tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79568463561750225132024-03-13T22:57:24.359-04:00Wild ThingsA closer look at the wild things in a New England back yard and beyondCecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-7704879639382556092014-05-16T16:00:00.000-04:002014-05-27T09:54:35.567-04:00Eastern Garter Snake takes on American Toad<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today's class of second graders was sweeping for insects in the field when they came upon this Eastern Garter snake (<i style="border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; box-shadow: none;">Thamnophis sirtalis</i><span style="background-color: white;">) attempting to feed on an American Toad (</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Bufo a. americanus)</i>. They were spell bound, watching as the snake maneuvered from side to side trying to swallow its large prey. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We watched the toad puffing its body, making it more difficult for the snake to engulf it. White bufotoxin oozed from the toad's glands. All the while, the snake held on, adjusting its jaw and turning sideways, barely making any progress as it tried to inch its way up the toad's body.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">We watched for almost 10 minutes before leaving for the wetland to find newly hatched toad tadpoles. The question on everyone's mind, "Who will win?" was never answered. An hour later when we came back to the field, there was no sign of either the snake or the toad.</span></span>Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-59360434256298622212014-05-09T16:22:00.001-04:002014-05-09T16:22:18.423-04:00Dekay's BrownsnakeI love accidentally coming upon an animal or plant that I've never seen before. Yesterday, I discovered this tiny Dekay's brownsnake (<i>Storeria dekayi</i>) on a dusty hiking trail between a beaver pond and a swampy area while taking a group of first graders to pond for invertebrates. This snake is known for being diurnal during the spring and fall and nocturnal during the hotter summer months. Despite being pretty common, their night-time behavior keeps them from being seen often. They don't mind built-up areas and hide under boards, logs and leaf litter near water.<br />
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Such a small snake (8-14") primarily eats small prey, of course, like worms, slugs and soft insects.<br />
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March through May is mating time for brownsnakes. Three-inch babies will be born in late summer. Dekay's will often hibernate with members of their own species as well as garter and red-bellied snakes. Brownsnakes have keeled or ridged scales.<br />
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Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-57661738138444238652014-04-28T11:25:00.000-04:002014-04-28T11:25:14.444-04:00Palm WarblerInterested in bird watching? Try a garden cemetery. Our nearby cemetery contains two ponds with abundant fish and invertebrates, trees and shrubs, so it's a haven for birds, especially migrating warblers. Today's find: beautiful palm warblers (<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;">Setophaga palmarum).</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palm Warbler - a ground feeder<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This stunning little bird with its bright yellow and olive body and rusty cap has just spent the winter in the southern United States, probably in Florida. It's on its way to Canada where it will spend the summer breeding. By October, palm warblers are headed south for the winter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">There is also another subspecies of palm warbler, the Western Palm Warbler which is a duller brown color with white underparts.</span></div>
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Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-47231025969394611482014-04-11T12:39:00.002-04:002014-04-11T12:45:26.897-04:00Eastern Phoebes and Brown-headed CowbirdsThe Eastern Phoebes<span style="background-color: white;"> (<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;">Sayornis phoebe) </span></span>have returned from their winter grounds to breed. They are one of my favorite birds to watch as they perch then perform aerial maneuvers to catch insects on the wing. They seem to prefer the trees and shrubs that abut the wooded area and stream behind our home. Sometimes they will use the kids' pitchback as a resting spot, wagging their tails up and down before swooping off.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern phoebe</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern phoebe</td></tr>
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These monogamous little fly-catchers build their nests of mud and dried plant materials often on ledges with overhead cover. Last spring I came upon this phoebe nest while walking on a trail. It was built on the roots of a tree which had been toppled after a storm.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The black arrow is pointing at the phoebe's nest</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of the phoebe's nest made of mud, dried grasses, pine needles and moss</td></tr>
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I've noticed quite a few brown-headed cowbirds<i> (</i><span style="background-color: white;"><i> </i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;">Molothrus ater</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"> )</span></span><span style="background-color: #fff7ea; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"> </span>around also. These brood parasites often choose phoebe nests as the location for their eggs.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male brown-headed cowbird</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drab gray female brown-headed cowbird on left; male brown-headed cowbird on right</td></tr>
