Insects, the Environment and the Future

  ...click on pics to enlarge

    I used to have an insect collection as a child and spent many hours running through the fields chasing butterflies and grasshoppers and other insects. In retrospect I was sometimes cruel to them- not maliciously but definitely ignorantly-shooting grasshoppers with a BB gun among other practices. I considered them playthings rather than living things, so it was not until I became an adult that I woke up to having empathy towards all lifeforms.
   The first picture is of crane flies mating, and although people often mistake crane flies for mosquitoes, the former are usually bigger and are in fact totally harmless to people. The second picture is of an assassin bug, which are mostly predators of other insects but which can bite people-something I learned by painful experience as a kid. The last picture is of of a red legged grasshopper, a short horned grasshopper and a member of of the sub family 'Spur-throat'. The latter are the common clear winged grasshopper which are abundant in roadside fields.

I have noticed that some species of insects are much less common than they were 50 years ago, which can be attributed to loss of habitat and over spraying of pesticides. The fields where I grew up near Allentown, PA are now housing developments, so thousands of grasshoppers are gone, along with less common butterflies like the painted lady that I used to see regularly.The white 'cabbage' and yellow 'sulfur' and 'alfalfa' butterflies are still numerous, but those few adaptable species cannot sustain an ecosystem. As the insects die off, so do the birds, because moth and butterfly caterpillars are a primary food source of nestlings in the spring. Oak trees can sustain over 500 different species of caterpillar, so cutting them down trickles all along the food chain. As I mentioned in my previous post, this century seems to be a critical one for the planet for many reasons, and as the codependency of so many different lifeforms begins to break down because of human activity, I worry that a tipping point may be reached. Many species and individuals-human beings among them-may die and it won't be the meek that inherit the earth- unless you count bacteria among the meek; they ruled the earth for billions of years and may once again. 

    I wish I could offer a positive outlook, but the behavior of people over the past year has solidified my awareness that they simply do not care about the social good-never mind less obvious problems such as the slow destruction of the oceans and other planetary issues. Out of sight, out of mind, so long as their preferred little tribe is doing well.  I know of a man-the healthy, fit, unvaccinated brother of a friend, in his 40's- who is recovering from a serious co-vid infection yet still refuses to accept the wisdom of vaccines and the ongoing threat of the disease to others. How is the future of the planet to be trusted to such people?  This mans freedom of choice includes the choice to ignore the consequences of his actions to both his neighbors and his grandchildren, and that lack of perspective infects millions of  educated people around the world. Contrary to their beliefs, the planet is warming and habitat and species are being destroyed and over population is contributing to the exploitation of the Earth...a fragile island spinning within the desolate, cold void of space.

Misc.

  I followed this old unused road ( old Route 6, now called Township Line Rd) about a mile to see how much nature has reclaimed it in the 60? years since it has been closed to traffic. It is located in the Allegheny forest near Kane, PA where one end is maintained with gravel to accommodate traffic to a natural gas compressor station.The other end passes an old camp trailer before becoming a maintained asphalt road again. In between the two points the asphalt has degraded to dirt path in some places, now used by four wheeler s and other off road vehicles that ignore the signs. It is always interesting to me to observe how quickly nature can recover from human encroachment-

at least of the macro intrusive kind; I am less optimistic about the chemicals and other less visible pollutants we have dumped into the environment. 

  The Rad Rover electric bike is something I purchased about a year ago, which after 700 miles of riding has proven itself to be a reliable and thoroughly enjoyable way to extend my rides. The battery lasts at least 30 miles in the hills around here, and allows me to do rides I would not otherwise attempt both on and off the road. One can still get a good workout yet have some help on the really steep stuff. (...as always, click on pics to enlarge)

 

More Buzzard

   Fished at this isolated pond in Buzzard Swamp yesterday, located 2 miles from the parking lot along the gated gravel access road. The road passes through woods and fields and near swampy ground with small vernal pools, and likely that is where this large crayfish came from... Why it was walking along the middle of one tire track was less obvious, but it seemed to be unconcerned until I approached, when it turned and assumed this defensive posture. I picked it up and dropped it into a small stream then continued on my way.
   

