Wild Things

New Jersey Fossil Hunting

2012-01-16T14:02:00.003-05:00

While visiting relatives in New York over the summer, my family and I took a day trip to Monmouth County, New Jersey to search for fossils. We prepared ahead of time by making two sift trays and bringing hand trowels. Strolling through the streams was the perfect activity for such a hot summer day. It was a little hard on the back, but the rewards were worth it. The majority of fossils collected are from the Cretaceous Mount Laurel formation and are more than 75 million years old.

This is the top portion of Exogyra, an oyster that formed vast beds across the shallow sea floors. This is a very common fossil found in this area. Below is the bottom portion of the shell. Exogyra are also known as "devil's toenails."

These next fossils are guards of Belemnitella americana, an ancient squid-like creature from the Belemnoid family that went extinct during the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous. The animal reached lengths of up to 18 inches. The guards, which were found in the end portion of the animal, are sometimes callled "devil's fingers" or "thunderbolts."

We found several belemnite guards massed together in the soft muddy sides on either side of the stream. It is thought that many belemnites died en masse from mud slides or just after breeding.

This next item is a trace fossil, a portion of fossilized burrow belonging to a type of ghost shrimp (Protocallinassa mortoni). Holding this fossil sideways, one can see the hole excavated by the shrimp millions of years ago.

By far the most excitement was derived from the discovery of sharks' teeth. This display shows the

variety of teeth found mainly on gravel bars. Most are easy to spot because of their polished look. Identifying whose mouth they came from was a bit tricky. The first tooth on the left is from a goblin shark. Tooth #2 is probably from a porbeagle shark. Teeth #3 and #9 (last) are perhaps from a hybodont shark (best guess from looking at NJ fossil photos). Tooth #4 from left appears to be from a crow shark. Teeth #5, #6 and perhaps #7 possibly came from a sand tiger shark. The prize tooth find was #8 (2nd from last), which measures 3/4" across and 1" from root to tip. The jury is still out on that one. We think it's from a sand tiger shark. If you know, please comment below.

No trip to the woods would be complete without scat. Our hunt uncovered a nice shark coprolite.

We also discovered a bunch of "small stuff" including a snail shell, a fish vertebrae, smaller burrows and bits of coral and shells.

Not really positive what this is. Coral? Burrows? Concretion?

Lastly, the mystery bone fragment. If anyone knows what type of bone this is, please let me know. Here are some different views:

A big thank you to my son for assisting me with this blog entry.

Warm Winter

2012-01-16T13:04:00.000-05:00

We're having a pretty snowless winter with temperature above normal. After a recent warm rainy day, someone told me they found a spotted salamander wandering through their yard headed toward the vernal pool.

Some sightings from a recent hike:

Mallards enjoying a warm misty morning

A beaver lodge with freshly added sticks

A beaver food cache just outside the lodge

A beaver scent mound

Evidence of white-tailed deer

This deer track should be in snow!

Log rolling

2011-10-13T10:56:00.001-04:00

Rotting logs are great places to explore, especially with children. Logs are home to a variety of invertebrates: centipedes, millipedes, slugs, wood lice, earthworms, mites, harvestmen, snails, and beetles. Often larger creatures such as snakes, salamanders, and toads can be found under and around rotting logs. Logs also host a variety of fungi. Decomposers like fungi and bacteria break down logs into soil material.

So, here's what we found on a recent log rolling hike:

(1) Lots of leopard slugs (Limax maximus) also called giant garden slugs and their eggs.

These large noctural slugs devour fungi and dead plant matter as well as smaller slugs. Leopard slugs are hemaphrodites (they contain both male and female reproductive organs).

(2) Spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) digging their way into the soft soil where they will live during the fall and winter. Here the salamanders will find plenty of worms, slugs and spiders to eat. In the spring, they will join other spotted salamanders headed to the nearby vernal pool to mate and lay eggs.

(3) Redback salamanders and their eggs - redback salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) are common throughout Massachusetts. They hunt at night for small invertebrates, so log habitats are perfect places for keeping moist and finding food. Unlike spotted salamanders, redbacks are terrestrial throughout their life cycle. Eggs are laid in clumps under logs and take about two months to hatch.

(4) Red efts (Notophtalmus viridescens) which represent one of the four stages of the life cycle of the red-spotted newt (egg - larvae - eft - adult). Efts are terrestrial juveniles that feed on spiders and other invertebrates. Like other brightly colored creatures, efts' bright orange skin warns predators of their toxicity.

(5) Baby garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) - this very young garter snake was one of several born during the last 2-3 weeks. A log provides a great hiding place from hawks, opossums and other predators as well as plenty of worms to eat. This little one was okay with being handled, but did not like the camera.

(6) Sow bugs or wood lice are actually crustaceans. Because they have gills, they need humidity to live. A wet rotting log not only provides moisture, but also the decaying matter which these isopods feed on.

(7) Common black ground beetles (Pterostichus melanarius) looking for soft-bodied prey such as maggots and caterpillars.

(8) Rove beetles looking for maggots, other insects and decaying matter.

(9) Beetle larvae or grubs

As you can see, there's plenty to discover under a log. Happy hunting and don't forget to put rolled logs back into their original position.

Name Those Larvae

2011-09-29T15:48:00.000-04:00

Waiting for the school bus on a rainy morning last week, my daughter peered curiously at the ground. "That looks like a moving piece of rope," she said pointing to a spot on the sidewalk. We both hunched down with our faces just inches off the ground to take a closer look. What a curious sight! There, making its way across the sidewalk, was a "rope" made up of tiny larvae with black heads and rears piled high on top of one another. They moved in unison and carried along two or three larger white larvae. At one point there was dissent among the ranks as some of the larvae in front decided to head toward the right while others branched leftward. After a few seconds, the rebellious right-going larvae changed direction and headed left with the rest of the gang. Every other larvae in line followed right along, one sliding over the other in a sticky train.

Six hours later, after school, my daughter and I headed back to the same spot and were amazed to find that the larvae train was still there! I snapped some photos and a short video so I could try to identify these strange critters. Cucumber beetle larvae? Please comment if you know what these are!

Pond Visitors

2011-09-29T11:36:00.001-04:00

Yesterday afternoon when the sun was blazing, I stopped at our small pond to see if anything new had arrived. I wasn't disappointed. At first, I saw this garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) sunning itself atop the frogbit. It wove itself in and out of the pickerel weed, then quickly slid out of the pond, under the fence and into my neighbor's stone wall.

But then I noticed a snout pushing out from the frogbit. Another larger garter snake was hidden beneath the surface.

My son and I watch for about 15 minutes as this larger snake emerged from the pond and basked on the rocks. Perhaps it had just had a meal since it was sluggish, did not seem bothered by our presence, and readjusted its jaws 4 or 5 times as it shifted positions on the edge of the pond.

This green frog who lives in the pond returned from its hiding place in the garden once the snake left.

A wooly bear caterpillar was unfazed by all the activity and kept munching away on frogbit.

Fungi Galore

2011-09-26T13:26:00.001-04:00

All this rain, rain, rain has resulted in some amazing fungi eruptions. I'll confess right now to not knowing much about identifying mushrooms. What we see are just the fruiting bodies of fungus which is undergound. The underground portion can be quite massive. How massive, you ask? According to an article in Scientific American the largest fungus is located in Oregon and is estimated to be 2,400 years old. It covers 2,200 acres. Click this link for another interesting article about huge fungi.

I hiked around and photographed as many different types of fungi as I could. The variety of colors, shapes and sizes are amazing. Don't forget fungi's important task: breaking down organic matter. I used the book, Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America by Roger Phillips, to help identify some of the fungi I found. The book contains large, clear color photos. Still, it was no easy task. Please feel free to correct a label or add one. Above all, please don't eat wild mushrooms unless you know what you are doing! Enjoy the fungus photo shoot.

agaric

polypore - bracket fungus

agarics

russula

one of my favorites - coral fungus (Ramaria)

coral fungus

mycena

agaric

polypore - bracket fungus

puffball fungus

Another favorite - bird's nest fungus (Cyathus) - note the tiny dark "eggs" or basidiospores which are used in reproduction. These were growing in a flower pot.

This fungus looked like a white brain growing from a rotted log.

Orange jelly fungus

Coral fungus (Ramaria)

a coral or tooth fungus (Ramaria)

another polypore - turkey tail

and another polypore ....

White squirrels

2011-08-26T15:41:00.000-04:00

There are mostly typical Eastern gray squirrels (Sciuridae carolinensis) around town, but I have heard about one particular neighborhood where white squirrels are more abundant. While looking for water snakes at West Parish, I spotted this white squirrel darting about. I had seen one on another occasion maybe two years ago about a mile from this location. This squirrel was exceptionally skittish, so I never got close enough to tell if it had the pink or bluish eyes of a true albino or if its eyes were dark, an indication that it is a color variant of the gray squirrel.

In any case, white squirrels are always a treat to see. Somehow a white squirrel seems almost magical. While looking up information about white squirrels, I was amused to see how many locations around the country like Brevard, NC "Home of the White Squirrel" and Olney, IL have populations of white squirrels that come complete with legends and theories.

