Everything has changed 9-16-2015

Before fucking up everything I believe in, here is what I saw.

It was a hot afternoon, 85° and I hit a small reserve on the way home from work to see if I could see some animals. Near a pond, I got a glimpse of Garter... 10 feet away and on the other side of some muck.


I flipped plenty of Redbacks but they were mostly pretty quick because of the heat. I got photos of just these two.



I went some time without any more animals until I flipped this good sized Garter.




Things were going swimmingly. I wish I turned back right there. But on I went.

I got to a rock lined culvert... rock on rock. I told myself I would just flip the low hanging fruit... stepping out onto the rocks would be dangerous for anything under them. One side, nothing.

On the next side, I flipped a small Garter Snake who darted off as soon as the rock was lifted. I replaced the rock, not knowing that he had doubled back and was heading under the bottom edge of the rock. I saw him when the damage had been done. I had seriously injured him, about 3 inches behind the head. He was in pain. I decided to put him out of his misery and killed him as quickly as possible. Everything I stand for and believe in was destroyed in a moment.

I have always been a huge advocate for animals, especially snakes, and am the first to rail against Rattlesnake Roundups and assholes with shovels. While my intentions are not the same, the end result of my negligence is... a dead animal. That which I love the most has suffered at my hand. This is, in my heart, unforgivable. I have always been careful and yes, accidents do happen, but this is something that I can not, nor should I, put behind me. It will live with me forever.

I don't know what the future will hold for me personally as far as the pursuit of seeing and learning about nature. Time will tell if I am able to move beyond it. Right now, I am consumed by a self-hatred that is impossible to put into words. It should have been me dying on that rocky culvert, not an innocent animal.

You can't win 'em all... 9-12, 2015

After the previous week's astounding success, perhaps we got a bit cocky. You can't get too confident with this particular passion. We always say it.. you can learn the habitats, the behavior, the ideal conditions... but the animals call the shots.

We got a head start on the weekend by going over to a nearby spot on Friday night (Sept. 11th) after work. The sun is setting very early these days so our time was extremely limited. Our plan was to check on the local Blue Spotted Salamanders, a population that we feel are in real danger due to a nearby cemetery's expansion. We flipped a muddy, dried vernal for a while. I left it to look on a rocky hill when Andrea spied one of our blue spotted pals.

Well, there was at least one survivor. And this little guy is this-year's-model. That's a relief.

Andrea (again) saw a Peeper hop by and go into a tree crevice. My good ol' flash penetrated and caught the frog in inaction.


The last herp we saw in our half-hour excursion was this fine Wood Frog that hopped into our sights.


We got up nice and early on Saturday to head out to Western MA to look for Hognoses and Box Turtles. Surely we would be very successful. We'd probably park the car and they'd all be waiting right there for us... maybe with a welcoming banner. We picked up the son we never wanted, Matt, and drove through thick fog and drizzly weather the whole way there... perfect. We got there by 10 AM. And it had become warm and sunny. HUH?

Needless to say, all three of us scoured for nearly 3 hours and wound up with about a half dozen Redbacks. They were all big, strong Redbacks too. Here are some of them...



But that's it. I love these guys but I can get them 100 yards from my house. Driving 2 hours each way makes me think we should find something we don't have in town.

Oh well, we cruised a bit and still failed so we headed out to find a sandwich shop. On the way, I pulled over to a stream to look at it. Looks good and Woody. This nearly black Green Frog was hanging out.


And we flipped a golden Two-lined Salamander.

Doubled the species count of the other place in 5 minutes. This informed my decision on where to herp next. Streams... I love 'em.

We got some chow (and I ate a sandwich! It wasn't easy but it happened!) and headed to the next spot. We passed what used to be Cardboard Garter Garden but it is now full-on ornamental garden. No more cardboard. There might still be Garters but its not OK to root through it anymore.

The next spot, a pond we like, was crowded with humanity. Still, we foraged on. Matt saw a turtle drifting into the water from shore and got his mitts on it... a mid-sized Snapper.



Matt also spied this lovely Pickerel that I had managed to walk right past.

Now this is more like it. Animals.

This Water Snake was up basking on some sticks.

I saw a small guy doing the same thing a bit later but he slid into the drink before I got my lens cap off.

We set about foraging in a stream that looked good for Wood Turtles and Spring Salamanders. We found neither. I heard a massive plop and it was this medium sized Green Frog.