      After catching and releasing one large mouth bass I started back along the road and heard an ominous hiss from abut two feet into the grass-not a rattle, but a low hiss-and that was all the warning I had from this four foot Timber rattlesnake lounging near the road. I never felt threatened because it seemed a little lethargic, so I suspect it had recently eaten and was simply resting while digesting. The day was mid 80's F so no doubt it was a bit overheated in the sun. I took some pics as we watched one another for a few minutes, until finally it slowly crawled off into nearby bushes. This was only the second rattlesnake I have seen in my life, and I would have expected a  Timber rattlesnake to be in the woods or near rocks, not in the middle of a field-seemingly as out of place as the crayfish walking along the road. (as always, click on pics to enlarge them)

 

17 year Cicada

    I visited the east briefly to witness the cicada emergence there, and found these at the home of my kids near Reading, PA. There have been other broods-most notably to me a 13 year generation that I have witnessed since the 1970's- but it was still a wonder to hold an insect in my hands and think that this individual was born in 2004. My life has changed tremendously since that year in many ways, yet for all that time this fragile insect was underground sucking root juices, only to emerge for a few weeks on cue to mate and start the cycle over again. 

 Science is not sure what mechanism synchronizes their inner clock                                                           but to see them flying clumsily around the woods and

hear their mating calls is a rare experience. I anticipate being able to experience one more emergence in 2038 if I survive to my mid 80's, and will see other broods in between, but it is still a remarkable sight.

    The hiker is a man and his dog whom I met while at the Appalachian trail near New Tripoli.  If you Google 'Cloud Culpepper' or his dog 'Raindrop Hound Dog' you'll find their websites with lots of nice pics and info about their travels. He told me he has been

walking around the country for 3 years, thoroughly embraced in the freedom of the lifestyle, with a home base in North Carolina. I could relate to the minimalist in him, and gave him a couple power bars and some information about the trail ahead. As he remarked, he found most people in this nation to be kind and helpful and lamented the negative image so prevalent in the news. If we stop talking about politics and religion ( easier said than done), suddenly we are much more agreeable to one another!   (..click on the pics to enlarge)
 

Kayaking

  Beth and I tried out our new kayaks with friends at Chapman State Park yesterday, a small reservoir type park a few miles from the house. 

    They are 8 foot 'Old Townes' which replaced larger kayaks after we decided we were tired of lifting heavier boats onto the car roof. These only weigh 35 pounds each so are more manageable and tracked well and felt stable. Larger kayaks, such as our friends 10 foot sit-on Perceptions, generally move through the water a little easier, so you sacrifice some things with smaller crafts, but because we often travel downstream on the Allegheny or Conewango rivers that is not much of an issue. The maneuverability and ease of transport are preferable to us right now.  This particular section of the park is the feeder stream that fills the lake and passes a massive beaver hut and through slow water that reminds me of the Okefenokee swamp in Georgia-minus the alligators and moccasins of course. 

     While on the lake an osprey was circling overhead and Beth watched a bald eagle dive for a fish, although she did not think that it had been successful. Some people fish from their kayaks, something I have never tried, although they seem to enjoy it and it would definitively allow me to cover a lot more water than wading as I usually do. I am a casual catch and release fisherman so enjoy being outside either way-but I still feel a bit guilty for the 'trauma' of hooking and throwing back fish, so I really only fish occasionally.  (as always... click on pic to enlarge...)

Ohiopyle Sate Park

    Beth and I camped at Ohiopyle State Park over the weekend, a popular whitewater destination on the Youghiogheny river in southwest PA.  The park is beautiful but very crowded on weekends, so we did most of our exploration on Monday. A bike trail from Pittsburgh to Washington DC passes through the park, and in between showers we pedaled that for a few miles then explored the small town of Ohiopyle. I happened to see a foot long trout jump up and out of that churning water behind us towards the falls, like a salmon, something I never would have expected had I not witnessed it. ( Beth took the pics with her new Motorola phone, and as usual click on them to enlarge! )

 

Pooh Sticks

    Spent some time playing 'Pooh Sticks' with the granddaughter a couple weeks ago as she visited for a week while mom recovered from back surgery. I used to play this game with my son -now her uncle- when he was small, dropping sticks into a creek and watching them pass under the bridge before disappearing downstream. The name was derived from a Winnie the Pooh video my son loved, and naturally this is something kids have been doing for ages. At one point Renley walked over to a huge log with the expectation that we could somehow lift it into the water, but eventually she settled on this large stick. I guess she became bored with the small stuff and wanted

a bigger thrill, but in the end it got stuck in shallow water near the shore. She also passed a half hour climbing onto boulders to see which was the best in her 4 year old mind. 

       The energy of kids always reminds me of how far we all come in learning about life, and how sluggish we become...There would be no need for diets if adults moved so much...(and as always, click on pics to enlarge )