Black Swallowtail Butterflies

2011-08-14T16:06:00.037-04:00

It's been 10 days since the caterpillars formed their green or brown pupae and the first round have emerged on time as beautiful Eastern black swallowtail butterflies (Papilo polyxenes). The butterflies are velvety black with blue and yellow spots above and orange spots under the wings. Male butterflies, like the one below, have a more prominent band of yellow spots.

This is a female butterfly, showing more blue color banding.

Eastern swallowtail butterflies mimic the colors of the poisonous Pipevine swallowtail to avoid being eaten. All the butterflies will be released after they emerge during the next week or so.

Ambushed!

2011-08-04T16:29:00.000-04:00

A jagged ambush bug captures an unfortunate skipper during its visit to the flowers on a butterfly bush. This small greenish bug hides underneath leaves and flowers, using its forelimbs to grab butterflies, bees and other insects when they land.

Emerging Cicadas

2011-08-04T11:52:00.000-04:00

July and August mark the emergence of cicadas here in the northeast. The nymphs have crawled onto trees, plants or in one case, the cover of our smoker, to hold fast and molt.

This cicada was still resting on its shed skin.

Black Swallowtail Caterpillars - 2 weeks later

2011-08-04T11:38:00.000-04:00

Two weeks have gone by and the tiny fuzzy black caterpillars have grown into chubby striped voracious eaters. This one is the youngest and still has about a week of growing to do.

The caterpillar below has reached its maximum size of about 1.5 inches and should be pupating in the next day or so.

These side by side caterpillars show two variations in color. The greener one is from my mom's garden.

The caterpillar below has just turned into a chrysalis. When they are ready to pupate, the caterpillars begin to slow down and find an appropriate spot on a stick to adhere themselves. The chrysalis is attached at one end and hangs by a couple of silken threads.

Notice the caterpillar on the top left of this photo, showing its osmetrium, the orange "horns" which protrude and emit a foul odor when the catepillar feels threatened.

Here's another shot of the osmetrium.

In about 10 -14 days, we expect to release 15 black swallowtails.

Black Swallowtail Eggs

2011-07-21T11:38:00.001-04:00

I'm not the only one using the parsley in my vegetable garden. About five days ago, my son noticed an Eastern Black Swallowtail ( Papilio polyxenes) laying eggs on the parsley. So as not to accidentally add them to our menu, we clipped off the parsley and eggs. Since then, the 8-10 tiny cream colored pearls have hatched.

This is a close-up of one of the freshly laid eggs.

The eggs became dark when they were ready to hatch. Compare the darker color of the egg below with the "fresher" one above.

Hatching takes place just 4-8 days after the eggs have been laid on the host plant. This catepillar had recently emerged and was caught eating the remnants of its egg case. Look closely and you can see the wispy bits of egg case sticking to the leaf and catepillar.

These first instars are black and oh so tiny - maybe a milimeter or two long. But they'll grow quickly, I'm sure!

Caught in the Act

2011-07-20T12:11:00.001-04:00

The evidence: Shreds of cocoa fiber from the hanging strawberry basket found on the deck.

The culprit: A female goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) plucking fibers for her nest. What a cute mugshot! She was so intent on gathering materials that she didn't mind me shooting this photo.

This (mid-July) is prime nesting time for goldfinches. For a couple of weeks, the males have been zooming after each other. Their bright color and lively squeaky voices make them one of my favorite backyard visitors. Hear them at: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/sounds

Spring is here!

2011-03-18T11:00:00.015-04:00

At last, some signs of spring!

Maple sugaring buckets are gone. Most nights have been above freezing and the days have been 40s and 50s, marking the end of sap flow.

Eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) are nesting. The male is the bright blue bird on the left.
Click this link to hear Eastern Bluebird sounds.

Another bird to listen for is the Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). The males arrive here earlier than the females to seek out the best nesting spots. See a better photo and hear the distinctive trilling of the Red-winged blackbird.

It's also time for spring peepers, wood frogs and salamanders to make an appearance. Many people in Mass. have reported seeing salamanders, snakes, and frogs although much later than last year. We've been checking the nearby vernal pools and while the ice has melted for the most part, there are no signs of visitors.

Here's a spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) that visited our backyard pond last summer. Looking forward to those warm sunny days.

Snow, Snow, Snow...

2011-02-26T20:30:00.000-05:00

and more snow! According to the National Weather Service, Boston has had over 71.2 inches of snow as of February 14. Our driveway is surrounded by walls of snow and in some places in the yard it's thigh deep.

So, what do you do if you live around here? Animals have three choices: adapt, hibernate, or migrate.

I continue to feed the non-migratory birds and they're now allowing us to come a little closer to watch. One of my favorites, the red bellied woodpecker came by for a week but we haven't seen him since.

Birds adapt by getting their fill of food during the day and fluffing out their feathers for warmth.

Many people think squirrels are hibernating, but they're actually very active. A pair of red squirrels have made tunnels leading to the feeder posts. They're also small enough to squeeze through the holes in the squirrel proof suet feeder, but one bark from our Sheltie sends them running for cover.

Our dog smells all the animals that have been burrowing in the snow and spends a lot of time with his head buried trying to track them down.

The kids like to get in on it too.

When the snow melts, pathways made by voles and other little critters are visible showing that there's quite a bit of activity going on beneath the snow in the subnivian layer.

A great book to read about nature in winter is Bernd Heinrich's Winter World. Children will enjoy discovering wintering animals in Melissa Stewart's Under the Snow.

On the first day of Christmas...

2011-01-29T12:46:00.001-05:00

a good friend gave to me - one frozen warbler. This poor little thing was found by a friend, frozen stiff on her back porch steps in mid-December. I think it's a female yellow-rumped warbler. This bird is primarily an insect eater during the summer but will take berries and seeds in the winter so it doesn't necessarily leave the area. I'm not sure what happened to this bird. Maybe it couldn't find enough food.

The special thing is it's wearing a leg band. Right now it's in my freezer, next to the package of blood worms and the frozen corn nibblets. When the weather clears up, I may bring it to Joppa Flats, the Audubon sanctuary in Newburyport where bird banding is done every Spring. They'll be able to read the information on the band that tells when and where this bird was banded and approximately how old it was when caught. I may try reading the band and reporting the information myself.

What should you do if you ever find a banded bird? Here's a link to the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center that explains how to identify the different types of bands and how to report finding a banded bird. http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/homepage/btypes.htm

Who's at the feeder

2010-12-23T12:39:00.000-05:00

We've had a our first few inches of snow this past week and the birds are flocking to the backyard feeders. I like to hang suet for the woodpeckers and a mixed seed feeder which the songbirds prefer. My "blind" is a curtained living room window that overlooks the back yard. It's hard to sneak the squeaky screen up and down without scaring off the birds, but I have managed to get some photos. Of course, the crazed barking Sheltie at my side doesn't help matters much. Here's who we've seen so far:

The juncos were some of the first birds to arrive, hopping and pecking around the ground below the feeders.

They're peaceful and don't seem to mind the company of others like this male cardinal.

The tufted titmice are always present, side by side with plenty of chickadees.

These cheeky little birds allow us to get pretty close before flying off.

By far my favorite visitor has been this red-breasted nuthatch. There are plenty of white breasted nuthatches, but I haven't seen a red one in many years. This bird comes every day and prefers suet to seed. This bird's tiny size doesn't stop it from fighting off every other bird that comes to the feeders.

One of the largest birds is this hairy woodpecker. Despite his size, this male is very easily frightened away by the slightest noise or intrusion.

He can only peck at the suet from outside the squirrel proof cage, so he'll fly to the ground to pick bits of suet that he's managed to break off.

Unlike the hairy woodpecker, the downy woodpeckers are small enough to fit inside the suet cage.

Some other ground visitors include blue jays,

mourning doves,

white-throated sparrows, and

female cardinals.

But no one can clear a feast like the red-tailed hawk that patrols the neighborhood feeders. This hawk landed in a tree just behind our house and I was lucky enough to catch a couple of quick shots at dusk before it flew off.

Hang some feeders and enjoy the show!

Seirarctia echo

2010-10-08T17:33:00.000-04:00

This smartweed caterpillar will become a Smeared Dagger Moth (Acronicta oblinita). They range from southern Canada down the east coast to Florida. This one was roaming around beside a pond.

Happy Birthday!

2010-10-03T11:32:00.001-04:00

Happy 18th birthday, Hobbes!

Blob blog

2010-09-30T10:38:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned on yesterday's "What's That?" post, I had no idea what the weird blobs I had found last weekend could possibly be. Thanks to Steve Willson of Blue Jay Barrens for his answer: BRYOZOANS. Try googling bryozoans and you'll see lots of references to alien life forms.

These particular blobs are actually Pectinatella magnifica a freshwater species of bryozoans or moss animals. They're colonies of tiny aquatic invertebrates with an extensive fossil record going back 500 million years.

The majority of bryozoan species are found in salt water. Each colony is made up of individual animals called zooids. They are filter feeders with tentacles for grabbing tiny protozoa and algae from the surrounding water. Some species give off chemicals that are being studied for use in medicine.