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<br />Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-60249275942432659172014-04-08T22:30:00.000-04:002014-04-17T10:56:08.101-04:00Vernal Pool Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was a long wait, but finally there has been activity at nearby vernal pools. Wood frogs <i><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">(Lithobates sylvaticus)</span> </i>were busy "quacking" and mating. Freeze-tolerant wood frogs have been overwintering beneath the leaf litter. Watch this amazing video of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjr3A_kfspM" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Wood frogs reviving in spring</span></a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wood frogs in amplexus</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We saw only male spotted salamanders. Females hadn't arrived yet.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male spotted salamander swimming away. Males have a noticeably swollen vent (cloaca).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted salamander in leaf litter<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted salamander headed to the vernal pool<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Spring peepers were chorusing loudly in a pond across the street from the vernal pool. Four years ago, there were spring peepers at the vernal pool, but we no longer find them there.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you spot the spring peeper in the reeds? See a close-up shot below.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male spring peeper calling</td></tr>
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Click below to hear my recording of the spring peepers. Happy Spring!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxX7TaXgOQuejjZZ0YN-NbRzHzE_S38-yfJEoP-liMUrqwNsEP_yCiO3iBp_qXFVFFzOkcMPriOk2MVURFa-w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-75723380559227157362014-04-03T18:04:00.000-04:002014-04-04T17:42:49.562-04:00Hooded Mergansers<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Two hooded mergansers (<span style="background-color: white; font-style: italic; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;">Lophodytes cucullat</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;">us</span><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;">)</span><span style="line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;">enjoyed a late afternoon swim and</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a bit of fishing at the cemetery pond today. Females can be easily distinguished from males -- females are a warm orange brown with dark eyes while adult males in mating plumage are a striking black and white above and brown below. Adult males have yellow eyes. At first, I thought these two were females, but after looking at these photos enlarged, their eyes seem too light colored. I believe these are actually two immature males.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;">There's plenty to eat here, especially goldfish which gather in large numbers around the pond's many ledges.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;">Another frequent visitor is this great blue heron. Later, another heron arrived and awkwardly perched in a tree next to the pond but never joined in the fishing.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"><br /></span></span>Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0Andover, MA 01810, USA42.6583999 -71.13701409999998842.5649684 -71.298375599999986 42.7518314 -70.975652599999989tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-70551036100874366442013-11-06T12:58:00.003-05:002013-11-06T13:00:50.189-05:00Eastern Comma ButterflyToday I had an encounter with another overwintering butterfly -- the Eastern Comma (<em>Polygonia comma</em>). After several cool days, this Eastern Comma is taking advantage of today's sunny 58 degree weather and warming itself on my back deck. Like the Mourning Cloak, this butterfly will hide from the harsh winter elements under tree bark or in various cavities. At the first hint of spring warmth, it will emerge to bask in the sunshine and lay its first brood. These butterflies are quite feisty and are known to fly at other butterflies and insects that invade their territory. Host plants for their caterpillars include nettles, American elm, and hops.<br />
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Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-4333811868236025862013-11-06T10:26:00.002-05:002013-11-06T10:30:44.226-05:00Overwintering Mourning Cloak<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I turned over this chunk of wood while hiking recently, not expecting to find much of anything as the cold weather has already set in. </span><br />
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Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a mourning cloak butterfly <span style="font-style: italic;">(</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Nymphalis antiopa</span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-style: italic;">). </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's so well camouflaged that the edges of its wings are barely noticeable against the wood.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333;">While most butterflies migrate or overwinter as eggs, larva or pupae, adult mourning cloaks find a spot under tree bark, in a hollow or another suitable crevice such as eaves of a house, where they remain through the winter in a state of diapause. Like other creatures that overwinter, mourning cloaks are able to keep from freezing by building up glycerol, an "anti-freeze" in their bodies while also lowering their metabolic rate. It's amazing that such a fragile looking creature can withstand the fury of winter. By overwintering, mourning cloaks gain by being the first butterflies of spring. They may be seen drinking tree sap. The females will lay eggs on host trees - birches, poplars and elms.</span></span></span>Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-30956993995136129712013-04-25T14:02:00.000-04:002013-04-25T14:02:00.397-04:00Cornell Lab Bird Cams | Virtual Bird Watching at its Best!<a href="http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/#.UXlvPicP8d8.blogger">Cornell Lab Bird Cams | Virtual Bird Watching at its Best!</a><br />
