View of Black Meadow Road, after Hurricane Irene

             This photo was taken on 8/29/2011 at about 6:15PM looking from Durland Hill down at Black Meadow Road. Note Black Meadow Flora, Inc. greenhouses at left. Our rainfall total for the storm was 7.6".                                                          

Tree cavity lined with rocks

This mostly dead white ash has a cavity about 3 feet up the trunk that is lined with the broken up shale Durland Hill is constantly shedding. It looks like an old woodpecker excavation that a smaller animal appropriated for its (aborted) nest.
By the way, we did not feel yesterday's magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck in Virginia, although it was clearly felt throughout the area.

Sumac galls

Here is the title and abstract from a paper published in Science, July 14, 1989: Below the excerpt is a current photo of sumac galls in my backyard on Durland Hill.

A 48-Million-Year-Old Aphid—Host Plant Association and Complex Life Cycle: Biogeographic Evidence

1. NANCY A. MORAN

+ Author Affiliations

1. Department of Entomology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721.

Abstract

Biogeographical and paleobotanical evidence suggests that the aphid subtribe Melaphidina has been associated with its sumac host plant since the early Eocene when these plants were continuously distributed across the Bering land bridge. Transfer experiments indicate that the American species, Melaphis rhois, shows an unusual complex life cycle, similar to that known in Chinese melaphidines, with some generations feeding on mosses as alternate host plants. As with the association with sumac, this complex life cycle may have been established in the melaphidine lineage before the southward retreat of sumac from Alaska 48 million years ago. This example suggests that the interactions and life histories shown by modern populations may be determined, in large part, by evolutionary commitments made in the distant past.

Caterpillars on sumac

These caterpillars (image below) are feeding on staghorn sumac. Most of the plant is untouched, but a few leaflet clusters have dense congregations of early instar caterpillars - not sure of the species yet. The mosquitoes are swarming, especially near and under any foliage, making prolonged observations difficult.
Early this morning we were awakened by coyotes across the road on the Knapp's View property owned by the town of Chester - about 4:30AM they were enthusiastically yapping, yipping and howling hysterically!

Parasitic/mycotrophic plants

Up on the hill this morning in a failed effort to pick blackcaps. What I found instead was a profusion of American cancer-root (Conophilus americana - photo below) and also Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora). The former is a root parasite, especially on oaks. The latter is a mycotrophic plant, deriving its nutrition indirectly from the trees through mycorrhizal fungi associated with the trees' roots.

Staghorn sumac

Staghorn sumac fruit has turned red over the past several days. The blackcaps/black raspberries are beginning to ripen as well. While gathering rocks for my patio yesterday, I was surprised to find a very small American toad young-of-the-year at the top end of our property - it is amazing how far these little guys can travel in a short time.

Lightning bugs

Lightning bugs/fireflies display just magnificent across Kings Highway from Durland Hill the past two nights. The fencerow trees are sparkling on the Knapp's View property - a remarkable sight.

Durland Hill site

Just started setting up a sort of photojournal site - https://sites.google.com/site/durlandhill/ - to capture some of the seasonal changes and biodiversity of Durland Hill