Marie Desonier Nature Area



south entry to the Oak Ridge loop trail



beaver pond

Mushrooms.  I forget what these orange ones are called.

Amber-winged Spreadwing

Pepper and Salt Skipper

Carolina Satyr

  Had a chance to run down to Marie Desonier Nature Area in eastern Athens County before my son and daughter's band concert this afternoon.  I really do like Desonier.  It has a wide variety of habitats, including early succession, mature woods, wet woods, beaver pond, etc.  The only aspect I don't like is the last mile of the road which is gravel, which is a little tricky with a street bike.  Today the parking lot was actually clean!  Usually there is a handful of beer bottles laying around.
  The first half (north, I think) of the two mile loop trail had great wildflowers and fungus.    The back half of the loop is the better butterfly and dragonfly habitat.  Saw a new damselfly, the Amber-winged Spreadwing, at the beaver pond.  I was also surprised by the large number of moths that were active.  Got no moth pictures.  Uncanny.  I think they were very perceptive of the sound of the lens extending on the camera.  I would turn on the camera and away they would fly.
  As for butterflies, saw 13 species with two new bugs, the Carolina Satyr and the Pepper and Salt Skipper.  Got to watch a Pipevine Swallowtail lay eggs on pipevine.  Was very surprised not to see Red Admiral or Comma as the habitat there would be great for these.  Even made a second trip down the trail along the creek thinking maybe it had been a little early my first trip through.  I was also hoping I may find Red-banded Hairstreak.  Found one at Desonier last year on May 10, but no luck this year.