urbpan | Urban Nature Pictures 5/15, plus visiting an old friend

Two things that get blown out of oak trees in spring: inchworms and oak apples. I looked at this amazing page of eastern Massachusetts caterpillar photos but couldn't identify the inchworm. Small green and non-descript, and an early instar besides. EDIT: But after I posted this, the author/photographer of that caterpillar website commented to say it was the caterpillar of a winter moth! I did find some lovely forest wildflowers.

New England's most well-known orchid, the pink lady's slipper. This is in a park that we used to visit a lot. I may have had to walk past a "do not enter" sign (but through a wide open gate) to get in, so I won't identify it just yet. Guiltily, it was nice to have it to myself.

There have been several changes to the park while it was closed, including this stone circle. As you know, I'm a big fan of arranged rocks but it seemed strange to bring in these metamorphic boulders into a park noted for its unique igneous features.

There were also a lot of newly paved paths, mulched paths, and this boardwalk overlook.

This wildflower is new to me. I'm guessing trumpet (or coral) honeysuckle. Lonicera sempervirens.

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and what of the OTHER orchids? :)

and a stone circle, waiting to be stacked? :)

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What of them, indeed?

Those stones might be little big for my balancing act, but I did find a couple loose native rocks...

mmm.

i only know of two varieties. books are good.

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I'm pretty clueless on them myself. IF I thought I was going to be in New England in 5 years and IF I felt like I could spend another 30 bucks on a book I'd be all over it.

/adds to Amazon wish list!

Mmmm, field guides.

Wonderful photo of larva and gall. I'd never heard them called "oak apples" - love it! We have several of them in the trees behind us - also found one yesterday near our son's soccer field, but I think it was on a maple leaf, is possible?? Would it be the same wasp? Do they only go after oaks? Are all galls are caused by wasps? Or can you only properly call something a "gall" if it was made by a wasp?

We have a ladyslipper blooming just beyond our back deck - we feel extremely excited, secretive, and slightly smug about its presence. ;) There are many at the nearby Francis Carter Preserve, too. I can now spot them even before they bloom - they seem to occur in groups, so if we find one it's suddenly a scavenger hunt to find another, and another..... :)

Another name change? It's hard to keep up!

...but I think it was on a maple leaf, is possible?? Yes.

Would it be the same wasp? Do they only go after oaks? No and yes, oak apple gall wasps only go after oaks.

Are all galls are caused by wasps? Or can you only properly call something a "gall" if it was made by a wasp? No, galls can be caused by gall wasps, aphids, mite, fungi, viruses and other things. It's called a gall if the plant makes it in response to another organism.

Hi,
It's Sam from the caterpillar site you linked to.
If you are in eastern mass then the caterpillar is almost certainly a Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata). They are an invasive species that's been out of control in the area for the last several years - and they are falling out of oak trees in abundance at the moment.

I wish more people realized how much great nature was right in our back yards - even in the city!
keep up the good work,
-Sam

Thanks Sam, that's a great help! I wrote about winter moths in the winter of 2006 when there were a ton of males about, and another time when I found one of the bizarre females. I didn't know what the larva looked like until now.

Urban Nature Pictures 5/15, plus visiting an old friend

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a comment and several questions

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Caterpillar I.D.

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