3/25/12

Today was exciting--11 snakes, a turkey, Cranes and lots of spring flowers.
I was standing next to my bicycle just watching into a little trail side puddle, looking for frogs and tadpoles when a little flicker of a tail caught my eye.  It was a Garter Snake.  I just watched it for a while and then another one appeared.  Actually it had been there but now I was sensitive to the yellow and black lines.  Pretty soon there were more, then a water snake showed up.  Some of them moved and there were so slick, silent and smooth--they were beautiful!   I moved on and sure enough, if I just studied the ground across from the pubble I would see the yellow and black lines and then some of them would move.  It was magical.
Gary

3/24/12

I heard a loud trill tonight and at first I didn't recognize it.  Then, it came to me.  It is toads!  They usually are out trilling around mid May or just a little earlier.  They are out a month early!
On the way home, walking through the park, three boys came up to me with a very large Bullhead!  They had caught it in another pond but are stocking Half Moon Lagoon with it.  It seemed like something I would have done as a kid so I was excited for them
Gary

3/23/12

Spring is blooming all over!  On our last hikes here are some of the things we have found:  Leopard Frogs, a Spring Peeper, Green frogs, two water snakes, a Garter Snake, Spring Beauties, Trout Lillies, Hepatica, Blood Root and Skunk Cabbage blooming!  Ya Gotta Love that blooming Skunk Cabbage.  We have also been listening to the birds chatter.  We think they have either been alerting or doing the mating calls.
I keep looking for more salamanders and other kinds of snakes.  Oh,  We also found one shed--the first time that I have been in a group when we have found one--it had been nibbled on by critters.
Gary

3/14/12

Spring is getting so exciting!  Today we found another snake, second of the season.  We also found more Leopard Frogs in the leaves, not in the pond--they were big ones.  I am guessing females full of eggs.
Then, the big surprise, we found a salamander under a log--it was the first time for many of the kids to see one in the wild.
We also found a great big leg bone, probably from a cow.  It had been chewed on by little critters, had the hardended marrow and a great ball for the ball and socket joint.  What a great find.
Gary

3/13/12 plus

I went back into the woods after school and found much more about Spring: the cackle of the Wood Frogs in the Marsh,  Cyclops in the ponds, the pecking of the Hairy Woodpecker, the call of the Nuthatch, and movement like tadpoles in the pond but I could not see them--they are too fast for me.
Gary

3/13/12

Spring is Here!  We found our first Leopard Frog Frog today and our first Garter Snake.  It is always exciting when old friends come back and greet us.   The birds were also very active and the geese were in their pairs.
Gary

3/11/12

One of my friends has returned--the crane.  It's sound is so distinctive and primitive. It is great to have them back.   This week will be in the 70s, I expect to see some of the local butterflies and I wouldn't be surprised if a snake appeared somewhere this week.
Gary