Giant Ichneumon Wasps

These female wasps, though intimidating to see, do not sting.  In these photos, the females are inserting eggs into a certain kind of fungus that the larvae will eat all winter, before emerging next year to repeat this cycle.  Obviously if this is happening on a standing tree, it doesn't bode well as it means the tree is rotting inside.  These females in this photo have less than 27 days left of their short little lives.

 

 

 

A Great Year for Water Arum

Last year was so hot and dry, the City Forest was the driest I have ever seen it!  There was no water for the Water Arum to grow!  This year we have so far had a good amount of rain, so the pools are filled.  The tangled roots of the Water Arum is easily seen under water at most of these pools, streams, and other areas of the bog where there is water.  It is nice to see them return!

Columbine Flowers Found in the City Forest, Bangor

It has come to my attention that the columbine I have been photographing for the last 3 or so years is not Wild Columbine.  Apparently Wild Columbine is reddish with yellow.  The ones I have been photographing are pink. I mean, they are growing in the forest.  The pink I have seen in more than one place, but perhaps that means very little.  This past week, I was lucky to be looking low and found the most brilliant, incredible Columbine flowers I have ever seen.  So, again I go and look them up.  For sure this is wild. And there IS a blue Columbine, but I am not seeing one that looks like the one I photographed AND it is native to the Rockies (Colorado-Arizona).

Anyway, until I can get these flowers accurately named, let's just call them Columbine, and make note that they were found in the forest.

 

 
This photo below I got from Wikipedia which shows the Wild Columbine (east coast variety), colors as defined by my books and internet.  Photo by Sage Ross.  Notice the reddish flower with the yellow inside.  My flowers are one solid color.