Amazing, fascinating creatures. Reminds me of "The Borg" from Star Trek. Intrigued and want to learn more? Visit these websites: http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.river/bryozoa.html and
http://www.wright.edu/~tim.wood/ (a professor studying freshwater bryozoans)
http://www.bryozoans.nl/index_en.html (gorgeous photos of freshwater bryozoans including species found in Europe)
http://www.micrographia.com/specbiol/bryoz/bryo/loph0100/pectindg.htm (This link has a great detailed black and white drawing of Pectinatella magnifica

What's that Wednesday is back

2010-09-29T13:08:00.000-04:00

After not posting "What's that Wednesday" photos in a long time, I'm back with a real stumper. I have no idea what this mass is and would love to hear from readers. It's very solid to the touch. There were two masses, one a bit larger than the other, stuck to the bottom of a nearby pond next to a log near shore. Although they're gelatinous, they are very heavy and not loose like salamander egg masses. It's quite firm and solid.
Here they are in the water:

This is the larger mass close up:

More swans and other birds

2010-09-29T12:42:00.002-04:00

The mute swans and one cygnet were feasting on plants in a small beaver pool and I was able to get closer shots. The initial clutch of eggs contained about 7 cygnets, but only this one remains. Maybe it hatched later? Last winter the adults left and one juvenile overwintered on the pond. Adults will sometimes migrate to salt water during the winter. Perhaps this youngster will overwinter here.

The male swan hissed loudly at me and my Sheltie the first time we encountered them on a walk a couple of weeks ago. This time, these two seemed relaxed and weren't at all bothered by our presence.

A quiet mallard couple was busy dabbling in the shallows.

A flock of Canadian geese squabbled loudly, fighting the swans for pond real estate.

Here they find a moment to preen. The vegetation is changing color, providing a glowing red and gold backdrop.

A little killdeer steered clear of the ruckus on its own mud flat in the middle of the pond.

Hiking Baker's Meadow

2010-09-19T15:12:00.000-04:00

We spent a beautiful crisp morning hiking at Baker's Meadow. The beavers created this pool which has become carpeted with duckweed.

Two adult mute swans (Cygnus olor) and their youngster patrolled the pond, diligently keeping intruders at bay with their loud hissing. They feed on the numerous aquatic plants growing in and along the banks of the pond.

The swans and Canadian geese weren't alone. Two Great Blue herons (Ardea herodias) held their ground like sentries, catching fish (there are sunfish and bass) and lazily preening in the warm sunlight.

Fairy House Tour

2010-09-19T12:43:00.002-04:00

My daughter and I went with friends to our second Fairy House Tour in Portsmouth, NH this weekend. It was a perfect day and the displays were wonderful. Building fairy houses is a great way to get kids outdoors and interested in the natural world. Fall is an ideal time to build. The weather is cooler and there's an abundance of building materials - acorns, tree bark, twigs, moss, pods, and seeds. Some builders even use seashells. I love the details. Here are some of the imaginative houses built by both children and adults:

This last one was labeled "The Nut House." What a great way to use all those acorns littering your driveway. Have fun using your imagination! For more information visit: http://www.fairyhouses.com/

Build it and they will come

2010-08-07T14:54:00.000-04:00

Since we moved into our new home three years ago, we've been contemplating adding a water feature to our back yard. But we soon found out that digging through rocks and roots was a challenge we weren't up to. Other factors like lots of children running through the yard and having to hook up an electrical line to run a filter made us think twice about constructing a pond.

A compromise was in order. After considering container water gardens, we thought why not do the same thing but with a small pond form?

Lowes had just the thing - a fifty gallon preformed kidney-shaped pond liner. Add a few plants - some water hyacinth, a hardy lily and some pickerel weed - and voila a beautiful low maintenance water feature. But would it attract the wildlife we were hoping for?

At first, we got a load of mosquitos. A couple of attempts to add small fish to eat the larvae failed. Then, our luck changed.

In mid-July, my son came home with two green frogs he'd rescued from our neighbor's pool. Into the pond they went. Luckily, they decided to stay. When we returned from a week's vacation, our two-frog pond had become a five frog pond. Goodbye mosquitos.

These little frogs have staked out territories. There's the lily pad frog, the pickerel frog, and the rock frog.

We were quite overzealous with our plant purchase, so we decided to add a whisky barrel water garden alongside the pond.

This container houses water lettuce and a fun and funky dwarf papyrus. It's addictive!

Painted Turtle Lays Her Eggs

2010-06-21T18:40:00.033-04:00

Saturday was egg laying day for the painted turtles in our neighborhood. First we spotted this female trying to burrow into our lawn and moved her along to a more turtle-friendly area away from dogs and cars.

Later that night while walking my Sheltie, I discovered another painted turtle on a neighbor's lawn. This one had already dug her hole. I ran home and got the kids and the camera. My daughter videotaped the egg laying. The turtle layed seven eggs, deftly catching each one with her curled right hind foot before depositing it into the moist hole.

The turtle's nesting spot was too close to the street, so my son took her down to the creek away from traffic. We covered the hole and noted the spot. Eighty days from now - around September 7 -seven baby painted turtles will make their way into the world. The short clip below shows the first two eggs being laid.

New Babies!

2010-06-04T17:20:00.000-04:00

As I type this entry, dozens of Chinese praying mantises are hatching from their ootheca (egg case) in the living room. We're always so excited for this wonderous happening every year after keeping the egg case cool in the fridge over the winter. Today, the children were home from school and got a chance to witness the emerging babies.

Leopards in the Grass

2010-06-02T11:11:00.000-04:00

Leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens), that is. I took a group of first graders on a hike yesterday to learn about ecosystems and and they were thrilled to see so many leopard frogs. I wasn't sure if frogs were going to be exciting enough for them since the list of animals they told me they expected to see before we began our hike included bears, pandas, moose, and platypus. Sorry kids, not today!

But they were thrilled with the frogs, toads, insects and pond creatures they found. One little boy told me he'd never seen a live frog before so he was especially excited (he was the one who mentioned the possibility of spying a platypus in the Ipswich River).

We found the two pictured above beside the vernal pool. The frog in the top photo appears gravid. Once they've bred and laid their eggs, the leopard frogs will move out into the surrounding woods or grassy meadows where they can feed on insects. One child in the class caught a leopard frog in the grassy field where he was sweeping for insects.

Depending on the weather, the eggs will hatch on average in about 15 days. Metamorphosis takes about 11 weeks. The juvenile frogs then head out toward areas with tall vegetation. Once winter comes, leopard frogs return to the water to hibernate until spring.

Click here http://www.yale.edu/peabody/collections/vz/her_leopard.html to hear a sample of one of the leopard frog's calls. Like many amphibians, northern leopard frogs are highly sensitive to the conditions of the environment and may exhibit physical deformities such as extra legs in response to pollution. In some areas, especially Canada, populations of northern leopard frogs are declining.

What's That? Wednesday

2010-06-02T10:38:00.000-04:00

Time for another What's That? Wednesday photo. Good luck!

Orb Weaver Spiderlings

2010-05-26T12:07:00.000-04:00

I came across this tiny yellow cluster on my back porch and thought it was a mass of eggs. But a light touch sent the "eggs" scurrying in all directions and I realized these little beauties were spiderlings. A moment later, they ran back to their original site and huddled together again.

These tiny yellow dots with black bottoms are Cross Orb Weaver (Araneus diadematus) spiderlings.

I took this photo of an adult weaver spider in August 2009 in the same location where the babies were found so perhaps this is a relative (mom?). The females lay their yellow cocoons filled with eggs (up to 900!) in September, so these spiderlings may very well be hers.

After last week's soaking rain, the spiderlings had dispersed, but a day later I found them gathered together in a new location. They had taken up residence in the plant hanger attached to the porch railing. I found their drive to cluster together very endearing. Some of the babies had woven silky runners between the hanger and nearby bushes and were venturing out on their own. Within a couple of days, they had all gone their separate ways.

Turtle Day

2010-05-26T11:04:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was turtle day. As I was driving home from work, I approached something that looked like a rock in the road. As I drove closer, I noticed it was actually a turtle tucked into its shell, so I pulled over and got out of the car to take a look. It was an eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta). Lucky for the turtle that the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary was on the other side of the street. Hopefully the relocation worked out.

Around 4 PM I received a call from a neighbor who said she had a turtle in her yard that had been there all day. Would I mind going over to take a look?

Sure, why not? The kids grabbed a bucket and we headed over, expecting another painted turtle that probably had wandered from the nearby creek. What we got was something completely different.

This mama snapper had decided that the mulch in my neighbor's front yard was a good spot to lay her eggs. While my son distracted her front end with a large stick which she snapped at furiously, I was able to maneuver her into a large bucket and get her back to the nearby stream that leads into a larger body of water. The neighborhood kids got a chance to see an amazing creature and witness her strength.

Cornell's Lost Ladybug Project

2010-05-18T11:07:00.000-04:00

I blogged about this last year, but just wanted to remind readers that Cornell University is still running its Lost Ladybug Project. The aim of this citizen science project is to track the changing distribution patterns of ladybugs in the United States. Scientists are especially concerned about the reduced numbers of native ladybugs. This project makes a great school science class or family activity.