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Hawks have hatched! Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-64322852925732545452013-04-03T09:36:00.001-04:002014-03-24T13:37:34.706-04:00Ring-necked ducks<br />
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Just recently, ring-necked ducks (<em>Aythya collaris</em>) arrived at Baker's Meadow. There are about five male/female pairs swimming about in the deeper parts of the pond. They've come from warmer southern wintering grounds. They are just stopping over on their way north to breed. Unlike the dabbling mallards, ring-necked ducks can be seen diving underwater. There's plenty of food here for them - lots of insect larvae, freshwater clams, and aquatic vegetation. From a distance, the males appear black with a white ring at the base and near the tip of their beak. In reality, their heads are overlaid with irridescent purple. The females are brown with a white beak ring. The "ring neck" in their name comes from a dark brown ring around the male's neck which is difficult to see from a distance. Look closely and you can see the ring in the photo below.<br />
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Both have gold colored eyes, but the female also sports a white eye ring.<br />
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The ring-necked ducks must share the pond with quite a few bossy Canada geese. Lucky for them, the mute swans seem to be absent.Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-488290307812596022013-02-04T14:18:00.002-05:002013-02-16T17:29:41.514-05:00Calvert Cliffs State Park, MarylandThe final destination in Maryland was Calvert Cliffs State Park in Lusby on the Chesapeake Bay. <br />
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The 1.8 mile hike to the water was easy and scenic, with plenty of wildlife and varying habitat.</div>
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Can you spot the two fence lizards -- one gray and the other brown with a blue underside -- in the center of the photo? They were having a territorial skirmish just outside the parking area.</div>
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A red-tailed hawk waited patiently for a meal to appear near the trail.</div>
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Turtles basked along logs in the marsh.</div>
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Too bad this boardwalk was closed for repairs.</div>
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Northern cricket frogs of varying colors bounced around the water's edge and along the sides of the trail.</div>
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A zebra swallowtail flitted from flower to flower.</div>
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This watersnake was weaving its way through the dense shrubs along the waterside edge of the trail. We met a ranger along the way who mentioned seeing a cottonmouth earlier that day.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hIwMon8lack/URAEIvUFJsI/AAAAAAAAA1g/lhuy6poGWrw/s1600/IMG_5241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hIwMon8lack/URAEIvUFJsI/AAAAAAAAA1g/lhuy6poGWrw/s640/IMG_5241.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A five lined skink zipped up, down and around a tree.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-69uNMvKYTOI/URAEvKAh4tI/AAAAAAAAA1o/jC6fdBXu8NA/s1600/IMG_5211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-69uNMvKYTOI/URAEvKAh4tI/AAAAAAAAA1o/jC6fdBXu8NA/s640/IMG_5211.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Finally, the trail opened up onto the beach and the fossil hunting began.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9oOvLh3mL0/URAFiiji3VI/AAAAAAAAA14/1PZyEWJWLa0/s1600/IMG_5190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9oOvLh3mL0/URAFiiji3VI/AAAAAAAAA14/1PZyEWJWLa0/s640/IMG_5190.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2G5Y9UaY-mU/URAFxGnM0NI/AAAAAAAAA2A/RTdE8cUrKpg/s1600/IMG_5193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2G5Y9UaY-mU/URAFxGnM0NI/AAAAAAAAA2A/RTdE8cUrKpg/s640/IMG_5193.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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What we found:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vXHcORkRjQ0/URAGMrIXk6I/AAAAAAAAA2I/f3i8OetLksU/s1600/IMG_5696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vXHcORkRjQ0/URAGMrIXk6I/AAAAAAAAA2I/f3i8OetLksU/s640/IMG_5696.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A shell fragment of <em>Chesapecten nefrens</em> - an ancient scallop.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M9rurjlOOp4/URAGupH5a3I/AAAAAAAAA2Q/01nBuTu43bA/s1600/IMG_5698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M9rurjlOOp4/URAGupH5a3I/AAAAAAAAA2Q/01nBuTu43bA/s640/IMG_5698.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Snaggletooth shark teeth</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ysS3IS98oUI/URAG_M4a65I/AAAAAAAAA2Y/UurJKpKi4CY/s1600/IMG_5700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ysS3IS98oUI/URAG_M4a65I/AAAAAAAAA2Y/UurJKpKi4CY/s640/IMG_5700.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Tiger shark tooth</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1xXH3QVZiQ/URAHKVUYxCI/AAAAAAAAA2g/QQNzdsuk7gY/s1600/IMG_5703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1xXH3QVZiQ/URAHKVUYxCI/AAAAAAAAA2g/QQNzdsuk7gY/s640/IMG_5703.