,

probably thousands of tiny blues including this Reakirt's Blue,

a few Zilpa Longtails with their great camouflage,

an Erickson's skipper,

and nearby, thanks to tips from Florida friends, we found this lovely tiny Red-crescent Scrub-hairstreak:

Our last day in the Valley didn't look too promising, with heavy clouds and intermittent rain. We decided to try the weekly butterfly walk at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge despite the weather. It was raining as we got out of the car, but we noticed leader Mike Rickard and a refuge employee looking intently at something on one of the pillars of the visitor's center. As we got closer we saw that it was an incredibly huge moth, at least 5 inches across! 

This was an Owl Moth (Thysania zenobia), which we had never seen before. It stood out prominently on the white pillar but just think how well camouflaged it would be perched against a tree trunk. And I may never get over the perfect beauty of that scalloped border--what an amazing insect!

Despite the rain we had a good walk with Mike and enjoyed seeing the butterflies pop out to get a bit of nectar whenever the sun came out. We saw another Two-barred Flasher and got good looks at this green kingfisher:

From there we headed back to Estero Llano Grande State Park, delaying our departure for Corpus Christi and our Thursday morning flight as long as possible. We found a dry picnic table by the parking lot and got out our lunch. A group from the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, a huge event based in Harlingen, was returning to their van after checking out the birds in the park. 

One of their leaders, Dan Jones, was a leader for our butterfly festival seminar/tour and came over to say hello. He looked aside at a flowering shrub next to our table, yelled "Tailed Aguna" and ran to the van for his camera! In mid-sentence and with no binoculars he correctly identified this extremely rare butterfly that he had never seen before--amazing!

We got pictures, I texted a couple visiting from Florida who I knew would be interested, and the birding group came over to see what all the fuss was about. The aguna flew up into a small tree and their other leader, author and birding guide Jon Dunn, got a spotting scope on it so all could see it. I don't know if we converted any of the birders into butterfliers but it was fun to see so many people enjoying this unusual insect!

Soon several other butterfliers arrived to admire the Tailed Aguna, which came back down to nectar on the flowering shrubs. It was even a new butterfly for park naturalist and former Ohioan John Yochum. 

Finally we had to head to Corpus Christi, after a fun and satisfying stay in the Rio Grande Valley. Not only were the butterflies outstanding, but so were the guides and organizers of the butterfly festival and all of the other Valley residents and visitors with whom we shared sightings and friendship! 

Scissor-tailed flycatcher looking a bit askance at the birders and butterfliers
in the Estero Llano Grande State Park parking lot