Funky Nature Photo - Columbine

Columbine in my garden.

Silver Lake Nature Center

wetland at Silver Lake Nature Center

Silver Lake Nature Center is located in Bristol, PA in Bucks County.

Visiting Silver Lake Nature Center is a great thing to do when visiting Philadelphia or in getting to know the land where you live. This 235-acre center has a wide variety of habitats.

meadow, Silver Lake nature Center

There are Coastal Plain forests, woodlands, meadows, a lake, marshes, wetlands and an unglaciated bog.

The specialness of Silver Lake lies in its wetlands. The Center lies on the Coastal Plain Province of Pennsylvania. It's 175-acre Delhaas Woods is called the best remaining example of Coastal Plains woodlands within Pennsylvania.

Atlantic Coastal plain Forest, Silver Lake Nature Center

The Delhaas Woods Coastal Plain Forest canopy is dominated by Sweet Gum, Black (Sour) Gum, Red Maple and Pin Oak. Other Oaks such as White Oak, Red Oak and Willow Oak can be found it the forest.

The Center host many activities and programs. It provides kayaking lessons and trips for every level from beginner to advanced.

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

There is a butterfly garden near the visitor's center. While in the butterfly garden I spotted a Red Admiral and assorted skippers.

From the city it takes an hour to get to Silver Lake using the Pennsylvania Turnpike.  From Philadelphia it is a good day trip. And there are many restaurants in the surrounding area.

Silver Lake Nature Center, 1306 Bath Road, Bristol, PA 19007. phone 215.785.1177
http://www.silverlakenaturecenter.org/

Bush Katydid Stuck and Needing Rescue

A Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (Scuddera furcata) was stuck between the front bedroom window for most of yesterday morning.

I guess she managed to wedge herself between the window glass and the screen during yesterday's thunderstorms. She was stuck for several hours.

She would climb to the top of the screen, wave her long, threadlike antenna over the edge of the screen into the outside air, and then head the opposite way back down into the window. She was so close to freedom and turned around.

I am not sure what she was doing but after several hours of watching this happen again and again, I took a letter opener and decided to speed things along.

I unlocked the windows and screens and pushed her out into the warm, humid afternoon air. I am not sure she appreciated it because she just crawled into the window track.

I gave up.

I just studied what she looked like after all this. I knew she was a she by the stout, up-curved ovipositor underneath her abdomen. I think it looks like an Elizabethan codpiece. It would be even funnier if she were a he.

The female katydid uses this body part to deposit her eggs deep in soil or rotting wood. Hopefully, out of reach of animals that would eat the eggs.

When the larvae hatch from the eggs, they are multi-colored and horned. Wicked. I wondered what I would look like multi-colored and horned?

They most sad thing about this katydid is that is only has one leg. When she has both, her long powerful legs are used for jumping. No jumping for this katydid. I guess this explains some of her behavior yesterday morning.