Hiking the DC Metro Area

[Shrike]

Great find and a nice rescue!

 

[Shrike]

It's been a little while! Time for a bit of catch up, starting with a few Lepidopterans.

Zebra swallowtail, Eurytides marcellus

Eastern tiger swallowtail, Papilio glaucus

Black swallowtail caterpillar, Papilio polyxenes. Absolutely gorgeous!

Yellow striped oakworm caterpillar, Anisota peigleri

I think this one is a Virginia tiger moth caterpillar, Spilosoma virginica. Not positive on the ID.

Banded wooly bear caterpillar, Pyrrharctira isabella. This one didn't have much black coloration on its body. Is this species somewhat variable in its markings?

More to come later.

 

[zonbonzovi]

Love the cat pics, esp. the Anisota.

 

[Shrike]

Love the cat pics, esp. the Anisota.

Thanks! Love the Anisota. Amazing looking caterpillar. I wish I could have snagged a better picture but the darn thing wouldn't sit still.

 

[advan]

Awesome shots Matt! Are you still using the kit lens?

 

[Shrike]

Awesome shots Matt! Are you still using the kit lens?

Thanks! Yeah, still using the kit lens. I've got a few cheap magnifiers but they're sort of tricky to work with.

 

[advan]

Thanks! Yeah, still using the kit lens. I've got a few cheap magnifiers but they're sort of tricky to work with.

You are doing some amazing work with that lens! Keep it up man!

 

[Shrike]

Catching up and dreaming of warmer weather.

Spined Micrathena, Micrathena gracilis

R2D2 garbage can.

A couple of shots from Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, right outside DC. A buddy of mine swears up and down that he saw a mountain lion here. My response: "Do you know what a mountain lion looks like?" I did just read an article in National Geographic that said mountain lions are slowly but surely beginning to reclaim their historic range. I'd normally write this kind of thing off immediately, but this is an intelligent guy that shares my interest in hiking and wildlife. I'm still skeptical but I suppose anything is possible.

Triangulate Orb Weaver (I think), Verrucosa arenata

Dolomedes sp.

A nice looking wolf spider.

Red Eared Slider, Trachemys scripta elegans

Five Lined Skink, Plestiodon fasciatus

Pickerel Frog, Lithobates palustris

American Toad, Anaxyrus americanus

 

[Shell]

Loving the newest pics, Matt! Jealous, it's too cold and snowy to even want to go outside here.

 

[jecraque]

Nice shots! I thought about this thread last time I was up in NoVA hiking with my mom. You're much better at capturing the best parts of the area though!

A couple of shots from Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, right outside DC. A buddy of mine swears up and down that he saw a mountain lion here. My response: "Do you know what a mountain lion looks like?" I did just read an article in National Geographic that said mountain lions are slowly but surely beginning to reclaim their historic range. I'd normally write this kind of thing off immediately, but this is an intelligent guy that shares my interest in hiking and wildlife. I'm still skeptical but I suppose anything is possible.

There are a lot of mountain lion sightings in the east, probably more so in my neck of the woods. I always dismissed it as crazy hillbillies until I started hearing it from more reputable sources. A well-regarded conservation guy up at UNC-Chapel Hill has told me, and I think this is the most plausible explanation, that while he has not personally observed people releasing captive-raised western mountain lions into the southern Apps, he knows of people who happen to raise mountain lions and who happen to advocate that sort of thing... as though that is an entirely reasonable conservation/management goal. It's an interesting & highly controversial topic down south; this is the first I've heard of it near DC though.

 

[Shrike]

Nice shots! I thought about this thread last time I was up in NoVA hiking with my mom. You're much better at capturing the best parts of the area though!



There are a lot of mountain lion sightings in the east, probably more so in my neck of the woods. I always dismissed it as crazy hillbillies until I started hearing it from more reputable sources. A well-regarded conservation guy up at UNC-Chapel Hill has told me, and I think this is the most plausible explanation, that while he has not personally observed people releasing captive-raised western mountain lions into the southern Apps, he knows of people who happen to raise mountain lions and who happen to advocate that sort of thing... as though that is an entirely reasonable conservation/management goal. It's an interesting & highly controversial topic down south; this is the first I've heard of it near DC though.

Thanks! You've got some nice hiking in your neck of the woods as well.

I'm still skeptical, but it's possible that he saw a mountain lion. Whether that animal came from a breeding population or was released by somebody is another matter. Wild mountain lions roaming the blue ridge mountains and elsewhere is nice thought though. Hopefully these beautiful animals will continue to expand East, gain a foothold and put a dent in our deer population.

 

[pnshmntMMA]

Shrike, up here we are hearing coyotes nightly. No mt lions so far. I can absolutely believe about the sighting near DV. Shenandoah isnt far....

 

[Shrike]

This morning I witnessed some blue jay antics out my window. This species is one of my absolute favorite birds. Beautiful, belligerent and crafty. A typical corvid! These are iphone pics so I apologize for the quality.

Mean mugging.

Can't...decide...

These guys were a lot of fun to watch. Put out some peanuts in the shell and enjoy the show!

 

[Micrathena]

Nice to see the kind of animals that can live so nearby. I have seen many of the animals in the thread in my backyard (or thereabouts). I will certainly stay tuned to see if your quest comes to fulfillment!

 

[Richard McJimsey]

Really enjoyed the tread so far, awesome pics. You've got me super amped up to get outside this year, I live in NW CT.

 

[Shrike]

I will certainly stay tuned to see if your quest comes to fulfillment!

I've got a good feeling about this spring

---------- Post added 03-19-2014 at 02:52 PM ----------

Really enjoyed the tread so far, awesome pics. You've got me super amped up to get outside this year, I live in NW CT.

Thanks! I'm definitely excited to get out there.

 

[pnshmntMMA]

Shrike, i moved out west away from the big cities. Keep up the herping! I miss the EBTs already. But I have all new things to discover!


Sent from Free America

 

[Shrike]

Shrike, i moved out west away from the big cities. Keep up the herping! I miss the EBTs already. But I have all new things to discover!


Sent from Free America

Whereabouts? You're right, wherever you are, you'll turn something up. You'll just have to come here to get your EBT fix

 

[Sebastien]

You ' ve Got alot of amazing pictures . Thanx to share theme with us really appriciated my favorite is the Narceus americanus that guy has really nice colors and the Latrodectus , Nice Job

 

[Ambly]

Lookin forward to what finds its way into this thread this coming spring. May the herping begin!