OCCOQUAN BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE RESERVE - FRIDAY - 10-22-21 - PART 1

We recently came across a new (to us) area to enjoy a walk.  The Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Reserve is 20 miles away, about 40 to 45 minutes by car.  We are fortunate that we can reach many of the areas we enjoy in the same amount of driving time, less sometimes.It is located where the Occoquan River meets the Potomac River in Woodbridge, Virginia, between Belmont Bay and Occoquan Bay.  It is a 644 acre site (2.61 km), and about half is wetlands.  You can read more about it here.

We had quite a long walk, almost 4 miles, which I have marked in yellow on the map above.  For us this is a long walk and I would be hard pressed to walk any further at this stage.  We do intend to go back and walk some of the other trails.  There is also a two-mile route that you can take by car.

By the time we saw the bench at the end of this path, it was calling to us like a siren song.  Benches have that effect, especially on me.  I am always grateful for them during our walks.  There were several along the way that we made use of.  With this being a week day I suppose, the place was very quiet.  We came across a handful of walkers, two couples and one lady.  All were very friendly. One couple said, "Did you see that?"  We hadn't but the lady told us that a deer had jumped out of the undergrowth and ran across the path directly in front of them.  You could tell it had made their day and  I was happy for their excitement.  

We came across all this deep red foliage and Gregg asked me what it was.  I told him I thought it was sumac. To be sure I looked it up on my 'Picture This' plant app and it is indeed sumac, Smooth Sumac to be precise.  It had tons of information.  Its botanical name is Rhus glabra, and its common names are Scarlet sumac, Vinegar tree, White sumac and Upland sumac.  It is native to North America.  My app said it is also one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory spices out there and yet its leaves contain chemicals that are harmful to humans when ingested, and can cause skin irritation, such as dermatitis when touched.  It also says it is inedible?  When planting you are supposed to wear gloves to protect yourself!  So I find the connection between 'the anti-inflammatory spice' and 'harmful to humans if ingested' a bit confusing.  We would have to ask a medical professional to explain this to us.

As you might guess, birds are attracted to the fruit which ripens in the summer and can still be seen on branches well into the winter, sometimes even until spring.  Birds you may see feasting include mockingbirds, veery, blue jays, chickadees, woodpeckers, red-eyed vireo, the hermit thrush, the American goldfinch and the American robin, and more.   They also attracts deer and opossums, and fox squirrels and cottontail rabbits like to eat its bark.  One last bit of information I read was that the leaves and wood can be used to create black ink.  Also Smooth sumac is dioecious and only the female plants produce berries.

The photo above is looking back in the direction we had come from, where the deer had run out in front of those walkers I mentioned.  When we started out it was very chilly and I had layered clothing.  I put an infinity scarf around my neck and was wearing a light cardigan over a short-sleeved top.  I was very comfortable wearing them, but as our walk progressed I didn't need them any more, and wrapped the scarf around my wrist and placed the cardy over my arm.

Near our first rest stop there was a sign.  We decided to leave the Painted Turtle Pond until next time, and headed towards Deephole Point Road.  We were eager to get to the water.

I didn't see a lot of thistles blooming, but perhaps my attention wasn't on them and I just didn't notice.  However, when I came across the one below, I snapped a photo.

There were many other things to take my interest away, and it wasn't until I got home and looked at my photo on the laptop, that I saw the insect below the bloom.  A search online revealed that it was an adult Spotted Cucumber Beetle.  These are a major pest to farmers.  Another common name for this bug is Corn Rootworm.  They are native to North America and found throughout the states.  More information can be found at this link.  

These were a few of the plants I noticed on our walk and I included the sumac in my collage.  The other plants I will go into more detail another time.

There's a butterfly in this photo but I will leave its close-ups for Part 2.

Thanks for looking and enjoy your day.