It had rained fairly hard just before we got there so, naturally, we expected to be abused by bugs. Luckily, they held off for the most part. A few gnats and at least one yellow fly and some skeeters, but not really heavy like the torture we've been going through lately!
First up was a familiar face... a Bullfrog (far smaller than the behemoths we saw the day before)!
Next up, we flipped the first of many Fowler's Toads.
We have been lamenting the fact that we hadn't seen a Black Racer since April, so our next flip was very gratifying!
His wee black coils under a board were so cute! And like all Racers, he was feisty!
Ready to shed and ready to become a big bruiser! What a beauty!
This tiny Fowler's was nearby, relieved that the Racer had slithered off.
Speaking of tiny toads, they were everywhere!!! Tons and tons of tiny toads in Taunton!
This spider, who had built a nest in a knot in a tree, looked out at the terror of the toads...
There were some larger toads about as well.
We got to a favorite stone flippin' place in hopes of some more snakes. But we flipped more Toads!
This tiny toad is a Tareyton smoker.
This medium guy had his throat puffed out.
This guy was just thinking, "soon..."
Both within about 10 feet of the pond, I flipped two female Wolf Spiders with their backs covered with baby spiderlings!
Some more youngsters...
A regular and a "soon"-phase...
Andrea got this nice shot of a small mantid... I couldn't even see him!
We went out wading in hopes of a few Water Snakes, turtles or whatever. We saw a few Bullfrogs first!
When I say tiny toads were everywhere, I mean it! They were even swimming in the water!
Andrea's inner birder came out and she got this shot of a Mourning Dove atop a boulder!
And a heron on the other side of the pond... Yay 42 zoom!
We got sidetracked for a bit.
Finally, we entered Chelonialand and spotted a few Painted Turtles!
I like the guy on the right. It doesn't look too comfy, but turtles gotta bask!
I flipped this crayfish who posed patiently while I tried to get a good shot. It took about 7 tries, but I like it.
It's about time for another tiny toad!
We got to a spot that has been pretty reliable for basking Painteds, so we approached very quietly... I got this shot...
...before he slid in.
But we sat there and ate apples and relaxed. Eventually, he came back up and paid us no never mind.
At least I think it's the same one. Little fella at any rate!
Our search for more snakes and black-eyed toads was coming to an end. It seems the snakes hadn't heard that the heatwave had ended and they were still in hiding. They were missing out on lots of good eatin'!
Finally, on the way out, we checked the cranberry bogs and saw a couple of Green Frogs!
We had put in roughly 6 1/2 hours and needed some chow and drink. We split a king-sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cups pack and got some cold soda (yes, I am 12) and headed over to Oliver Mills for a photo shoot I had been planning.
To me, the ruins at Oliver Mills look like Berzanno, the place where the undead Templars roam in Tombs of the Blind Dead. So, having finished my candy and soda, I took my toy Blind Dead figure and set up my photo shoot.
While I was doing that, Andrea watched a Muskrat swim across the water!
No herps, but we saw a feisty Crayfish who loved pinching me!
So all in all, not a bad day at all!
The last racer was May 4, and I still have a tiny scar on my right cheek from that encounter.
ReplyDeleteI also snorted over your "Tareyton smoker" remark, because I'm old enough to get the reference.
Hee hee... better than the original one I had!
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