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lemon shark teeth</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZpPf4gL5-mM/URAHYdOw-WI/AAAAAAAAA2o/z2JBSz9fUKE/s1600/IMG_5704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZpPf4gL5-mM/URAHYdOw-WI/AAAAAAAAA2o/z2JBSz9fUKE/s640/IMG_5704.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ray dental plates</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sbb98w4lFas/URAHm3oQstI/AAAAAAAAA2w/D8Amkk14gXo/s1600/IMG_5708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sbb98w4lFas/URAHm3oQstI/AAAAAAAAA2w/D8Amkk14gXo/s640/IMG_5708.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A sand tiger shark tooth</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YE0D8hKe-I8/URAH2awevkI/AAAAAAAAA24/Da2aKsLdiCA/s1600/IMG_5710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YE0D8hKe-I8/URAH2awevkI/AAAAAAAAA24/Da2aKsLdiCA/s640/IMG_5710.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A piece of a megalodon tooth</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BeRceT0oNaU/URAIHlBh_5I/AAAAAAAAA3A/rHYyFDuTawo/s1600/IMG_5712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BeRceT0oNaU/URAIHlBh_5I/AAAAAAAAA3A/rHYyFDuTawo/s640/IMG_5712.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A gray (or requiem) shark tooth</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--DtBuC8R5HM/URAIXi9ARpI/AAAAAAAAA3I/RJLz3v6rQLc/s1600/IMG_5715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--DtBuC8R5HM/URAIXi9ARpI/AAAAAAAAA3I/RJLz3v6rQLc/s640/IMG_5715.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A nearly complete megalodon tooth</div>
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Even on the way back to the hotel, we spotted this osprey near its nest on a platform near the side of the road.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XBjAayuIfhg/URAJK1Jsr9I/AAAAAAAAA3Q/rjyQVvm2Lyg/s1600/IMG_5290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XBjAayuIfhg/URAJK1Jsr9I/AAAAAAAAA3Q/rjyQVvm2Lyg/s640/IMG_5290.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A great day of hiking, nature watching and fossil hunting.</div>
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Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-73573689885559911702013-02-04T13:29:00.000-05:002013-02-04T13:29:01.619-05:00Fossils from Maryland (Miocene) Next we drove to Brownies beach in Bayfront park on the Chesapeake Bay. There we found fossilized shark teeth, vertebra, and dental plates from the Miocene epoch.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EiRWEYIODGI/UCFao4pFeQI/AAAAAAAAAww/GSigYP5hDME/s1600/IMG_5674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EiRWEYIODGI/UCFao4pFeQI/AAAAAAAAAww/GSigYP5hDME/s640/IMG_5674.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shark or other fish vertebra</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-naieoqOI14w/UCFa8jupJRI/AAAAAAAAAxA/3e1YqMySKjo/s1600/IMG_5675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-naieoqOI14w/UCFa8jupJRI/AAAAAAAAAxA/3e1YqMySKjo/s640/IMG_5675.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemon shark teeth</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w4BRfof3WNk/UCFbLe0g13I/AAAAAAAAAxI/AWAcQ8GqAzM/s1600/IMG_5677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w4BRfof3WNk/UCFbLe0g13I/AAAAAAAAAxI/AWAcQ8GqAzM/s640/IMG_5677.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiger shark teeth</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RvY2AZFuCcE/UCFcJTYZS8I/AAAAAAAAAxQ/mwLpaXiVsDs/s1600/IMG_5679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RvY2AZFuCcE/UCFcJTYZS8I/AAAAAAAAAxQ/mwLpaXiVsDs/s640/IMG_5679.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand tiger shark teeth</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-joCAeqzj2to/UCFc9ESt3RI/AAAAAAAAAxk/ip48O26atcc/s1600/IMG_5680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-joCAeqzj2to/UCFc9ESt3RI/AAAAAAAAAxk/ip48O26atcc/s640/IMG_5680.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gray or Requiem shark tooth</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kFxFmyAIOtk/UCFdTALlUSI/AAAAAAAAAxs/3GRTyIoL81Q/s1600/IMG_5683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kFxFmyAIOtk/UCFdTALlUSI/AAAAAAAAAxs/3GRTyIoL81Q/s640/IMG_5683.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snaggletooth shark tooth</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w8718JSQ048/UCFdygJnmTI/AAAAAAAAAx0/YVSc29bQnE0/s1600/IMG_5685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w8718JSQ048/UCFdygJnmTI/AAAAAAAAAx0/YVSc29bQnE0/s640/IMG_5685.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ray dental plates</td></tr>
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Staying on Chesapeake Bay, we headed to Matoaka cottages. We were hoping to get our hands on the elusive megalodon tooth, but it wasn't our lucky day. It was a disappointing hunt although there were a couple of new fossils we hadn't yet collected.</div>
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Astrhelia coral</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XBq9iavN01A/UD0b3z0wHMI/AAAAAAAAAyc/uFQx4qt7fgc/s1600/IMG_5688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XBq9iavN01A/UD0b3z0wHMI/AAAAAAAAAyc/uFQx4qt7fgc/s640/IMG_5688.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Crab claw fragment<br />
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Marine mammal rib fragments</div>
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ray dental plate</div>
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Gray shark tooth</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KJhS7SJ5ykQ/UD0cn2du3BI/AAAAAAAAAzE/26jFu37cttw/s1600/IMG_5694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KJhS7SJ5ykQ/UD0cn2du3BI/AAAAAAAAAzE/26jFu37cttw/s640/IMG_5694.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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snaggletooth shark tooth</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qrS-kYc1Z-U/UD0c1yf1ZLI/AAAAAAAAAzM/kB1fh4zU9_Y/s1600/IMG_5695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qrS-kYc1Z-U/UD0c1yf1ZLI/AAAAAAAAAzM/kB1fh4zU9_Y/s640/IMG_5695.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Turritella snail shell</div>
