WiseAcre Gardens

Another day canoeing on the Grasse River.
This time it was the section between Morley and Bucks Bridge. The trip starts out in shallow water riffles and there is always the chance of getting hung up on submerged boulders and rock ledges. By keeping to the north side of the river you can avoid most of the snares. A bedrock shelf extends out from the north (right) side. During periods of low water it lies exposed, today it was mostly submerged. You can just make out some debris stranded on the shelf where the water lever was only a couple inches deep.

It only takes a few minutes to run shallows (about 3/4 mile) in a canoe. This section is probably my favorite fishing spot in the county. It’s a great spot to wade and fish on a hot summer day, smallmouth bass like to hang out in the numerous ‘holes’. These pockets can be waist deep and the current can sweep you off your feet if you stumble into one but it’s oh so refreshing when it’s unbearably hot and humid. By the time both the river and I run out of current I can just manage to walk up the hill to home.

Near the end of the shallows is a limestone outcrop on the south (right) side and the location of my primary objective of the day. It might only be a mile from home and I may be a bit carried away when it comes to rocks but I’m not dumb enough to carry one that far. I are smart so I used my canoe to collect this beauty I discovered on the river bank.

RockinCanoe

I’ve been collecting rocks and thinking about making some disappearing fountains. I’ll get into that another day.

After the shallow water riffles the river settles down. There’s 2 miles of flat water and a number of small islands before reaching sight of Bucks Bridge. I fished some on the way and caught a couple of smallmouth ‘keepers’ that I let go for another day. Hooking into bass over 15 inches is not an unusual experience in this section of river.

The river bank is high and hides a beaver pond / swamp on the south side. Where the swamp drains to the river is a shallow area filled with pickerelweed. I usually catch both pickerel and northern pike here but today I just drifted by. A Great Blue Heron was stalking the shallows and I didn’t want to disturb it. I wanted photos of big blue.

I was drifting slowly and quite a distance away but the heron noticed me right away.

A couple of strides with those long legs and it was nearly hidden in the pickerelweed.

My presence was too much to tolerate. With both of us in motion and the camera at full zoom I was surprised to capture the moment it took wing and get a half way decent photo.

The rest of the trip was pretty much uneventful. Another bass caught and released, a turtle diving for cover and a good slap by a beaver was all that interrupted the last part of the trip. (No I didn’t get slapped, beavers slap the water as a warning to others then dive out of sight)

The end in sight. Bucks Bridge

This is another section of shallow water riffles. Just before the bridge I got hung up and had to get my feet wet pulling the canoe to the takeout.

A Google map of the river section along County RT 14.

View Larger Map

They say to ‘Stop and smell the flowers’. I say, you better check the flowers out before you go sticking your nose somewhere it may get bit. Sometimes what looks like a tiny bit of debris stuck to the flower turns out to be a real surprise.

Ambush Bugs usually are not spotted as easily as this one on a wild bergamot flower. For some reason this bug ugly predator wasn’t even trying to blend in with the flower. Still, if I wasn’t purposely looking for these bugs I probably would have never seen it.

Wild Bergamot – Monarda fistulosa

Wild Bergamot is one of those plants where I know I can find Ambush Bugs. I have to inspect plenty of these wildflowers but I’ve never failed to find Ambush Bugs when I’ve gone hunting for them.

Ambush Bug – Phymata (something or other)

Impulsive flower sniffers are likely to meet other creepy crawlers. Getting eye to eye to eye to eye to eye to eye to eye to eye with them can be a startling experience.

Not so itsy bitsy spider

Locally, peak bloom time has passed for the Wild Bergamot. I was surprised to find some good quality flowers, most are pretty ratty looking these days. From the looks of it I’m not the only one hanging on to their charm.

OK, back to the Ambush Bugs. The yellow blush of Goldenrod is now starting to fill the fields and the ambush bugs are taking up new positions. Goldenrod is a favored flower of these bug eyed creatures. Like bergamot, a close inspection of goldenrod will almost always turn up a couple of ambush bugs.*

* results may vary on location. At least here in the center of St. Lawrence County, NY, ambush bugs are plentiful during these two wildflower bloom times.

A different angle reveals the folded wings and the large ‘biceps’.

How nasty are they? A pic from a previous post – Spearmint Surprise – from last year will give you a hint. Anything that takes on a White Faced Wasp is no wimp.

My goodness, I’m serving day old photos but I promised to post the rest of my finds from yesterday’s wildflower hunt.

Early Meadow Rue – Thalictrum dioicum

Contrary to it’s common name, early meadow rue grows in moist woods. But it is an early bloomer and flowers about the same time the trees leaf out. I practiced my ‘French’ while attempting to focus on the dangling flowers dancing in the wind. Luckily it helped and I managed one half way decent photo. I need to go back and take more photos though. Male and female flowers are supposed to grow on separate plants. I didn’t know that before so I neglected to check. This is a new addition to my wildflower ‘collection’. It almost threw me off but the leaves were a giveaway. It has the same basic leaf structure as the other wild meadow rues. I just never expected to find one so small (less than 2 feet) and so early blooming after becoming familiar with Tall Meadow Rue which can grow to 8 feet tall and blooms in late summer.

Owl Pellet

Forget burial or cremation. I want to be wrapped in a wool blanket and swallowed by a giant owl. I’d think I’d make one heck of a pellet for some kid’s grammar school science project.

Getting ‘live’ wildlife photos is tough when Pookey is around. Everything takes off and I’m lucky to get a shot at full zoom. (heavily cropped)

Canadian Geese Taking Off

Who says a ground cover can’t be a couple feet high? I love this section of the river bank.

False Hellebore – Veratrum viride

Here’s a wet meadow wildflower about ready to bloom.

Golden Alexanders – Zizia aurea

Soon. The flower buds are about ready to open.

Last but not least is a sweet treat. You just need a whole lot of them.

Wild Strawberry Flower