Caledon State Park

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle at Caledon /  by Todd Henson

The six-spotted green tiger beetle (Cicindela sexguttata). Notice the white mandibles and large eyes.

Six-spotted tiger beetles (Cicindela sexguttata) are not an uncommon sight at many of the locations I’ve photographed, and they’re easy to spot because of their flashy metallic green coloration, especially when the sun hits them. But they can sometimes be a challenge to photograph as they most often seem skittish and are very quick to skitter or fly away. Thankfully, I found a willing subject in late May of 2022 at Caledon State Park in Virginia.

Looking down on a green six-spotted tiger beetle on a sandy part of the trail

The green of the six-spotted tiger beetle stands out no matter where you find it

I’ve most often seen them in the forest skittering around on some of the paths, the forest floor, or on fallen trees. They’re not particularly large beetles, around a half inch or so in length. As you might guess when you spot their white mandibles they are a predatory species, hunting other small insects.

Saying goodbye to the six-spotted tiger beetle

You can see another example of a six-spotted tiger beetle in One Afternoon Six Critters, where this shiny green beetle was one of six creatures we found while hiking Prince William Forest Park.

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

Ghost Pipes of Caledon /  by Todd Henson

Ghost pipes of Caledon

This week we get a view of a cluster of ghost pipes growing in Caledon State Park in Virginia. I photographed these in late May of 2022. Ghost pipes (Monotropa uniflora) are a very interesting plant, especially in that they don’t contain chlorophyll. Instead they pull energy through a parasitic bond to a type of fungi, which itself has a parasitic bond to other plant life, such as trees.

Even though it may not look like it, these are flowering plants producing a single flower bud atop each stem. You can see the buds in this photo. Apparently they do produce pollen and bumblebees are one of their more common pollinators, though I don’t recall seeing any around any of the plants I’ve found.

I found a similar cluster of ghost pipes during our first visit to Voorhees Nature Preserve in July of 2021.

Have you ever stumbled upon ghost pipes in any of the woods you’ve hiked?

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

A Canopy in Green /  by Todd Henson

A Canopy in Green

I’ve mentioned before how I enjoy pausing to look up when hiking through the woods and today’s photograph is another example of why this is. There’s so much beauty out there and some of it is directly above us. In this case we’re looking up into the green canopy of what I believe to be a black walnut tree along the trails of Caledon State Park in Virginia. I just love all the shades of green, and the patterns of the branches and leaves. I get lost in these scenes and can only hope the photo might affect you similarly.

Exposure is always a challenge with this sort of photograph when making a single frame. There’s a large dynamic range and trying to show details in the shadows without blowing out highlights is not always easy or possible, though I feel this photograph is a nice balance between the two. And thank you, Alex, for our talks of glowing greens. I believe this photograph benefited from them.

I encourage you to look up once in a while when out hiking, whether out in the woods or even in the city. You never know when what’s above you might be just as interesting as what’s below.

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!