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Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-23661216000723519292012-12-29T16:58:00.000-05:002013-02-16T16:59:31.183-05:00Turkey TracksLast night's light snowfall was just enough to record the animals passing through the neighborhood long after everyone had gone to bed. This morning I came across turkey (<i>Meleagris gallopavo silvestris</i>) tracks which are always in the same part of the street, just beyond the forest trail that runs behind neighborhood homes. Turkey tracks are a special favorite of the kids. They remind us of dinosaur tracks. In this photo you can see tiny tracks from another bird crossing over the top of the turkey track.<br />
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We hardly ever see turkeys in our current neighborhood during the day. The one time I did, a group of 3-4 flew through our back yard (quite a spectacle), landing next door. They were there to feed on the seeds under the bird feeders.<br />
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When we lived further south, turkeys were commonplace during the daytime. One summer a female visited our yard with 13 little ones in tow. Another time, we arrived home to find a tom, tail spread out, accompanied by three hens on our front lawn. Toms can weigh as much as 24 pounds while hens top out around 12 pounds. <br />
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At this time of year, turkeys are scratching around looking for acorns, nuts and berries. Mating begins around March and the poults hatch in June.<br />
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Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-801045999439397132012-11-02T16:36:00.002-04:002012-11-02T16:36:36.944-04:00Fossiling Trip - Purse State Park, MarylandWe headed south to Washington, DC for April vacation and after exhausting ourselves touring museums for three days, we decided to enjoy some outdoor time fossil hunting. Our first stop was Purse State Park along the Potomac River in Maryland. We had the shoreline to ourselves. Even though it was cool and rainy, we were rewarded with a great many fossilized shark teeth and ray dental plates.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a short stroll through the woods down to the shore</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand tiger shark teeth (<em>Carcharias hopei</em>) and (<em>Striatolamia striata</em>) </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eagle ray dental plates (<em>Myliobatis sp.</em>)</td></tr>
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These fossils hail from the Paleocene epoch, 66.5 to 55.8 million years ago. Learn more about this epoch and its fascinating fauna at the Smithsonian website: <a href="http://paleobiology.si.edu/geotime/main/htmlversion/paleocene1.html">http://paleobiology.si.edu/geotime/main/htmlversion/paleocene1.html</a><br />
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Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-71528913071630040182012-04-07T11:10:00.000-04:002013-02-16T17:26:52.569-05:00Backyard birdingThis week I was lucky to catch a glimpse of two species of birds that I don't see too often. During breakfast just a couple of days ago, a couple of large brown objects swooped by the sliding glass doors, over the deck landing in the neighboring yard. Three wild turkeys <em>(Meleagris gallopavo)</em> had come for an easy meal under the bird feeder before heading off into the woods. The tom was enormous.<br />
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This morning's newest visitors were Northern Flickers (<em>Colaptes auratus</em>), pecking through the lawn for insects, probably ants. We sometimes find their beautiful yellow shafted feathers in the yard.</div>
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One of my favorites is the perky little American Goldfinch (<em>Spinus tristis</em>). This male arrived with his mate to enjoy some thistle. His patchy spots are telltale signs that he's still molting.</div>
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Unlike most birds in this area, American Goldfinches won't nest until July when the supply of food in the form of thistle and milkweed seeds is most abundant.</div>
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After a mild winter, the cardinals are already staking out their territories. The males can frequently be seen chasing each other furiously through the trees. </div>
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Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-63799366333701051862012-03-20T15:21:00.002-04:002012-03-20T15:38:57.031-04:00Vernal pool activityIt's that time of year again when salamanders and wood frogs head to vernal pools and spring peepers fill the air with their chorusing. We had no luck finding migrating spotted salamanders at night, but did find quite a few under logs during the day.<br />
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These three were all tucked away under the same log. Just a few feet away, there were plenty of eggs in the pool.<br />
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There were also some spermatophores scattered on the leaves underwater.</div>
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Large fairy shrimp swam about, although not as many as there were a couple of weeks ago.</div>
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Other finds included two water scorpions... </div>
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dragonfly larva...</div>
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and lots of leeches and green frog tadpoles.<br />