Sure that I wasn't going to find Woods or Springs, I intently set my sights for Northern Duskies. Dookies make all things good. I flipped one and readied to photograph it. Matt came over and said "isn't that a Redback?" I looked at the picture on my camera.

Sure is.

What right does a Redback have to be right at the water's edge under a rock and be all dark brown and stuff? What is the world coming to?

My next Dookie was much more Desmoggy.


Well, I'd like to say that we killed it for a second week in a row but that's just not the case. Still, even a slow day in the field is a great day. We had fun and got filthy and sweaty and dirty and scuzzy and gross. And sometimes, that is what makes it all worthwhile.

Workin' it on Labor Day. 9-7-2015

We couldn't hope to match our outstanding day in Plymouth County the day before, but we still hoped to see some animals on this Monday off. We headed out fairly early, knowing it was going to be in the mid-90s very soon. By 10 AM, it was already over 80° in Bristol County... no time to lose.

We hit the trails and headed to a favorite stop. Our boards had been moved a bit... it looks like some fucknut had been herping... definitely a herper... and not replaced much. Thanks, shit-stain. But anyway, (under a moved board at that) we uncovered this small in-the-blue Garter.


Nearby, we found this pretty good sized Racer, again under a moved board. Hmmm...

This, our first here in quite some time, had some shed rips... he must have been feeling a bit dry.

^I like this picture... I look slim.

So, we went from this:

To this:

Not a bad start.

This Fowler's Toad was peeking out of his burrow in a gravely hill.

Just after snapping this shot, he darted out to catch a bug buzzing by. Too slow with the trigger finger, was I.

Again, Pickerel Frogs were hopping everywhere. I love September!


Some Painteds were up basking at the edge of the pond, though they were a bit obscured by plant life. I like this little guy's extreeeeme  yoga!


This young Bullfrog was much easier.


A stone wall area that used to be good for lots of snakes, but hasn't been since a burn last year, gave us a lovely Garter with a disappearing dorsal stripe.


A flip produced a Fowler's beating the heat.


Andrea scored a few Pickerels as I was changing my shoes...


^Golden goodness.

We flipped a hot rock in the middle of a field and saw this (in-the-blue) stripeless Garter! What a sweet one!


A warm pond-side puddle had some frogs enjoying it. A Bull...


and our first Green of the day.


This Viceroy butterfly was begging for a shot.


We scoured the edges of the pond. I had a baby Water Snake hand me my ass.



We moved up-trail. I got to a spot to peek in on basking turtles and saw a gigantic Redbellied Cooter basking. He saw me too and high-tailed it into the drink before I got a photo. Drat!

I'd hoped another would be up at the next opening, but it was all Painters. (Note the yoga feet poking out from behind the stump...)


Another little Green hiding in the reeds.


While Andrea was looking for Wood Frogs, I sat on a rock and looked at my photos. Then I noticed that I had acquired two friends.

The little jumping spider has such a cute face!


Speaking of cute faces, these Bullfrogs have the same.



Here's a pretty Pickerel.


Peek-a-boo Fowleri.


I flipped a log and saw a snoozing, stripeless Garter. What I didn't see was the swarm of Yellowjackets I had disturbed. Andrea and I ran off quickly, but there was still the matter of photographing the snake. I snuck back, got it...

and then got it again as I got stung on the elbow. Ouch.

I wanted to replace the log but they wouldn't let me near. I got a long stick and prodded the snake until he woke up and slithered under the log in its new position.

Walking back, we saw a bunch of trash bags filled with clippings. Why not poke through? Sure enough, we found the day's trash snake... a very young Garter that Andrea made an expert catch on.


Hey, without even looking for Wood Frogs, we saw one.


This was not flipped and not uncovered. It is just a Fowler's sitting in a hole right out in the open, stewing in his own crankiness.


The next flip was unexpected... a newly metamorphosed Spotted Salamander.

It was 95° out but this guy was under a cool, damp log.

Next up, we flipped this little doodle of a Redback, giving us our third straight day of double-digit species.


On the way out, Andrea found this Racer skin... nearly 6 feet of Coluber constrictor had recently dropped that. Damn, I wish we saw it do it!


So that is the wrap up of a wonderful weekend in nature. First Racers since May and lots of babies. We're still on the lookout for hatchling turtles. September ain't over yet.