BUFFALO GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY INC.
Paul Krohn's Virtual Tour
July 4, 2020
Buffalo Geological Society Member Paul Krohn has invited us to host his “Virtual Tour” articles, originally written for his personal Facebook page. Paul is from North Tonawanda, New York and uses Facebook to share his photos and insight from local places of geologic interest.
I had a request to post pictures of the type of glass sponge fossils that can be found at the site I visited yesterday. Here are the two partial specimens I found there 2 weeks ago. In one shot The wild flower Viper’s Bugloss or Blueweed- a European species introduced as early as 1683. Photos taken in East Bethany NY on first leg of my expedition today. Note how brilliant and radiant the single plant’s flowers are growing on a very dry slope
On the old railroad grade on the way to a favorite fossil locality. The beautiful Butterfly Weeds are in bloom! I’ve always loved them. Ferns also- one of my favorite plants. Then through old field and on to fossil spot.
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Into the woods to a very prolific fossil locality. Here we will see naturally occurring oil in some pools in the nearly dried-up creek. You will see fossils literally paving the creek bed here where water over time has cut down into the Middle Devonian Period Centerfield Limestone which was a preserved environment of smaller coral reefs known as patch reefs. You will see the incredible profusion of fossils laying about- literally thousands of them- primarily extinct rugose and tabulate corals weathered free of the limestone.
Enlarge these photos to look at the wondrous array of fossils. A collector’s dream in a secreted, serene and idyllic setting. Take it in. This is your virtual fossil collecting trip with your favorite tour guide.
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Now back through old field with your backpack filled with wonderful fossil specimens and back up the old railroad grade to go to your next destination.
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On we have moved to Sour Springs Road in the Alabama Swamps taking us to the wonderful Onondaga trail providing exemplary views of a unique portion of the swamp. It was so hot today I didn’t even see turtles basking on logs like I usually do at this location.
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Lastly the very unique placement of old granite mill stones forming a rock wall in the edge of the woods near the parking lot. The granite that these stones are made of is not local to the area and I have never known where their source was, how they got here, or why they were placed here. They are all through the woods in this one little area and sure form a beautiful rustic stone wall shoring up the embankment here. And that is the end of your virtual 4th of July tour for the day. I hope you all enjoyed it. Stay tuned for further adventures with the roving naturalist.
Archived Virtual Tour articles will be posted every Sunday and Wednesday until we catch up to the most recent date.