Celery Farm and Beyond: Mysteries Answered: Part 1

Mandarin Duck: The Podcast

Mysteries Answered: Part 2

Mysteries Answered: Part 1

The past couple of weeks I've featured Monday Mysteries from a trip to New Orleans and Cajun Country.

I photographed the above arachnid mystery at a nature preserve in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Deedee Burnside correctly identified it as a Banana Spider. More about Banana Spiders here.

Joe Lafferty, meanwhile, correctly ID'd it as a Golden Silk Orb Weaver. More on Golden Silk Orb Weavers here.

Joe's photo of a similar spider is below. (Great shot, Joe!)

Congrats to both Deedee and Joe!

Tomorrow: One ugly (mystery) duck.

Featuring the Celery Farm Nature Preserve, Red-shouldered Hawks, High Mountain, and Jim Wright's column "The Bird Watcher."

Directions to The Fell House
Look for white house with pillars, white barn, on west side of Franklin Turnpike, just north of Cottage Place.
Directions to Green Way entrance to the Celery Farm
Green Way is off the Franklin Turnpike, the second right heading north after the Celery Farm parking lot on the Franklin Turnpike. Parking is in the cul de sac. This is a residential street, so please drive and park considerately. Please do not block the large gates leading into the Celery Farm, and please park parallel to the curb.
Directions To Celery Farm Main Parking Lot
Parking lot is on your right, north of Cottage Place, past three houses. Please do not park on the sidewalk -- it is illegal, by state law. You could damage the sidewalk, make it dangerous for pedestrians, and receive a ticket. (Pass the word if you see anyone parking on thes sidewalk.)

About Me
I am the author of "The Screech Owl Companion." My other books include "The Real James Bond" and large-format books about the New Jersey Meadowlands, Pennsylvania’s Hawk Mountain, Allendale's Celery Farm Nature Preserve, and the largest rainforest in Central America. I have also written e-books on Bald Eagles (including one for Duke Farms) and Red-shouldered Hawks. I have written “The Bird Watcher” column for The Record since 2009. I am a deputy marsh warden of the Celery Farm, a board member of Allendale's Lee Memorial Library, and a former trustee for The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey.