another day hike: cicadas, dragonflies...and an anaconda?!

JV3

Joined
Mar 17, 2010
Messages
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i forgot what thread/recommendation i read it from here (i'll dig it up later) but i tried out the gaia gps smartphone app for the first time...my expectations were low but it turned out to be an awesome app! i'm a bit ocd when it comes to logging various data points on my hikes (locations of reliable streams, lots of dead wood, potential overnighter spots, tinder sources, etc.) and this app gives me a more convenient way of recording it...some stats:

distance: 10.93 mi
average speed: 1.4 mph
ascent: 5,013 ft
pace: 42:59 min/mi
moving time: 05:08:03
stopped time: 02:41:43
total time: 07:49:47


anyway, the pics...someday i'll be like mistwalker and know what the heck are all these plants and flowers i'm seeing and what i can use them for. only thing i know for sure is poison ivy, haha.

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looks like witches' butter to me...apparently edible but i need a side of bugs to make it appetizing enough to try it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tremella_mesenterica.

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it's a trip every time i see these little guys - eastern newt: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_newt.

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it's not long until i hear the deafening sound of the cicadas and spot my first one. for those not familiar with them, they live underground and only come out of hiding every 17 years to breed. i'm thankful that's the case because man, after only a few hours they got really annoying! think crickets but 5x louder. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada.

first time i've seen one in person...they're huge and pretty docile. i'd poke one and it'd just move a step or two and stop, not too concerned about predators because of their sheer number working on their side.

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the one on the left is in the process of molting.

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to the right of it is a fully mature one.

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i caught one in the act of molting.

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this one was just hanging on by a thread...you can see the mature cicada inside just waiting to come out.

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i also stumbled upon this massive dragonfly!

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i really do mean massive! they're usually very skittish and hard for me to photograph but this one was too busy munching on an insect, completely oblivious to my presence.

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this little guy below could easily be on the menu too.

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the only cicada i found with a white coloration - female perhaps?

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this is how many they were.

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let me change into something more comfortable.

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peek-a-boo.

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anyway, part of my goal for this trip was try to find a timber rattlesnake to photograph - i was in the woods shortly after sunrise hoping to catch one soaking in the sun.

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i didn't find any so i even shined a flashlight into every nook and cranny later in the day but still didn't find any...i guess my encounter with one last year in the same area was super rare.

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i did find a big black racer in this section but man what a quick snake...as soon as we made eye contact it took off like a rocket! so now my adrenaline was going when i round out a boulder.

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...and i spot this anaconda!

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i almost had a heartattack, haha. that thing was bigger than my thigh and i thought i was dinner for sure. the shape of the wood and the lighting was just right.

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spotted another dragonfly with coloration i've never seen before...too skittish i wasn't able to take a better pic.

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sunny, slight breeze and in the low 70's in june? i can't complain!

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zoomed in, nyc in the distance...you can make out the empire state building and the freedom tower on the right.

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brainy rock.

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the red was a welcome break from the all-green monotony once in awhile.

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sassafras - one of the many things i learned from mistwalker's threads over the years :)

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proof that ancient aliens exist!

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mama spider carrying her sack of eggs around?

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checking each other out.

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after a long hiatus, i have a becker again :)

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i started out with beckers years ago, got rid of them to experiment with other brands/styles...and now i'm back.

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chillaxing!

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my spoon carving skill is coming along nicely! :D

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these guys were watching me the whole time...they'll be on the menu one day - payback for keeping me up way late with their racketing on a previous overnighter :eek:

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bam-chika-wow-wow!

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i guess their version of the kamasutra only contain two pages :D

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stopped-by the shelter on my way back down.

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strange banded pattern on this tree's bark.

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no timber rattler pics but old faithful comes through for me - i almost always spot this type of snake here (it's not venomous). to make it clear, it was not in a strike position! i had to chase it down to get this pic. i managed to jump in front of it to make it stop and it recoiled back. snakes just want to be left alone and will give you every opportunity to do so. a lot of snake bites are in the hands and is usually preceded by "whoa, check it out! hold my beer while i...". please don't kill one just because you got scared. okay, rant over.

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how it looks in person.

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tinkered with the shutter speed from my usual setting...not sure which i like better.

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because of the cicadas even the plants are feeling extra amorous.

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a really tiny dragonfly!

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was tempted to skinny dip.

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but this frog protested...reminded me how his group kept me awake all night with their racket on a previous overnighter and threatened to do it again!

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spotted this dragonfly with a really weird wing pattern. the wings looked like flags on poles, bizarrre...amazing it can fly like that!

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my curiousity to the max, i spent several minutes chasing it down and eventually got this shot...nothing weird about the wing shape after all, just different coloration.

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i guess she was impressed with my persistence that she stayed still for a crazy long time for me...i ended up playing with different focus points.

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anyway, another day hike down in the books :)
 
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Very nice. Growing up I didn't know NJ was so pretty. I'm glad to see I was wrong!
 
Awesome pics! Really enjoyed lookin at the dragonfly pics. My logo is a dragonfly. I was in Thailand and one landed on me while I was on a boat and stayed there for about 5 min! I like that second pic of that small waterfall. The water looks hazed, it's great! There was also a ton of cicadas in Thailand too. It was hard to sleep at night sometimes cuz it was so loud! Thanks for posting this! Gave me some great memories.
 
you are taking better and better pics every time you post. I have a couple of questions; Are you in Harriman? Do you use a tripod for some of your pics?
 
Really excellent pics as usual. These are looking National Geographic quality :thumbup: I really like the little newts.
 
Here ya go, man.

Blue trail on the way back to Anthony Wayne Rec. Area parking lot. This was taken about 2pm on Saturday.

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Here ya go, man.

Blue trail on the way back to Anthony Wayne Rec. Area parking lot. You must have just missed him!! This was taken about 2pm on Saturday.

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Thanks for the pics JV and beanbag! Another awesome hike and day of photos!!!

I did an 8 mile hike on Sat. with the missus in the Pine Barrens here's what we captured digitally!

Cranberry bog
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Eastern King snake
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Pine snake (endangered)
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We always practice a passive approach to photography with a no disturb policy. We saw a red winged blackbird preparing its ground nest and backed away. It would have been a great shot otherwise. Good job everyone on your hikes this weekend! All we need is someone to film a Jersey Devil and we're set!
 
JV, that was bad etiquette of me for posting so many pics on your thread - my bad! I was a little overzealous seeing another hiker on the forum who loves to practice photography!
 
Awesome photos Jay! What camera and lens did you use on these? Glad to see I'm able to pass on some things! Yeah, many creatures in nature suffer from boredom due to lack of reading the kamasutra man. AS far as I know, those tiny dragonflies are known as maidenflies. The Cicadas haven't reared their heads here yet, rather odd.
 
Thanks for sharing the pics. I've never heard cicadas in person, but from how loud I hear they are, I am glad.
 
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