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</div>Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-41471579614928224032012-03-20T14:00:00.001-04:002013-11-06T10:27:46.965-05:00FisherThree days ago, we had our first fisher (<i>Martes pennanti</i>) sighting. There were several times we'd seen tracks, but not the actual animal. We were on our way home from hiking/checking out vernal pool activity around 4:45 pm when we drove past a woman on the side of the road. She was staring at something way up in the tall pines abutting the cemetery. I craned my neck from inside the passenger side to see if I could spot what she was looking at. Probably a hawk, I thought until I saw the long black tail hanging down. We pulled over and got out to watch a beautiful fisher climbing to the top of a pine. The woman said she had stopped only when she had heard screeching and screaming. She believes she saw the fisher raiding a squirrel nest.<br />
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We stood and watched for about 15 minutes, but it just stayed up on a limb, hidden behind clumps of pine needles. I pointed my camera in the direction of the dark clump, hoping that I'd get a couple of decent shots. It was so far up, I'm happy I got anything at all. Looks like maybe it was settling down for a nap after eating.<br />
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Just hanging out sleeping off dinner...</div>
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Tracks from January in the mud and...</div>
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in the snow...</div>
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Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-15445488549147580222012-01-16T14:02:00.003-05:002012-01-16T14:24:45.695-05:00New Jersey Fossil HuntingWhile 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.<br />
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This is the top portion of <em>Exogyra,</em> 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. <em>Exogyra</em> are also known as "devil's toenails."<br />
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These next fossils are guards of <em>Belemnitella americana</em>, 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." <br />
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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.</div>
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This next item is a trace fossil, a portion of fossilized burrow belonging to a type of ghost shrimp <em>(</em><span style="font-size: 14px;"><em>Protocallinassa mortoni). <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></em><span style="font-size: small;">Holding this fossil sideways,</span> <span style="font-size: small;">one can see the hole excavated by the shrimp millions of years ago.</span></span></div>
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By far the most excitement was derived from the discovery of sharks' teeth. This display shows the </div>
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. <br />
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No trip to the woods would be complete without scat. Our hunt uncovered a nice shark coprolite.<br />
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We also discovered a bunch of "small stuff" including a snail shell, a fish vertebrae, smaller burrows and bits of coral and shells.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not really positive what this is. Coral? Burrows? Concretion?</td></tr>
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Lastly, the mystery bone fragment. If anyone knows what type of bone this is, please let me know. Here are some different views:<br />
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A big thank you to my son for assisting me with this blog entry.<br />
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</div>Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-88272683373931063392012-01-16T13:04:00.000-05:002012-01-16T13:05:59.660-05:00Warm WinterWe'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. <br />
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Some sightings from a recent hike:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mallards enjoying a warm misty morning<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beaver lodge with freshly added sticks</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beaver food cache just outside the lodge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This deer track should be in snow!</td></tr>
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</div>Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-90256140769168955972011-10-13T10:56:00.001-04:002011-10-28T09:55:28.993-04:00Log rollingRotting 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.<br />
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So, here's what we found on a recent log rolling hike:<br />
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(1) Lots of leopard slugs (<em>Limax maximus</em>) also called giant garden slugs and their eggs.<br />
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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).</div>
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(2) Spotted salamanders (<em>Ambystoma maculatum) </em>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.<br />
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(3) Redback salamanders and their eggs - redback salamanders (<em>Plethodon cinereus</em>) 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. <br />
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(4) Red efts (<em>Notophtalmus viridescens</em>) 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.</div>
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(5) Baby garter snake (<em>Thamnophis sirtalis</em>) <em>-</em> 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.</div>
