New Friend

After the Friday quail survey we were heading to our new friend Austin’s place in Montague County. He had invited us about a month ago to see his place. And we were most happy to accept his invitation.

The last stop on Friday’s quail survey!

The first stop on Austin’s tour, was the artifact and homestead sites. Austin had found lots of broken piece of flints and some arrowheads! Additionally there were old foundation stones from the homestead.
Love this plant, the Snake-cotton (Froelichia floridana). It is one I don’t encounter often. There is not a lot of research on plant-insect relations…; it is thought to be self-pollinating or wind-pollinated rather than by insects according to Prairie Moon Nursery.

Another plant that I have only crossed paths a few times, the Climbing False Buckwheat (Fallopia scandens). So this plant was taking over the homestead site after the fire last year.
The flowers measure only about 1/8 inch.

And the seeds are winged.

Besides the recent European settlers, Austin told us these rocks were evidence of grinding stones from early Americans.

A rock seemed to be looking back at us.
A hand-dug well…well hidden under the rocks!
The well was about 12 feet deep. And in fact, this was the first that Austin had seen it dry.

Along the wall were Camel Crickets in the Rhaphidophoridae family. Most of the crickets were 3 or 4 feet down on the rock wall. “ Most are omnivorous and will feed on most anything organic. Many (if not most) will catch and eat other smaller animals when they can.
Just about the time Austin was about to cover it back up, one was seen on top. Look at the spikes on their legs and it is wingless!

Then Austin covered it back up with a metal plate and heavy rocks.

Indeed a good start to our tour!

A Mysterious Human Face Carved on Stone Dated to Bronze Age Discovered in Kazakhstan Thanks Claire!

Shift in India’s Vulture Population Linked to Half a Million Human Deaths

Flies could inspire scent-detecting drones that sniff chemical leaks

Keep looking!

The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know

7 Comments

  1. I’ve never seen the snake cotton. And what does that cricket do with those spikes on its legs? Arent old homesites fun.

    1. I don’t know how the spikes help but maybe some sort of sensory thing. Like feeling or chemicals sensors. It does mostly live in dark places like under rocks and wells😉

  2. Snake cotton looks like a Christmas decoration. Cool plant. Very interesting article on Indias vultures. Having traveled several times to many parts of India over the last fifty years, I already knew much of the sad story. Much of India has become an environmental wasteland.

  3. I’m not familiar with Fallopia – must research it. The stone face in Kazakhstan is haunting. I remember the terrible die-off of Indian vultures and am sorry but not surprised about the unintended consequences.

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