Boogie Woogie Aphid

These fuzzy little dancers congregate on American Beech trees. This slow motion video shows them move around when I blew on them. 

They are also called Beech Blight Aphids (Grylloprociphilus imbricator) - but, I don’t very much care for that name as the aphids to not really cause the tree too much grief. They may harm the branch, but the tree will be fine.

What first caught my eye was the large black and white area on the ground. I’ve learned that this is sooty mold (Scorias spongiosa) - it grows on the honeydew deposited by the aphids. I am surprised it is the first time I have noticed this. I’ll have to keep an eye out from now on this time of year.  

Even More Snow!

One snow storm was amazing! But, the unthinkable happened! More snow! The city shut down once again, which meant more exploring!

Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) tracks, with the back legs reaching in front of the front legs.

(Sylvilagus floridanus)

White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) tracks, paired and even.

(Odocoileus virginianus)

Before the snow, ice fell across the city, coating all the trees in a layer of ice. This sheet of ice peeled right off the leaf of a Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora).

(Magnolia grandiflora)

Even buds were not safe. The picture below shows the cigar-shaped Eastern Beech Tree (Fagus americana) bud with a coat of ice.