Our goal was to reach the creek. Last time we never made it there. Too many good treasures to look at. So I claimed we would not stop to look until we got there. Well, as you saw yesterday we did stop but hey what can you do. Now on to the creek! And you got to love its name, Spoonamore Creek! The surname is a nickname for a calm man from Middle English and Middle High German stile ‘calm, silent, still. It was Americanized from the German name Sponheimer according to Geneanet.org.
The water was running clear.
However it is not always a “calm man” as we could see from debris high along the banks in places. At this particular place Jeanne was about to climb down to look at a moss. Then we saw a snake duck into the debris. So no moss. 🙂
Further along and accessible she found another moss.
A Leaf-footed Bug (Acanthocephala terminalis) posed! In this photo you can really see how it got it common name by the winged structure on its hind tibia.
Since the water was flowing, it was good habitat for the jewelwings. Here was a female Ebony Jewelwing! The body and wings are muted compared to the males.
Here was a male Ebony Jewelwing for comparison. With the jet black wings, its bluish body will bedazzle you. Several of the males were trying to attract the girl’s attention.
We only noticed one Pipevine cat, but it was dead. 🙁
Later we saw the adult Pipevine fluttering about.
A Virginia Creeper’s leaf looked like it fed some of the forest residents! Wonderful!
Sometimes I feel like a homewrecker with as many spider webs that can’t be avoided. So I felt lucky to see the moment the Orchard Spider actually caught its prey. It maneuvered around the flailing female Ebony Jewelwing presumably biting as it went.
Beautiful creek and more fun. Lucky you
We are!
Those aurora photos are really wonderful!
Hilarious creek name!
Wow, those aurora photos!
Which pipevine species grows there? Tomentosa like in Greenwood?
It was tomentosa, yes.