All 'Phibs- No Lies. 8-19-2017

So, we finally got around to hitting the spot in Worcester County that we last saw on a recon mission back on January 2nd. That day was spent waiting for AAA for my flat tire. This day held much more promise. First of all, it wasn't icy and cold. It was overcast (as usual) but not rainy and it was warm. We got there mid-morning and, with trail map in hand, figured out our plan of attack.

We started out on the trail that we had last seen covered in ice and snow. (We had been searching for a stream capable of sustaining Spring Salamanders.) It didn't take long on this main path before we started seeing Red Efts walking the trail with us.


It had rained during the night and even though it was about 80° by now, Newts didn't seem to mind it on this well-shaded path.

American Toads were out as well. Here is a small and a large.



We initially picked this trail because it eventually goes through some marshland. Upon hitting the water, we could hear Green Frogs calling. We found a few small guys at the water's edge.


I like the reflection of the mosquito on the second photo... looks like the frog (who still has a bit of tail) is getting a bite on the leg.

After missing out on a number of tricky Pickerel Frogs, the trail went back through the woods and Andrea flipped a Redback, a species that has finally forgiven the summer heat and is starting to show up again.


By now, Efts had become so plentiful that we had to put a moratorium on photographing them. This was supposed to be my last Eft (and near-adult) shot.


But sometimes, you have to break the rules when an opportunity comes along...


Hickory Tussock caterpillars were in abundance, too.


We made it to the end of the trail, then turned back to retrace our steps. A small, grassy spot near a stream was literally hopping on the way back, but we couldn't see what with. Finally, a Wood Frog emerged and stopped long enough for a shot. First Woodie in a while.


Andrea said what she had seen was even smaller than the Wood. With great difficulty, we finally spotted a wee Spring Peeper, our first since May 13th.


Here's another Green Frog from the same spot.


Here is Andrea checking out the pond area...


After that withering glance, I decided to stick with Green Frogs.


Consulting our map, we decided to check out some different trails on the way back. One took us through a milk-weed field that was full of butterflies. Most were hard to photograph but we managed a genuine Monarch.


"Seep Trail" sounded right up our alley and since we were having a dandy amphibian day, we decided to peruse it. It was very red down there, as in Red Efts and Redbacks.





I got a couple of wet shoes down in that area but it was totally worth it when I went to flip a log and it split open, revealing a beautiful, dark Dookie!

If a Northern Dusky can be down here, it must get a lot wetter than it was currently.

We went back up the trail, back to drier habitat. We didn't add much except for this unique Redback (next to a normal one for comparison)... it looked almost white to the naked eye. The person at the visitor center said they call them "Yellow-backs" there... not an uncommon morph in the park.

I've seen plenty of Goldtops over the years but this is much lighter than any I've ever encountered.

Back at the visitor's center, we took a quick break and saw a Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeding. We've seen them before, but never photographed them so it's technically a lifer... #166, #77 on the year.


This cute Red Squirrel was hanging out under the bird feeders, like squirrels do.


We talked with the woman at the center for a bit and learned more about the place. While Andrea was washing up, I finally got a shot of a Pickerel Frog just outside... species #8 on the day. All amphibians!


Our last destination was a pond less than a mile through the woods on a winding path. We had covered a lot of ground already and were surprised by the lack of snakes. Garters should have been all over the place but you really can't ever predict anything when it comes to nature. The trail led us past a man-made pond (water for the farming fields) that was home to Bullfrogs aplenty.

The more you looked, the more you'd see.

Almost to the big pond, this small American Toad was sitting there, greeting us.


We made it to the pond and took advantage of the bench there. We sat and enjoyed the tranquility for a moment. We pretended that the house out there was ours and we were just resting in our back yard.


We'd hoped for some turtles or something to get our 10th species here but there were none. Bullfrogs ruled this pond.



My cute wife ascending the hill after getting that last shot.

And that smile is what its all about. At one point on the trails, I was ahead of her and looked back and she was smiling. 2017 hasn't been the happiest of years but in that moment, all was well and we were at peace. We sat on the bench for a while, nearly napping, and eventually made our way back out and started the drive home.

Not too shabby. Nine amphibian species on a warm August afternoon. We were running on fumes but decided to pull over at a pond area before hitting the highway. It was filthy with humans but we took a trail to a quieter spot and were rewarded with our 10th Worcester County species of the day and our first reptiles of the weekend. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... two Eastern Painted Turtles.


We really didn't know what to expect from this new (to us) place and to say we're pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. To score nine (plus one) species on a first trip to a spot is almost unheard of. Yes, we will be returning to try to see more of what this place has to offer.

One last tidbit. Back at home, we were also on cat-duty. Our friends were on vacation and we've been looking in on their kitties. These friends also have a healthy DeKay's Snake population in their yard. We'd been suspecting that baby snake season was almost upon us and that night, our suspicions were proved to be correct. We saw three neonate DeKay's. We could only get a clear shot of one.


A fitting end to a wonderful day.