My children and I have been collecting ladybug data since last year. Before contributing, we never thought much about ladybugs or looked at them very closely. Now, no ladybug is just a ladybug. The occasional rare find is exciting. The beetles are photographed, location data is collected, and the photos and data are uploaded to the website where you can see other finds from around the country.

Our two unusual finds for this year include the Eye-spotted ladybug (Anatis mali)

and the rarely seen native Two-Spotted Ladybug (Adalia bipunctata) pictured below. This one landed on my son during recess yesterday. He quickly drank the rest of his water and used the bottle to bring the ladybug home to be photographed and uploaded to the website.

Robin chick update

2010-05-18T10:26:00.000-04:00

Look how much the chicks have grown in just four days! Now they're more alert - their eyes are open and they turn their heads to look when I photograph them. Their previously fluff covered bodies are now filling in with pin feathers. They'll be ready to go in a couple of weeks, maybe less.

Signs of Spring

2010-05-13T16:25:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite signs of Spring - baby birds. Sometimes the story ends happily, and other times, not so...

I found this beautiful black-capped chickadee egg on the ground near some bushes that abut the back porch. I've looked and looked, but can't find the nest.

These two eggs are all that remain of a clutch of four that was laid in a nest in a bush near our front door. Sadly, the robin parents abandoned the nest which they had built at a very steep angle. The other two eggs had fallen out after stormy weather. It looks like the babies were just about to hatch.

On a positive note, these week-old robin cuties are doing quite well. Their nest is located in a small fir adjacent to our back porch so we can get a good look and track their progress.

Wood Pile Surprise

2010-04-30T18:00:00.000-04:00

I knew (hoped?) when I began dismantling the wood pile against our shed that I'd find something neat hidden in the damp logs. As expected there was a midden - piles and piles of cracked acorns eaten by the chipmunks we see darting about the yard. Inside the wet and rotted wood were sow bugs of all ages, beetles and earthworms. And then, I saw something unusual. A lump of mud. But this otherwise ordinary lump had carefully carved chambers. And within those chambers, plump yellow pupae nestled peacefully.

One of the chambers contained a dead spider, legs neatly tucked against its body. What insect had engineered such a intricate ball of life and death?

This wonderous sarcophagus was the work of a mud dauber, a type of thin-waisted wasp. I'm not positive, but judging from the nest's location and shape, I believe it was built by a Yellow and Black mud dauber (Sceliphron caementarium). The female carries mud in her mandibles to a chosen location (they like eaves, wood piles, sheds, etc.) and constructs hollow tubes. She then plasters them over with additional mud to form a nest. Each chamber is stuffed with a spider she has paralyzed. Next, the female lays an egg in each chamber and seals it shut. The spider will serve as a meal for the developing larva.

An interesting fact: mud daubers of different species (there are 5 in the U.S.) prefer different spiders.

Answer to March 31 "What'sThat?"

2010-04-27T15:47:00.000-04:00

That was a close-up of a green frog's eardrum.

What's That? Wednesday

2010-03-31T21:28:00.000-04:00

What's That?

Can you guess what this close-up shot is?

Big Night Weeks

2010-03-31T11:54:00.000-04:00

Determined to witness a frog and salamander migration this year, we've been setting out night after night in some pretty hideous weather conditions. This wonderful vernal pool is just a couple of minutes from home and has proven semi-fruitful with fairy shrimp (Anostraca) and frogs. These fairy shrimp were pretty large.

On our first expedition, we heard the unmistakable peeping of spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) and got very close to this male who was intent on winning a female by singing his heart out.

As it got darker, the quacking of the wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) began. The peepers kept to the side of the pool closest to the road while the wood frogs prefered the area of denser twigs and fallen logs on the opposite side. At first we spotted just a few wood frogs swimming about, but as the night darkened, the quacking became louder and more urgent.

Quite a few frogs in amplexus (froggy love embrace) were just beneath the water's surface.

As things became more heated, female wood frogs began leaving the water and hopping all around our feet. Here's one just at the toe of my daughter's boot.

We had to be very careful about where we stepped. Under a submerged log, a mass of wood frog eggs had already been laid.

My son was lucky enough to see an adult spotted salamander swim by, but that was the only salamander sighting even after several return visits during the last week. Perhaps it was the male who left behind these spermatophores on a leaf near the pool's edge.

It's been pouring like mad again these last two days and the temperature is rising. Maybe we'll still get lucky and find some breeding salamanders.

Barred Owl Treat

2010-03-25T08:10:00.000-04:00

We've been eagerly anticipating "Big Night" since February, waiting patiently for the right combination of temperature and rain to head out to our local vernal pools. Our first attempt was earlier this month after some heavy rains. We made it a combo trip - geocaching and checking out vernal pools at a more heavily wooded part of Harold Parker State Park that we hadn't explored before. Just minutes into our hike, we heard "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?" - the call of the barred owl (Strix varia). Another nearby owl answered. What a boon!

Naturally, the kids and I put our calling skills to the test and were richly rewarded by a gorgeous barred owl who flew between two tall trees just a few yards away. It stayed for a few minutes and thrilled us by obligingly returning our calls. As an added bonus, the owl appeared to have a snake dangling from its talons! Barred owls begin breeding in the cold of February, so perhaps this owl was bringing a prized meal home for its brooding mate.

No luck with the frogs and salamanders, but we did hear our first Spring Peeper that day.

Maple Sugaring Haiku

2010-03-19T12:24:00.000-04:00

A maple sugaring haiku I wrote in celebration of maple sugaring season.

Ancient maples pierced

golden elixir flows free

nature’s ambrosia

I'm Back & Geocaching

2010-01-12T15:40:00.000-05:00

I'm back! It feels good to be back after a hectic break during which my camera broke, my laptop stopped working and my computer decided not to read anything in the disc drive. Add to that kids home for Christmas vacation, tons of snow and...well you get the picture. No writing.

Well, at least we had a great start to the New Year. On January 1 we started a great new family pastime - geocaching. We're trekkers anyway, and geocaching adds a fun treasure hunt element to the hike. The impetus was a new phone my husband got that allows him to download apps. The geocaching app turns the phone into a handheld GPS device. We started by visiting Geocaching.com and creating a free account. Typing in a zip code generates a list of caches in the area. Our first cache was in town about a mile and a half into the woods on a nice trail. It took a bit of hunting around the stone wall, but we eventually discovered the box. The kids had a great time writing in the log, choosing a trinket to take, and leaving one for the next adventurer. Some cache boxes contain geocoins or travelbug tags which are registered and can be taken from location to location. Their journeys can be tracked online.

There are thousands of caches hidden all over the world. Get out and give it a try!

Daddy, daughter & Dash enjoying the snowy hike.

Cache discovered!

What's That? Wednesday #2

2009-12-02T16:42:00.000-05:00

What's that?

Good luck! Answer posted next Wednesday.

What's That? Wednesday - Answer to last week's photo puzzle

2009-11-25T12:20:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Steve and Kenton and Rebecca for their correct answers to last week's "What's That?" photo puzzle. Steve's guess of Osage Orange was right as was Kenton and Rebecca's guess of Hedge apple. By coincidence, Steve had blogged about osage oranges the same day I posted the photo. Read about osage oranges on his blog at Blue Jay Barrens.

The osage orange (Macula pomifera) is found naturally in areas of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas but has been grown in other parts of the U.S. This particular osage orange tree is growing on the property of Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield where there are several non-native species of trees which were brought onto the property in the early 1900s when it was owned by Thomas Proctor.

Osage orange fruit is not edible, but some animals especially squirrels and deer will eat the seeds. The trees were often grown in rows for use as fences in prairie regions.

There's some interesting folklore surrounding the osage orange. As Kenton and Rebecca pointed out, Hedge apples are sold to deter insects but there's no scientific proof that they do keep spiders, roaches, etc. away.

Thanks to all who answered. No puzzle this Wednesday - will be away for the holiday. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The Birds!

2009-11-25T09:44:00.000-05:00

With the onset of fall, the common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula) are flocking in the hundreds and its a pretty astounding sight. This past week, their collective din has been so loud it drowns out the drone of local and highway traffic, heavy machinery, and any other outdoor sounds in our neighborhood. They were out traveling en masse in the mid-morning when I took this photo. First they gathered together in trees on the edge of the street, then some impetus made them fly and land in our back yard.

They pecked around in a frenzy, staying for only a couple of minutes before some other impulse made them take off for the woods. When they gather in the trees, they squeak and squawk, but when they fly off there's an eerie quiet and a sudden whoosh of wings in flight. You can hear the sudden hush in the video below.

Some flocks grow to enormous proportions, numbering over a million birds. This 2007 article from The Boston Globe highlights such a flock which frequents an area off I-93 in Methuen. The birds gather before migration, although not all head south. Grackles eat just about anything and can become a problem when congregating in such large groups. Flocks cause damage to buildings with their feces and ravage agricultural crops, especially corn.

"What's That?" Wednesdays

2009-11-18T10:23:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd try something new on this blog - a weekly photo puzzle. Starting today, Wednesday posts will feature a close-up view of something from the natural world. Please try your hand at guessing and post your answer in the comments section below. Sometimes there will be hints. Answer to this week's photo puzzle will be published next Wednesday. Good luck!

