"You realize, don't you, that we're probably not going to see anything..." 7-10-2014

After the long day on Wednesday, we were pooped. We had made Thursday plans with our friend Teá but mercifully, they were for noon. She wanted to show us a place in Norfolk County where she had seen Green Snakes before. Greens? Pshaw! We're old hat at Greens now! But seriously folks...

We met up shortly after 12 PM (I was the one running late...) at a shore area in Quincy. I had said something like "You realize we probably won't see anything today, don't you?" to Andrea on the way... it was already 85° and what herp in their right mind would be up in that? Upon our arrival, Teá said she'd seen Greens, Garters and Dekay's here in the past, so I obnoxiously said something like "We'd better see all of those or this is a total failure!" I'm funny that way. Or I try to be anyway.

Well, whatever weirdness is going on in the world, I just don't know, but about 10 feet into the trail, Andrea looked down and saw this...

What on Earth is going on? Our first ever Smooth Green the day before and not 24 hours later, our second!! In two different parts of the state! 

Talk about instant gratification!

We walked to a "cliff" overlooking the Boston Harbor. Teá mentioned that she has seen Garters there before. A multitude of skins verified that comment! Then Andrea said "like that one?"

Andrea was officially on fire.

Teá and I made our way down the rocky face and grabbed two more Garters that were there.

Try as we all did, we could not make them do the Medic Alert symbol.

Upon their release, they both slid into an impossibly tight crack in the rock face... more than likely their den spot.

Teá, being true to her word, next flipped a very plump Dekay's Snake!

She was surprisingly assertive for a Dekay... flattening her head and looking fierce. I guess being in a family way made her a bit stressed. We gently released her. Three for three on the snake species!


I flipped a huge rock and got this wee shoestring Garter under it.


All of this amazing snakery came with this view of Boston.


I excused myself for a moment to... look for Wood Frogs in seclusion on the beach. This little guy was right near where I... looked for Wood Frogs.


We went into a more forested area and flipped a bit. Now this is where I thought we might see stuff... where it was cooler. We did manage a nice Redback Salamander...

but nothing else was found.

We got to a rock strewn hill and got a couple more Garters!

Again, no luck with the medic alert sign...

Andrea looks like she's knitting with snakes!

We poked around a bit more but saw no more herps. The roughly two hours that we spent were unbelievably productive, though! It's just what Andrea and I needed after the hard fought herps the day before. There's no way we can thank Teá enough! The last animal we photographed was the invasive Asian Shore Crab, who endeared himself to me but scuttling under my shoe when I flipped his rock.


Thank you, Teá, for a wonderful, quick and fun herp trip! We always learn a lot with you! (I say this all first person-like that because she is one of the few folks who might actually read the drivel that I write here!)