Pawpaws, Whirlpools, and Pileated Woodpeckers

I've decided to start posting once a week, occasionally twice a week when needed.  This gives me a bit more free time, and as the newness of the blog has worn off as of late, I don't feel as tied down to the blog, or to having to blog everything that I visit.  By no means am I stopping.  Recently, I just got too caught up in watching statistics, and I've stepped back from that.  The whole point of this blog is to document the wild plants and animals of the Land of Lincoln, as well as anywhere else I go.  That is this blog's Prime Directive.  (I've been watching Star Trek, if you couldn't tell.) With only a year or so until I have to change the name of the blog, I've decided to take my time and enjoy it.  Speaking of enjoying life, I took a second trip to Carpenter Park recently.  The picture above is of a drying creekbed in that park.

As it stopped raining only minutes before we landed at the park, the humidity was extreme, and the lighting was poor.  Carpenter Park is the only DNR Nature Preserve in Sangamon County, and it deserves the title.  This mushroom was growing on a stump just outside the car.

Large sections of the old, unlogged forest had stands of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba).  This is a Southern plant, with the vast majority of related species in Florida.  Another name is Prairie Banana, as this plant has fruits in late summer with vague resemblance to the taste and texture of banana.
One extremely nice feature of Pawpaw trees is that their large, shading leaves keep shrubs from growing near them.  As a result, people can walk more freely around in a Pawpaw grove.

After leaving one such grove. I found this small caterpillar on my clothing.

 This swamp was soon discovered, upland, away from the river valley.  It doesn't seem to matter where I hike, I invariably find a swamp at least once.

Back on the trail, I spotted this Blue butterfly (Polyommatus spp.).  Blue is the name of the group of butterflies, who often happen to be blue.  Carpenter Park is a great spot for insects, though large spiders seem to be rare, thankfully enough for me.  I've seen at least three new insects (to me) every trip I've made to this park.

Almost as diverse as the insects, the fungi growing on all the downed logs made for a spectacle.  This coral fungus was one of several fungi we encountered on the hike, but it was the most interesting.  I've always been fascinated by these unusually branched fungi, so different from typical mushrooms.

The floodplain itself was awash in Butterweed (Packera glabella), a sea of yellow over the mud.

Just before going down into the floodplain,  I spotted this Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor or Hyla chrysoscelis).  Two species of Gray Treefrog live in Illinois, and both look almost identical.  It takes a DNA test to figure out which is which.  I mean it.  There is some slight difference in the calls these species make, but even experts have a hard time identifying the frog from calls alone.  Part of the problem is that these treefrogs can change color. Light gray is usually a sign of stress for these frogs, so I'm hoping this particular individual is doing better than it was at the time of the picture.

Here's the Sangamon River, in all its glory.  The second largest river in what I define as Central Illinois, the Sangamon is too large to be bridged easily and too small for most motorboats.  As a result, it retains a very wild feeling.

Here is one of about twenty toads (Bufo spp.) we encountered throughout the hike.  As it was just after a rain, the amphibians were remarkably active.  I found four within three feet of this spot alone.

This enormous and colorful dragonfly also posed for a picture nearby.  I'm going to try and photograph more dragonflies in future.  Also,  I don't know what species this is.  (Thanks to Tom Arbour of The Ohio Nature Blog, this is a Rapids Clubtail [Gomphus quadricolor], a species noted for being found in late spring/early summer along medium to large rivers.  This is a species only found in high-quality rivers, usually near small rapids.  As a result,  Rapids Clubtail are an uncommon insect here in Central Illinois.  I'm glad to have seen it.)  (This is actually more likely to be a Midland Clubtail [Gomphus fraternus], again thanks to the above source.  Honestly, at this point, I'm just going to call it an insect.)

Unusually for me, I only had one bird photograph for this post, but it's one I've wanted for awhile.  The largest woodpecker in Illinois, Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) are very people-shy, preferring large tracks of woods with old trees and dead limbs.  I spotted two Pileated Woodpeckers, which flew hundreds of feet away.  I'm frankly impressed with how well this picture turned out, considering the lighting and distance.

One of my favorite sedges, Gray's Sedge (Carex grayi), was also present in the floodplain, which began to narrow as the river edged closer.  Soon, we came to a stream:

 I'm 99% sure this is the tallest waterfall in Sangamon County.  There's a cascade below it as well, but that's hard to photograph.  (It's about two feet tall.)

Above the waterfall, the creek flows through a canyon, one of the few in this region.

Nearby, a tree which fell into the Sangamon has had its stump converted into a throne.

I had never seen Smooth Wild Petunias (Ruellia strepens) before, although I grow a close relative, the Hairy Wild Petunia, in my garden.  Funnily enough, I misidentified this plant as a weedy Morning Glory (Ipomaea spp.) when one of my friends pointed it out, before doing a double-take.

This damselfly (like a dragonfly, but smaller, thinner, and with folded wings) was one of the most attractive native insects I have ever seen.  I understand if you don't like bugs, but to me this insect is downright elegant.  The specific name of this species is Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata).

The sun finally came out as I climbed on the rocky ledge alongside the river.

This exposed rock, below the nearby bluffs, is part of what makes Carpenter Park such a unique habitat.  Here, you have a steep slope, rock outcrops, and a large river, all unusual in this area.

Even on the rocks, just above the river, toads were out and about...

... as were a few unusual and brightly-colored grasshoppers.

I may have forgotten to mention the large amount of snails out and about.  We saw at least as many snails as we did toads.

Continuing along the bluff line, we found some very hardworking sycamores (Platanus occidentalis).

Proceeding still further, with one hand gripping the wet cliff edge, we then found this pile of rocks. Everything looked as if it was just a small rapids.  Then I noticed something:

...a whirlpool had formed in one corner of the rocks.  While small, it was still quite noisy.

Here, you can see the same rapids and whirlpool from upstream.  (Caution: Snakes Below)

This young Northern Watersnake  (Nerodia sipedon) was sunning itself at the base of the bluff.  After a few photos with the passive snake, we climbed up a creekbed at the base of the bluff and worked our way to the top of the formation.

One American Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) hung on at the edge of the cliff.

I have to say, this photo makes the ledge look a whole lot scarier than it actually is.  Still, while quite worthy of a visit, Carpenter Park isn't exactly for little kids or pets.

On top of the bluff, we found a Garter Snake (Thamnophis spp.) sunning itself.  This species primarily eats fish and toads, two creatures found in abundance nearby.

On the way back, this Sulfur Shelf (Laetiporus spp.), concealed under a log, caught our attention.  Leaving the bluff is difficult, as there are a lot of unofficial trails in its vicinity.  We made our way to a nearby road and walked up from there, spotting the unidentified butterfly below while doing so.  I have to say, it's rare for me to have a post where the insects outnumber the birds in pictures. I had a great time with the friends I took on this trip.  Overall, I enjoy Carpenter Park more and more every visit, and I always discover something I've never seen before every trip,  If you live in the area, I highly recommend a visit.