What's That?

Hint: a fruit found in Oklahoma,Texas and Arkansas, not native to Massachusetts but can be found here

Caught on Camera - Black Bears

2009-11-09T10:21:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my sister who lives in Connecticut and sent me these photos of a black bear (Ursus americanus) out for a midnight munch. Her and her husband often set up a motion sensitive camera in the woods behind their home to get a glimpse of who's hanging around in the wee hours of the night.

This is the first time they've caught a black bear on film. Most visitors are deer, oppossum, racoons, and coyotes. According to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, there have been over 1,300 reported black bear sightings in the state since November 2008. It's hard to believe that during the 1800s black bears were almost completely wiped out in Connecticut.

Black bear are omnivores and eat anything from insects to grasses, fruits, nuts, berries, carrion and small mammals. Of course, they're also attracted by garbage and seeds and suet put out for birds. At this time of year, the bears are getting ready to den for the winter. Contrary to popular belief, black bears are not true hibernators and will come out during the winter. Bear cubs are born during the winter in January or February weighing only a few ounces. But they can really pack on the pounds. By the time they're adults, males can weigh up to 400+ pounds and females about 200 pounds.

Closer to home, a black bear was spotted in Methuen, Mass. this September checking out someone's backyard pig sty. MassWildlife biologists have been studying Massachusett's black bear population since the 1970s. It currently stands about 3,000. Unlike Connecticut, Massachusetts does have a regulated black bear hunting season to help keep the population in check. See their site for excellent information on Massachusetts' black bears.

You Know It's Fall in New England When...

2009-10-22T15:36:00.000-04:00

It's definitely feeling like fall has finally arrived with temperatures in the 40's and 50's. Here are some signs that autumn is here.

The snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) have hatched and are making their way to a nearby wetland habitat. I found this palm-sized little one on our back lawn during a torrential downpour last week. The "snapper" is found across Massachusetts and lays its eggs in late May and June. Sometimes, as in this case, the nesting spot is a suburban lawn. Year after year, this baby's mother excavates her nest in the mulch around our neighbor's mailbox. After a period of incubation of about 90 days, the young ones hatch and make their way across the street, past cars, dogs, birds, lawn furniture and swimming pools, finally reaching a creek which empties into a large pond. I released this snapper at the pond where it will feed on small fish, carrion, invertebrates and aquatic plants. Snapping turtles can live more than 50 years.

A more irksome sign that cooler weather is on its way - swarming ladybugs! Our south-facing home becomes a nice warm surface for lady beetles trying to get in from the cold. Lady beetles typically burrow under tree bark or logs to wait out the winter, but the smart ones find their way into cozy homes. Older homes with cracks provide plenty of spaces where lady beetles can come in. Luckily, we had new windows installed last year, so the only lady beetles getting in are the ones that come in and out through the doors with us. Most of the lady beetles are the Asian multi-colored lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis) which entomologists believe were introduced into the United States in the 1980s. After entering a home, lady bugs can last the winter by entering a state of diapause during which they stop growing and live off their body fat. Many die, however, from dehydration.

Another home invader making its fall appearance is the Western conifer seed bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis), a type of leaf-footed stink bug. Originally found in the Pacific Northwest, these bugs have been making their way east and have been here since the early 1990s.

They are true bugs, using their sucking mouth parts to extract the juicy pulp of conifer seeds. Like ladybugs, the seed bugs are looking for a good safe place to overwinter and live up to their stink bug reputation by releasing an unpleasant odor when disturbed. Fortunately, they're slow and easy to catch and relocate.

The recent fall rains have added quite a bit of moisture to the land and we're discovering more redback salamanders (Plethodon cinereus), both in the red and darker "lead-back" phase. Below are a red and lead back which reside under some bricks beneath our porch.

These helpful little creatures forage at night on slugs, spiders, worms, and other invertebrates. Redbacks are terrestrial and lungless, breathing instead through their skin. In fall, redbacks are busy mating. They will overwinter underground, as deep as 15 inches and wait out the winter before laying their eggs in the spring.

Beavers (Castor canadensis) are busy preparing their lodges for the long cold days ahead. They're also making sure they've got plenty of twigs, shoots, leaves and bark in their food stores.

Apparently, no tree is too large to tackle.

Here's a lodge with a fresh pile of branches in front. The same beaver built a nice long dam nearby.

Plant life is changing all around. Our Montauk daisies (Nipponantheum nipponnicum) and sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile) bloomed last month, attracting huge numbers of bees, bee flies, jewel flies and wasps.

Shrubs, such as the winged euonymus in the second photo, are producing beautiful red or orange berries, to the delight of the local birds.

Heavy rains over the summer have resulted in an abundance of apples in local orchards.

Our pumpkins are ready right on schedule for Halloween. The resident spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)who made sure the vines were insect-free, has left for the winter.

And, of course, the cold nights mean frost covered grass and spectacular foliage.

Fall Fashion Update

2009-09-16T13:44:00.000-04:00

What's fashionable this fall? The caterpillars' daring wardrobes scream color and texture.

First on the cat walk is an American Dagger Moth caterpillar (Acronicta americana) sporting a long, luxurious cream colored coat punctuated by five dramatically long black spikes.
Its friend, however, has decided to go with a striking pure white look.

Next up we have the Black Swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes) choosing smooth over hairy. The bold black is highlighted by a stunning graphic pattern in the ever-popular eco-green.

For a splash of color and drama, this black swallowtail caterpillar shows off its osmetrium, orange projections which are meant to scare off predators.

Sporting a colorful coat of yellow, black and reddish-orange is the White-marked Tussock Moth caterpillar (Orgyia leucostigma). The pom-pom tufts along the back create a soft puffy look.

In stark contrast, this Geometrid moth caterpillar prefers neutral grey to enhance its twigginess.

Representing the plus-size models is the 3.5 inch Polyphemus moth caterpillar (Antheraea polyphemus), a member of the silk moth family. The bright green skin is dotted by bold red and metallic silver spots. Vertical yellow lines highlight the accordion-like segments.

Our next model is the Isabella Tiger Moth caterpillar (Pyrrharctia isabella), affectionately known as the Woolly Bear. Just in time for Halloween, it dons a fuzzy black and orange coat.

Another caterpillar in the same family, the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar (Ecpantheria scribonia), also showcases a thick woolly coat which opens to reveal brilliant flashes of red skin.

Model #9 is the Milkweed Tussock moth caterpillar (Euchaetes egle) attired in the casual tousled bristle-brush look.

Last, but definitely not least, the cheekiest outfit of all goes to the Brown hooded owlet moth caterpillar (Cucullia convexipennis) for its radical use of color and design. Hard to believe that this dazzling creature will pupate and emerge as a drab brown moth.

Summer Guests

2009-09-11T16:01:00.000-04:00

I had guests this summer who stayed for four weeks, and I didn't mind a bit. They came and went at leisure, sometimes flitting to the back porch for less than two minutes. There was some squabbling, but it was amusing not annoying. My only regret was that they didn't stay longer. The visitors? Three ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris).

After seeing hummingbirds in my neighbor's garden during a morning walk, I decided I'd lure them into my own back yard with a feeder of sugar water. A good feeder isn't costly, but buy one that's easy to clean. The formula for sugar water is simple: just boil one part sugar and four parts water for a couple of minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool before pouring into the feeder. I make a small amount that lasts just a couple of days so that I'm more apt to clean the feeder and replace the water solution often.

At first I hung the feeder from a shepherd's hook in the back yard, close to the trees where they might easily find it. Within a day, they were hooked. Once I had won them over, I moved the feeder to a hook on the back porch railing, hoping to get a closer view from our kitchen. The plan worked and we were rewarded with frequent daily visits by one ruby-throated male and two females who spent most of the time emitting high-pitched "chip, chip!" sounds and dive bombing each other.

The nice thing about hummingbirds is that they quickly become accustomed to human presence and will allow you to remain close by. There are even tiny feeder tubes for hand-feeding.

The flight of these tiny acrobats is mesmerizing to watch. At just 3-3.5 inches and weighing about 3 grams, they hover, twist and turn, beating their wings at about 52 times per second! In slow motion video, you can actually see that the hummingbird's wings are moving back and forth in a figure-8 motion, not up and down. As they got used to us sitting on the porch, our curious little guests would fly near our heads, their wings buzzing furiously.

Here are three photos of one of the females. Unlike the male, she has no red throat patch. Females are also larger than males. They alternated visits to the feeder.

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In the video below, the colorful male is feeding and at one point turns and approaches to take a good look at the odd creature trying to steady the camera. Notice at the end of the video that his feeding session ends abruptly when he's attacked from above by one of the females.

Male hummingbirds arrive at their summer destinations and depart for their winter homes before the females do. This male hummingbird left for southern climes about two weeks ago. We have spied one female, however, just this past week, feeding from flowers in the garden. Then her visits to the feeder became less frequent. On cool evenings she would stay at the feeder longer and even perch on the top of the pole, sometimes zipping off for a moment to catch a passing insect, then returning to take her post.

I haven't seen her in two days. I suspect that she is headed on her long migration as well.

