Joey's notes
Week ending 08-18-02
Another hot week. Little time for outdoors. Not much to report.
Monday (8-12-02), At work, my little Corn Snakes are hatching. So cute when they are babies.
Tuesday (8-13-02), Hot
Wednesday (8-14-02), After work I spent some time knee deep in mud, but did manage to collect a Tiger Beetle (Cicindela trifasciata) in Laurens County.
Thursday (8-15-02), On campus, I had the boys outside and we found a couple of small Midland Watersnakes in the pools along the drying creekbed.
Friday (8-16-02), Hot.
Saturday (8-17-02), An evening drive turned up some frogs and toads but no snakes. Deer, Striped Skunk, and Opossum were also seen.
Sunday (8-18-02), Hot, busy with other obligations.
Just not much else to say.
Week ending 08-11-02
I took the week off, and tried to get outdoors a bit.
Monday (8-5-02), Needing Pepsi, 7-Up, sandwiches, chips, ice, etc..............
Tuesday (8-6-02), Entomology Odyssey /Road Trip. With the canoe on top, kayak in the back, food/drinks/water/gear, my son, and two nephews, I took off at 4:40 AM for the northern counties in South Carolina's Coastal Plain. Our main Goal was to collect Cicindela blanda on the Lumber River and to score Tiger Beetles and Dragonflies in a few counties where I had never done much collecting. Snakes would also be welcome, and around the boat landings, rural churchyards, and other areas we were planning to hunt, we thought we might do okay. Our first stop was on the Greater Pee Dee River as we crossed into Marion County. We easily collected Megacephala carolinas and Cicindela punctulata. Next, breakfast at the Huddle House in Marion (no insects collected there). At the Lumber River (SC 9 & US 76) we collected C. punctulata, C. repanda, C. blanda (a major goal and a first for us), and an Eastern Pondhawk (Dragonfly) in Horry County. Then wading across the shallow river, we were back in Marion County, where we got C. blanda, C. repanda, and C. trifasciata. Time for Dillon County. We hit a couple of boat landings on the Little Pee Dee, scored M. carolina, C. punctulata, C. repanda, C. trifasciata and a Great Blue Skimmer (Dragonfly). Rock on over to Marlboro County. C. punctulata and Eastern Pondhawk (Dragonfly) greeted us and we ate lunch (sandwiches from the cooler) before we even reached the Greater Pee Dee River. We did stop under the SC 34 bridge and collected C. repanda and C. trifasciata. The Greater Pee Dee has a boat landing at SC 34 on the Darlington County side. Visiting it, we got more C. repanda and C. trifasciata. This made us quite happy, but I still needed to collect a Dragonfly and Tiger Beetle in Florence County. It had been too cool/early when we had passed through earlier. We returned to Florence, found a couple of rural churches, and finally got a C. punctulata and Eastern Pondhawk. THAT WAS IT! I have now collected Dragonflies in EVERY county in South Carolina! (Still have 3 to go on the Tiger Beetles). No snakes, but time to head for home! Supper at McDonalds along the way. We arrived home after 444 miles, unloaded, cleaned up, and took the nephews home. Stuff like this makes for a long day! It also makes for lifetime memories for me and for the boys.
Our new county records:
C. punctulata Dillon County
C. repanda Darlington County
C. trifasciata Dillon County, Marlboro County, Darlington County
Wednesday (8-7-02), Sorted and prepped the specimens from our little collecting trip.
Thursday (8-8-02), Stopping by the pond, I saw gorgeous Dragonflies; Whitetail Skimmers, Slaty Skimmers, Eastern Pondhawks, Calico Pennants, Halloween Pennants, and a few other species I fail to remember at this writing. Nice to have a visit with such pretty creatures.
Friday (8-9-02), Stopped by work. The Black Racer eggs I had picked up in Oconee County have all hatched. Later, load the car and off for Winston-Salem, NC for a family reunion. No collecting along the way.
Saturday (8-10-02), Lots of visiting to do, but I did sneak away at one point and found an American Toad and Brown Snake under some debris. Saw some nice Dragonflies also. My son celebrated a birthday! Big 15! I made sure he got some CDs (Jimmy Buffett and John Prine). Never can have too much music!
Sunday (8-11-02), Return to SC. No time to go afield, but my eyes and mind were seldom in the car.
Must spend more time in the wilderness!
Joey Holmes
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