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(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.</div>
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(7) Common black ground beetles (<em>Pterostichus melanarius</em>) looking for soft-bodied prey such as maggots and caterpillars.</div>
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(8) Rove beetles looking for maggots, other insects and decaying matter. </div>
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(9) Beetle larvae or grubs</div>
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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.</div>
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</div>Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-70797868018799480152011-09-29T15:48:00.000-04:002011-10-04T10:36:02.092-04:00Name Those LarvaeWaiting 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. <br />
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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!<br />
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Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-74254060191079548772011-09-29T11:36:00.001-04:002011-10-04T10:37:58.259-04:00Pond VisitorsYesterday 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 (<em>Thamnophis sirtalis</em>) 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. <br />
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But then I noticed a snout pushing out from the frogbit. Another larger garter snake was hidden beneath the surface.</div>
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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. </div>
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This green frog who lives in the pond returned from its hiding place in the garden once the snake left.</div>
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A wooly bear caterpillar was unfazed by all the activity and kept munching away on frogbit.</div>
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Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-16173803230965116912011-09-26T13:26:00.001-04:002011-10-04T10:41:08.410-04:00Fungi GaloreAll 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 <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=strange-but-true-largest-organism-is-fungus"><em>Scientific American</em></a> 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 <a href="http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/apr2002.html">huge fungi.</a><br />
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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, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mushrooms-Other-Fungi-North-America/dp/1554071151">Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America</a> 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.<br />
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agaric<br />
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polypore - bracket fungus</div>
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agarics</div>
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russula<br />
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one of my favorites - coral fungus (Ramaria)</div>
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coral fungus</div>
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mycena</div>
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agaric</div>
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polypore - bracket fungus</div>
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puffball fungus</div>
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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.</div>
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This fungus looked like a white brain growing from a rotted log.</div>
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Orange jelly fungus</div>
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Coral fungus (Ramaria)</div>
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a coral or tooth fungus (Ramaria)</div>
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another polypore - turkey tail</div>
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and another polypore ....</div>
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Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-89016775582607511332011-08-26T15:41:00.000-04:002011-08-26T15:41:56.706-04:00White squirrelsThere are mostly typical Eastern gray squirrels (<em>Sciuridae carolinensis</em>) 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.<br />
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</div>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 <a href="http://whitesquirrels.com/about-white-squirrels/">Brevard, NC</a> "Home of the White Squirrel" and <a href="http://www.ci.olney.il.us/Visitors/WhiteSquirrel.htm">Olney, IL</a> have populations of white squirrels that come complete with legends and theories. Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956846356175022513.post-29086064914171460572011-08-14T16:06:00.037-04:002011-08-26T16:44:29.393-04:00Black Swallowtail Butterflies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HzXXSSAA704/TlgE86nYJoI/AAAAAAAAAjI/XDzB3TQvt4M/s1600/IMG_3608a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HzXXSSAA704/TlgE86nYJoI/AAAAAAAAAjI/XDzB3TQvt4M/s320/IMG_3608a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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 <em>(Papilo polyxenes)</em>. 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.<br />
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</div>This is a female butterfly, showing more blue color banding. <br />
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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.Cecilia McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09002106365993980598noreply@blogger.com0