For more information about hummingbirds and migration in general including citizen science projects, see www.learner.org/jnorth. A great way to attract hummingbirds is by creating a garden. See a list of hummingbird friendly plants at www.hummingbirds.net/attract.html.

Another day at the pond

2009-09-02T15:24:00.000-04:00

Going to the pond never gets old. Last week my nieces came to visit, providing the perfect excuse to head over for the umpteenth time this summer.

The fountain which had been off all summer, had now been turned on, spraying a showery rainbow across the surface of the pond.

How would this affect the creatures living in the pond? More critters seemed to shy away from the spray, prefering to keep close to the pond's edge. The whirligig beetles were spinning crazily just a couple of feet from shore and we noticed more frogs and salamanders crowded in the leaf litter and the duckweed.

There was also an abundance of interesting fungi growing on the mossy banks.

While I was busy taking photos, my son, daughter and two nieces were busy scooping muck from the rim of the pond, discovering spotted salamanders and frogs at all stages of development.

My 9-year-old niece managed to net a good-sized green frog with a bright yellow belly.

Here is one of many spotted salamanders they found, some still sporting gills.

This little frog had quite a bit of tail still left.

Below is a giant water bug nymph that was lurking on the pond bottom waiting for a tadpole lunch (or maybe a kid's finger). The best find, by far, was a den of Northern water snakes (Nerodia sipedon). I surprised an adult female basking on a sunny patch of moss and she quickly slid into the water. As I called the kids to watch her swimming just below the duckweed, they noticed little heads poking out and thin black bodies winding through the greenery. Babies!

Each child got a chance to catch a tiny snake. Northern water snakes bear live young from August through October, so these little ones were brand new. Everyone enjoyed showing off the snakes.

The babies looked so dark in our palms, but their reddish markings were clearer in the bright sunlight. We returned them to do their job keeping the pond population of leeches, tadpoles, and salamander larvae in check.

Another glorious day and a great way to end the summer. School starts tomorrow...

Spotted Salamander

2009-08-14T17:44:00.000-04:00

Isn't this the cutest face? It appears we're keeping an alien in our home, but it's actually a spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) larva. This unique pose was the result of "Sam" eating a worm that perhaps was a bit larger than he expected.

This neat little creature began its life in a gelatinous mass like the one pictured here. The green color is caused by a symbiotic algae (Oophila amblystomatis). The algae provides oxygen to the developing embryos. In return, the embryos supply the algae with the nitrogen and phosphorus it needs.

In late winter or early spring (usually in March or April in Massachusetts), adult spotted salamanders head out to lay eggs in the pool from which they hatched. The migration is stimulated by warming temperatures and the first spring rain. Sadly, a number of migrating salamanders don't make it to their destination. Many are killed crossing roads despite the salamander tunnels some communities have built under busy routes along the migration path. Some towns shut down roads along salamander migration routes in an effort to increase the number of salamanders that make it back to lay eggs.

Egg masses can be found attached to submerged sticks. It takes from 1-2 months for the eggs to hatch. The frilly-gilled larvae only have front legs and a pair of "balancers" which they eventually lose. They are fully aquatic and eat tiny creatures like fairy shrimp and small insects.

In the photo below, the hind legs have recently emerged.

As they grow larger and stronger, the larvae take on more substantial prey such as tadpoles and earthworms. Here "Sam," is approaching and attacking a worm.

Spotted salamander maturation is influenced by the climate of their habitat. In warmer regions, salamanders will be sexually mature in 2 or 3 years, while it may be 5 or 6 years before they are ready to breed in colder locations.

We observed our salamander larva from April to July, watching it metamorphose from a larva into an air-breathing amphibian. As the days passed, the larva's light grey body became speckled with dark spots. By July, it was coming to the surface of the water to gulp air.

It took the larva about three and a half months to begin losing its gills. It seemed as though they shrunk overnight. Some mornings we were shocked at how much smaller the salamander's gills were than the previous day.

By early August, its skin was completely dark and yellow spots began to appear. Now we were sure that "Sam" was a spotted salamander. We were so lucky to have witnessed this amazing transformation.

Finally, it was time to release our friend back to the pond. He'll spend the remainder of the summer and the upcoming fall and winter under the cover of leaf litter within a quarter to a half mile of the pond where he hatched. Hopefully he'll return in a few years to start his own family.

Lost Ladybug Project

2009-06-24T09:37:00.000-04:00

When you're out and about this summer, keep your eyes open for ladybugs. Cornell University's Lost Ladybug Project is logging ladybug species throughout the United States. Cornell scientists are looking for native species of ladybugs which have become increasingly rare over the past two decades. You can become part of the project by photographing your ladybug finds and sending your photos to be recorded in Cornell's database.

My children were thrilled to learn they had found two uncommon dark forms of a ladybug known as Calvia quatuordecimguttata or the cream-colored ladybug.

For more detailed information on taking part in this project visit http://www.lostladybug.org.

No more robins

2009-06-23T17:42:00.000-04:00

Sad news. Egg shells were scattered on the ground underneath the bush where the robins were nesting. A peek inside the nest revealed no eggs and no babies. The soft grass lining the nest had been pulled up. Most likely another bird, perhaps a crow, discovered the nest and ate the eggs. We'll wait and see if the robins come back to try a third time.

Mantis Babies at Work

2009-06-21T16:38:00.000-04:00

The mantis babies are doing a great job ridding my garden of pests. Even though it's been raining on and off for days, we still manage to find some out in the garden, particularly in the rose bush and butterfly garden. These two mantises have a lot of work to do to rid the rose bush of aphids and leaf hoppers, but they're trying their hardest.

This one is devouring a juicy aphid it snatched off the morning glory.

The beautiful creature below is the devil in disguise. It's a scarlet-and-green leafhopper (Graphocephala coccinea), scourge of my flowering plants. Don't be fooled by that dazzling color scheme. All this little bugger wants to do is suck the life out of your plants. Devoid of sap, my rose bushes and rhododendron leaves have turned crusty and brown.

Before becoming an adult, the scarlet-and-green (or red-banded) leafhopper is neon yellow. This one was no match for a quick baby mantis. What else is ruining my garden? Treehoppers! The species we get, Entylia carinata can be identified by the notch in their back. They look just like thorns on a twig.
Our treehoppers are enjoying a mutually beneficial partnership with a local population of ants. While the treehoppers are capable of piercing and sucking in the sugary sap of plants, the ants jaws cannot do this. But the ants want a sweet treat, too! So they hang around the treehoppers waiting for them to excrete "honeydew." To return the favor, the ants protect the treehoppers, their eggs and young from enemy insects. Everyone wins (but me - now I've got ants and plant destroying insects!).

Eat up, mantids!

Robins Round 2

2009-06-17T17:45:00.001-04:00

The robins are back for round two of nesting. There are three eggs this time. Instead of finding a new nesting spot, the pair decided to reserve their energy and reuse the first nest they built. My prediction was that they were going to move and build a new nest in a quieter location. Trying to nest peacefully next to a deck where there's a busy flow of kids running up and down the stairs is quite a challenge. Especially when people make frequent stops to peek at the occupants and coo, "Oh how cute!" (Yes, I'm guilty!)

Praying Mantis Babies

2009-06-17T13:24:00.000-04:00

They're here! It's been a long wait - months in the refrigerator and about 7 weeks warming in the house, but one ootheca has hatched. This ootheca (egg case) was produced by a Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinesis). We tried counting and came up with around 200 little ones. We've let most free to make their way in the world (and hopefully eat up the aphids in my garden). The rest will be released by the end of the week after they make their debut at a couple of school presentations.

A big "Thank You" to teacher Jennifer Sheerin and her wonderful students at the Maria Hastings Elementary School for inviting me to talk about insects this morning. Everyone was so interested and asked great questions. I am looking foward to seeing some of the mantis pictures they drew.

This mantis is keeper of the snapdragons in our butterfy garden.

These tiny creatures, currently about 1-1.5 cm long, will grown to be 5 inches long by the end of the summer. They will mate (hopefully), lay their foamy egg case on a shrub branch, and die when the weather turns cold. After releasing hundreds of mantises last year, we found one as an adult in September. We kept her until December when she died after producing two egg cases. Her hunting skills were mesmerizing to watch, although it was rather gory to see her consume her prey while it was still alive. In this photo, "Mandy" is resting on my son's hand.

Yum, mealworms!

What's at the Pond?

2009-06-16T15:48:00.000-04:00

My kids love the cemetery. Weird, right? It's actually a beautiful green place with two ponds loaded with life. We're there sometimes two days a week checking for exciting new developments both in the water and on land. It's a great place to bird watch. Our bird list includes Baltimore orioles, red-tailed and sharp-shinned hawks, mergansers, mallards, geese and king birds.

For the past two months, the ponds at West Parish Cemetery have been coming to life. When we stopped by in March hoping to glimpse egg masses, we were disappointed. Thick slabs of ice still floated on the surface, hiding any signs of life underneath. April and May, however, brought an explosion of pond creatures.

The green frogs, in particular, have been busy. This is green frog spawn, found in large sheets in the shallow water near the edges of the pond. Each tiny black dot hatches within 3-4 days, releasing a tadpole into a watery world. The egg mass can contain 1,000+ eggs.

