2006-4-15 - Parvin State Park, NJ
We took a walk around Parvin, attended one of Mr. Taylor's nature thingies, went to Anderson's, and then stopped at Second Landing to have lunch. We were heading back to go to Fisherman's Landing when we were forced to pull to the side of the road to inspect a couple of domestic turkeys. We were only there for a minute when we heard a motorcycle. Guess who surprised us with a visit?
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We begin our walk around the lake at the spillway.
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We continue our walk past the top of the lake and, once again, stop to inspect a stand of pines.
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They look like small explosions.
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This is a bark disease caused by a fungus, Nectria galligena. You can find out more about Nectria Canker (or Target Canker) in the Nature album under Fungi.
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Near the community campground, Red-winged Blackbird.
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A little further down the trail and we can look across the lake to the beach at cabin 5.
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We walk to the bridge at the bottom of the lake.
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We make the bend to head back up our favorite side of the lake and just on our left is a bevy of Fiddleheads (Cinnamon Fern) being urged up in a patch of sun.
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female Red-tailed woodpecker :o)
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female Downy Woodpecker
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As the trail heads back to the edge of the lake, we see the Mute Swan. He appears attentive.
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We see why the male seems to have put fear aside. His mate is on the nest.
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He is distracted from time to time by Mallards that repeatedly insist on coming too close.
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After a while the female rises. She looks like she enjoys her stretch.
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She's turning the eggs. We see three but there may be more.
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Maybe she's just tidying up.
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She settles down again and adjusts some feathers. The nest is huge. We're guessing at about 5 feet across.
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We turn to walk away and startled a Peregrine into taking flight.
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We continue our walk up the cabin side and (the 2nd time around, in the afternoon) David spots a Green Frog for us.
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Mallards
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female Mallard
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Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon)
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It's not too big. Maybe two, to two and half feet long.
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Vacancy - has the makings of a den tree
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Here's a Red-bellied Turtle sunning. It's not often you get to see the reddish plastron for which it got its name.
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And here's a new fishing spot. Every once in a great while a tree is downed into the lake.
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Sure enough, up near Cabin #1, we find there is still a trace left of what was once a hefty swamp magnolia, also used for fishing by adventurous children.
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And there it is, our home away from home, Cabin #1. Our walk is over. We head back to the dock and the parking lot.
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Next stop: At the dam - Red-bellied Turtles
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red and blue-bellied siblings
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Cormorant in a tree
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stoned leaf
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Ground Star
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Confederate Violet
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