Delaney WMA: Stow, MA (9/2)

Last Saturday was another gloomy day but I decided to venture outside anyway. This time my destination was Delaney WMA in Stow/Bolton/Harvard. I started my hike at the back of the property (the side away from the boat launch). After parking I started to hike thru the woody area which surrounds one of the ponds. The forest was deathly quiet. The only calling birds were a small flock of Chickadees. The only other sound that broke the silence was a loud chainsaw in the distance.

I hiked for a short distance without seeing much other than mushrooms. They were everywhere. The entire path was covered with them. I found a large Chicken Mushroom, a few different toadstool species, and one trio with red caps. You could really tell that they were taking full advantage of the wet summer we've had.

I hiked until the path opened up to provide a nice view of the pond. My arrival spooked a Great Blue Heron who took off in search of a better hideout. Amongst the reeds and blooming Arrowroot, I was able to coax a response from a Virginia Rail.

At this point I decided to retrace my steps and head towards the boatlaunch. I crossed the street and entered the woods again. This trail bordered a larger pond which was actually pretty busy. A few Wood Ducks flew from the center of the pond into more sheltered areas in preparation for the impending storm. A Belted Kingfisher flew across the pond and I spotted a Green Heron along the shoreline. But the strangest sight was a Killdeer who was walking over the lillypads searching for bugs. I'd never seen this behavior before and it was really fun to watch.

Before the weather got any worse, I decided to continue the hike. Along the path I found this bizarre caterpillar which arched its back in some weird defense mechanism. Further down the trail I crossed paths with a large American Toad and was able to get one shot of it before it hopped into the grass.

I walked until I got to one of the best butterfly fields on the property. Even though it was cold and overcast I was still able to find Common Wood Nymphs, Cabbage Whites, Eastern Tailed-blues, and Sulphurs. Nothing special but nice anyhow.

After exploring the field I headed back to the car. Just before the parking lot I notice Wooly Aphids on a Hawthorne bush. These guys are the prey for the only carnivorous caterpillar in our area, the Harvester. But try as I would, I couldn't find a caterpillar.