My children and I took a few eggs home and watched the comma-shaped embryos grow and wriggle within the round globs of jelly. This picture was taken within the first days after the tadpoles emerged.

Here you can see the frilly gills on either side of their heads.

This two week old tadpole is using its raspy mouth to scrape bits of algae from the edge of the container. The tadpoles may metamorphose this season or overwinter in the pond and become adults next year. Here's one well on its way with back legs already developing. These larger tadpoles look very funny "standing" in the shallows on their fully developed hind legs.

Green frogs (Rana clamitans melanota) are common in the Northeast. The cemetery pond is a perfect breeding ground - a still, constant water source. The frogs breed from March through August, with the males arriving first to claim the best spots and entice females with their calls. Hear the male green frog's "come hither" call by clicking on this link: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/topics/frogCalls.html

Male green frogs can be identified by a large ear drum or tympanum which is bigger than their eye. Adult males also have a pale yellow throat. This guy has found himself a nice raft.

These green frogs feast on a multitude of insects and often bask on the side of the pond. Some actually refuse to move from their warm spots and don't seem to mind being gently stroked on the back.

Empty Nest

2009-06-03T12:02:00.000-04:00

The trilling was unmistakable at 5 am this morning. My first thought was "Could the baby robins already be out of their nest?" Four robins hopped about the front lawn. Two were parents hard at work looking for food to fill their insatiable babies' bellies. The other two - one hovering near the adult male and the other with the female - were almost as big as the parents, but their throats and chests were marked with the spots of babyhood. When spooked, the young birds flew into the bushes or the low branches of a nearby tree.

Could these be the same babies I saw crammed together in their nest just last night? I ran down to the back deck and checked the nest. Empty!

What an amazing treat to have witnessed the growth of these two robin chicks. My first photo taken on May 2 showed a completely constructed empty nest. Next, two eggs were evident by May 7 and the first chick hatched around the 21st. The sibling debuted two days later on the 23rd. By the 29th, the two chicks were already feathered. I expected more of an awkward fledgling stage, but by today, June 3, they were out and about and doing quite well with their first flights. So much progress in the span of one month. Watch the progression on this slide show.

American Robins can produce 2-3 sets of chicks per breeding season, so these parents won't be resting for quite some time. Usually, they will construct a new nest in a new location. This first set of chicks will continue to beg for food from the parents and will remain within this area for the remainder of the summer.

Here are a couple of photos of the speckled chested chicks begging for food.

Changes

2009-05-29T18:13:00.000-04:00

Amazing changes have occurred in the robin nest in the past four days. I just got a chance to photograph the chicks after all the rain we've had recently. Compare this photo with the last one posted on May 28th (photo was actually taken on May 25). Not only has their body size increased quite a bit, but the chicks are now completely covered in pin feathers and their eyes are now open. Their mother always makes sure they're stuffed before she ventures out for her evening meal. One chick did slowly open his mouth for food when it saw me.

The chicks have gotten so large that they take up the whole nest. During the day, the mom comes and sits on the edge of the nest to keep watch. She only sits on the babies when it's stormy or overnight when the temperature drops.

Frogs

2009-05-29T14:09:00.000-04:00

We are a family of frog lovers. 2008 was the Year of the Frog, a year dedicated to increasing the world's awareness of the plight of frogs and other amphibians. These fascinating creatures are under constant threat of extinction brought on by disease (chytridiomycosis - a highly contagious fungal disease), pollution, and habitat destruction.

As the owner of two captive bred poison dart frogs, I can attest to their intriguing "personalities" and behaviors. Creating a vivarium for them to live in has also been an enriching learning experience for me and my children.

This is Tarzan, our Dyeing Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius). His large heart-shaped front toe pads are indicative of males. Whenever he's on the hunt chasing fruitflies, the toes twitch with excitement. These colorful frogs hail from Guyana, French Guiana, Surinam, and Brazil. They are fairly large (can be more than 2") and prefer to live on the forest floor among leaf litter. Tarzan is quite bold and curious and likes to sit up on logs and rocks and survey his kingdom.

Here is his tank mate Jane, a female auratus (Dendrobates auratus). Auratus originate in Central America in Nicaragua and Panama. Like Tincs, they are primarily terrestrial frogs. One of the fascinating features of PDFs is the number of variants or morphs. Janey's appearance closely resembles that of the Canal Zone morphs found in the wild along both sides of the Panama Canal.

For excellent up-to-date information on poison dart frogs around the world, visit http://www.dendrobates.org/.

Get involved! You can help save the frogs. Calling all poets - Enter the Save the Frogs Poetry Contest at http://www.savethefrogs.com/poetry.

Newest chick pic

2009-05-28T17:09:00.000-04:00

Babies are doing fine and now have pin feathers developing on their tiny wings. It has been cold and rainy the last two days, so I haven't been able to get an update since this picture was taken over the Memorial Day weekend. I'll try again tomorrow when things clear up and mom goes in search of food.

There have been a couple of nice benefits to having the robins nest so close to the house. First of all, they want to stay nearby and so are feeding from the yard and best of all, from my vegetable garden. Hopefully they're keeping the garden free of beetles, grubs and other pests. Secondly, the parents chase away other unwanted visitors who venture near the deck. This morning we witnessed the male robin harrassing a chipmunk which had come onto the deck. He managed to chase it off the deck and out of the yard. Good job, dad!

Spicebush Swallowtail

2009-05-25T10:49:00.000-04:00

Telltale signs that the swallowtail was ready to break through its chrysalis were evident this past Saturday morning. The morphed body was pressing tightly against its outer form and the butterfly's colors were darker and showing through.

We waited about 5 weeks, but at last the Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) has emerged. What a spectacular sight! Shimmery black with beautiful irridescent colors and a wingspan of almost 4 inches. I think it's a male since it has both blue and green coloring.

The Spicebush Swallowtail is found along the Eastern United States. Its host plants are the spicebush and sassafras.

Today, it goes free.

And then there were two...

2009-05-25T10:42:00.000-04:00

The singleton robin has a nest mate! There appears to be only 2 chicks in this nest. Must have miscounted the eggs. Both are doing well. Every day more white fluff appears on their naked bodies.

Baby Robin is Here!

2009-05-21T14:06:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I checked the nest, and one chick has hatched! It looks like it's a couple of days old. Any shake of the nest and it opens its tiny yellow beak nice and wide toward the sky.

Robins

2009-05-19T14:15:00.000-04:00

A pair of American Robins (Turdus migratorius) has built a nest in a large bush next to the stairs of our back deck. We have had the opportunity to watch the building process, see the finished empty nest fill with blue eggs, and observe the parents' behavior.

The empty nest, is made mostly of twigs and dried grasses and lined with wet leaves and mud. It seemed that the female did the majority of the building work.

At last count, there were four eggs.

Here's mom diligently hatching her brood. The duller colored female robin spends most of her time on the nest while her more darkly colored mate searches for food and stands guard in a nearby tree. It takes about 2 weeks for the eggs to hatch, so we should be seeing chicks soon.

Robins are the largest members of the thrush family in the United States. While some migrate to warmer parts for the winter, many stay on if there is adequate food and shelter. Most people think of robins as worm eaters, but they also enjoy grubs and other insects as well as berries. When my husband and I lived in Naples, Florida during the early 1990's, we would see huge flocks of robins during the winter gorging themselves on red berries from bushes along the sides of the road. It appeared that the berries made them "drunk."

Robins are part of Cornell University's Ornithology department's Urban Birds Project. Visit the site at www.birds.cornell.edu/NetCommunity to see all their citizen science programs. No need to be a bird expert. These projects are great for classroom use. The data you collect and send in will be used for research.

Of butterflies...and moths...and catfish

2009-05-13T13:33:00.000-04:00

While sitting in the school carpool line a couple of days ago, I overheard an exchange between a mother and her young son as they headed back to their car from the playground. Nearing the fence, the little boy (about 5 years old) exclaimed, "Look, mommy, a butterfly!" and pointed excitedly at a small white butterfly. "No, no," the mother responded. "That's not a butterfly, it's a moth. Butterflies have pretty colors." The boy kept insisting it was indeed a butterfly, but his mother continued on with her misguided explanation of how butterflies are always beautiful and moths are plain. In this case, the 5 year old was correct. The butterfly he had been watching was a cabbage white butterfly.

Yikes! Instead of providing inaccurate information, just explain that you're not sure if it is a butterfly or what the difference between a butterfly and a moth is. This creates a perfect opportunity for some simple investigation together. Information sources are everywhere. Kids love searching through field guides or looking up facts on the internet. Don't make it up - look it up!

This reminds me of the time my family and I were viewing tropical fish swimming in one of the floor to ceiling aquariums at Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas. A little girl standing nearby repeatedly asked her mom, "What kind of fish is that? And how about that one?" After a couple of minutes of not answering, the mother replied with an exasperated drawl, "Oh honey, they're aaall catfish."

So, what is the difference between a butterfly and a moth? (I'll deal with catfish in another post). Here are a few distinguishing factors:

Butterflies are active during the day; moths are active at night.

