We didn't get a chance to hike on the first weekend of October due to a band obligation (hey, no worries... we had a blast) and we'd missed some great weather. But the following weekend was going to be OK. It better be- the week was full of shitty weather. We know there's not many more good days so we once again packed up and headed to Plymouth County for a shot at Hognose Snakes and Redbellies.
It was warm, yes, but the wind was pretty heavy and that cooled things off quite a bit. Plus, the area has been in a drought for some time and things were very dry. But that didn't stop us from seeing lots of Redbacks. Here's a sample of the colors that were available... Red, a sandy Lead and a stunning Raspberry-Chocolate.
#9 on my Grasshopper Project... a Fork-tailed Katydid.
The vernal pool was the smallest we have seen it in two years but it still jutted into the path. There wasn't as much action as we sometimes see there but young Green Frogs are still calling it home. This lil fella still has a bit of tail.
Under a nearby log, another wee Green was surprised to see the sunlight.
Heading back to the car, we flipped a log and found this little Ringneck, our first in over a month. Definitely This Year's Model.
Sadly, that first stop has traditionally been our best Redbellied Snake spot and leaving it reduced our chances of seeing a 2020 specimen. But onward we went to the bogs.
As always, the bogs had some Bullfrogs for us. That second guy looked black to the naked eye.
Greens were also seen in the bog. No turtles this time, nor any Hognoses.
We went on to the next spot, realizing that we probably wouldn't score a Hog this year. There aren't many good days left and the next weekend would be lost for family obligations. But we went in and tried our luck. First up, I looked into the water and saw a grasshopper struggling... I stuck a stick in for him to grab on to and he actually righted himself and hopped underwater! He finally grabbed on and he is my #10 species for the 2020 project... a Lesser Pine Katydid.
Having hit double digits, I feel this project is less of a failure than it had been for so long.
Heading up the path, we flipped a log and got a twofer; a Spotted Salamander and a Redback. This teeny Spotted is the first one we've seen at this stop and I honestly thought it was a Leadback until I saw the massive noggin.
We were getting a bit tired but pushed on, hope springing eternal. Andrea spied this pretty Nursery Web Spider.
We trudged along and Andrea said "I wish someone would throw us a bone or something." We were talking about previous years' Hogs on this path and how we hoped for better luck next year. Then she said, "here's a bone..."
By George, she'd done it again. This small Hog is not this year's model but likely a yearling. She picked it up and got some hood but overall, the snake was pretty chill, mostly interested in crawling away.
I'm glad that even with gentle handling, he stayed pretty cool. I've seen the death feigning before and need not see it again. The stress that they must go through to reach that point can't be good for them.
So, mission half accomplished. We'll take it. On the way back to the car, we finally saw a Painted Turtle up basking.
One last stop before heading home... the reliable turtle pond. Sadly, none were up. The wind was just a bit too heavy for proper basking. But we poked around, hoping for a shoestring Garter or a Racer or something. I lifted up some tarp that is sticking out from the ground-cover that it holds in place and got a massive surprise...
13 or 14 Snaplings were tucked in for the Winter! This was an amazing way to learn that baby Snappers don't always hibernate in the water. We tucked them back in all snuggly-like and left them to their sleep.
Oh my fucking god, how cute!!!!!
The last sight for the day, and who knows... maybe the last Painter for the year... this acrobatic picta.
So, we probably won't get another shot at Redbellies, not to mention Timbers or Worm Snakes in 2020 so we end the year with having seen 11 of the 14 snake species in Massachusetts this year. Not bad, considering we never got to leave the state. Who knows what next year will bring? Incidentally, this makes 31 consecutive months of photographing a Massachusetts snake. Yes, as it gets colder, I will start making note of that again.
That's very interesting that the snapper hatchlings are evidently brumating on land. I wasn't aware they did that, but it makes sense as other species do. Great find in my opinion. I think you'll see painters for another few weeks if it doesn't get too cold too soon.
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