Butterflies have clubbed or knobbed antennae; moths have feathery, straight or branched antennae
Butterfly bodies are smooth; moths are plump and fuzzy

Butterflies rest with their wings held upright; moths rest with their wings held out horizontally

In general, butterflies are more colorful than moths. But that is not a criteria for distinguishing between the two. Here's an example of a beautiful moth called the Hummingbird Clearwing moth (Hemaris thysbe). They are common in North America and often visit my flowers in the summertime. This one came frequently to a basket of petunias I kept hanging by the back door.

Want to know more about butterflies and moths? Check out http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/.

Bringing Up Babies

2009-05-12T12:55:00.000-04:00

We're expecting! Lots of critter babies, that is. In the last two days, six of our painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui) have emerged from their chrysalises; we're still waiting for a slow-poke to emerge. My two children and I did this same butterfly project about five years ago and it never gets old. It's fascinating to watch the scrawny black catepillars grow fat as they eat their way toward becoming pupa. We know they're about to form their cocoons when they travel to the top of the container and attach themselves by their tail end. Hanging head down, the catepillars shed their black prickly coats in the next 1-2 days. They stay in this position for about 7 to 10 more days, their bodies dark and shiny and packed tightly in the chrysalis. It's possible to see tiny spots of orange color through the chrysalis before the butterflies are ready to emerge. This photo shows a butterfly still inside its chrysalis (dark one at right) as well as empty opened cocoons.

The newly hatched butterflies are very vulnerable. Their abdomens are filled with fluid called meconium which they begin to expell soon after emerging. The sight of the red liquid dripping from their bodies can be disturbing, especially to young children who may think the butterflies are bleeding to death. According to the care sheet we received with our catepillars, the liquid is excess fluid that was not needed to fill the butterflies' wing veins.

For their first few hours, the butterflies unfurl and stretch their wings and proboscis (straw-like tongue). Then they flit around and begin feeding from a sugar water soaked cotton ball. As soon as the outdoor temperature reaches a steady 65 degrees or more, we will release the butterflies. Painted ladies are very common, preferring open meadow areas. They also like to feed from thistle plants. Life is short for the painted lady. They will reach adulthood withing 2-4 weeks, during which they will mate and lay eggs. The last time we raised painted ladies, the weather was unsettled and cooler than normal. We ended up keeping the butterflies longer than expected. Within a couple of weeks, mating was occuring and their mesh home was covered with tiny eggs.

Spring Fever

2009-05-11T13:33:00.000-04:00

At the farm where I volunteer for a therapy riding program, the pond surrounded by riding trails has come alive with the warm weather. I first noticed these snakes last week and brought my camera with me to photograph them this morning. I figured they would be in the same place on the bank of the pond and, sure enough, there they were basking in the warmth of the sun. Just as before, the smaller snake was draped across the coils of the much larger one. After I had snapped a few photos, they had had enough of my intrusion. They quickly turned and slipped off into the pond.

It wasn't until they were swimming away that I noticed a medium sized snake hiding in the plants nearby. As I pulled back a leaf to get in closer, the snake actually came closer toward me. It seemed curious about something that was in the grass near my feet. Within minutes, it had turned toward the water. I followed it as it swam along the edge of the pond and saw that it met up with the other two snakes. They entwined their bodies for a moment as they swam together, then headed toward another warm spot along the bank.

Last week I wasn't quite sure what these snakes were and they appeared much blacker than they did today. These are, in fact, Northern Water snakes (Nerodia sipedon). I had seen this species before in a stream in Connecticut, but those snakes had been a much lighter brown color. I was surprised to learn the many color variants of this snake. I think the red colored bands contrasting against the dark upper scales is especially beautiful. The Northern Water snake can grow to be 40+ inches in length, but generally are in the 22-40 inch range. They are nonvenomous, but are sometimes mistaken for the venomous cottonmouth or water moccassin. Northern water snakes primarily feed on small creatures found in or near the water such as fish, frogs, toads, and salamanders.

I suspect that the snakes I found are in the throes of courtship and mating. Females are live bearers and will give birth in August or September to 20-40 babies. I'll be keeping my eye out for this little group in the future.

Oystercatchers & Kestrels

2009-04-07T16:48:00.001-04:00

I've seen American Oystercatchers during the summer months along the Atlantic coast especially on Cape Cod and nearby islands. This was a treat seeing three wintering Oystercatchers poking among the rocky crevices on Malmok. They were very skittish and it didn't take much for them to utter their squeaky "wheep wheep" calls while flying further up the coastline.

A common inhabitant is the American kestrel sometimes referred to as the sparrow hawk. A diminutive member of the falcon family, kestrels are well-adapted to more urbanized habitats. They consume insects and small mammals. This kestrel was enjoying a dust bath in a driveway not far from Arikok National Park.

Banana(quit) for Breakfast

2009-04-01T10:53:00.000-04:00

This Bananaquit joined us for breakfast in the courtyard every morning. We would hear his song and know he had arrived. Although it's said that the bananaquits will come to your table to steal a nibble, this fellow was content with sipping nectar from the tubular flowers and a hummingbird feeder.

Birds of Aruba

2009-03-27T14:09:00.000-04:00

I'm a bird lover, so before leaving for Aruba I looked up what birds I might expect to see while on the island. Our grand total came to 19 species: frigate bird, bananaquit, grassquit, mocking bird, hummingbird, brown pelicans, terns, osprey, kestrel, Aruban parrots or Prikichi, doves, egrets, herons, gulls, ruddy turnstones and oystercatchers. But by far the most surprising and breath-taking sight was the Caracara(Caracara plancus). Also called the Mexican Eagle, it is a large black bird with white markings. It is actually a member of the falcon family. The first one I spotted was perched atop a tall cactus just outside of Arikok. I managed to snap a shot of it just before and after it flew off.

We had at least two more similar sightings in Arikok, but the best encounter happened on the night before we left Aruba. We were driving up to witness the sunset at the California Lighthouse on the westernmost tip of the island. As we passed an area with tall grass, I noticed a large brown bird hopping up and down. My husband was able to slow down enough for me to get these shots of a young Caracara. This bird's plummage was much lighter in color and browner than the adult Caracaras we had spotted in the national park. Perhaps it was trying to kill or flush out prey. A lizard, maybe?

Their size is amazing. With a body length of up to 23 inches and a 4-foot wingspan, the Caracara is an impressive bird. These birds have a thick heavy bill for feeding on carrion, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and a host of other foods. Their range extends from the southwestern United States southward to Central and South America. For more information about Caracaras including a recording of their call, check out Cornell Lab of Ornithology at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds.

More lizards

2009-03-26T09:09:00.001-04:00

One of the things my children and I enjoy doing during a trip is recording the fauna we see. Our tally for the Aruba trip: 19 species of birds, 5 reptiles, 4 mammals, 12 sea creatures other than fish, and a grand total of 71 species of fish.

Besides the Aruban whiptails, we saw geckos around the house and plenty of little anoles that the kids enjoyed trying to catch. It took three of us to ambush these two little lizards on a rocky shore.

Green iguanas are also plentiful on the island, but we only caught a brief glimpse of a small one on the side of the road.

Aruba is also home to two endemic snakes: the Cascabel or Aruban rattlesnake and the cateyed snake, known locally as the Santanero. We saw neither of these snakes, but did find something disturbing: boa constrictors in Arikok National Park. Both boas had been killed by cars on the dusty rocky roads. A warning for the squeamish: the next photo is gory.

Move or else...

2009-03-25T09:05:00.000-04:00

Check out these two wrestlers. Talk about a headlock! We had just pulled in to a parking space at Baby Beach on Aruba's easternmost tip. My 10-year-old looks out the window and yells, "Lizard fight!" As soon as the engine was off, he and his sister were out of the car and ringside at this territorial showdown. The guy on the left had apparently encroached on the other fellow's property. Retaliation took the form of an actual headlock whereby the male on the right had most of the other lizard's head in his mouth.

These beautiful turquoise blue sparring partners are two Kododo blauw or Aruban Whiptails, the most abundant lizards found on the island. Everywhere we went there were whiptails dashing in and out among the rocks. One bold lizard kept poking around on our beach blanket whenever we went in for a swim. Here's another photo taken near the California Lighthouse on the western part of the island.

Wild Aruba

2009-03-23T14:12:00.000-04:00

For the past three years, my family and I have been fortunate enough to escape the frigid cold of Massachusetts and set off for warmer parts during February vacation. It's always a last minute deal with only two major requirements: warm weather and a fairly painless flight (nonstop, if possible). This year's destination: Aruba.

My husband had been singing the praises of Aruba for the past three years. Everyone we knew had something great to say about Aruba. But I'll admit, I was reluctant to take the bait. My images of Aruba were of high rise hotels, wall-to-wall bodies on the beach, and casinos galore. Not exactly the place for two little kids. Oh, and did I mention we don't like to stay at hotels? My son has a tree nut allergy, so renting a home-away-from-home with cooking facilities provides great peace of mind.

But after reading more about the great beaches and interesting terrain of the island (and finding a well-priced direct flight), we were on our way. Luckily, we found a great little place in Malmok right on Boca Catalina beach. Aruba turned out to be amazing.