Swamp Things

This summer I went to Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. I went there specifically to find herps (turtles, frogs, snakes), birds (herons, ducks, geese), and insects (dragonflies, damselflies, bees, wasps, butterflies). But the swamp does have lots of woods and some meadows adjacent to its murkier spots, so it's not a surprise to see non-aquatic animals in the area too.

First there's this Eastern Chipmunk, a fairly commonly seen rodent at the swamp. I suspect they live here because of the forested areas around the swamp without benefiting directly from it.

August 10, 2022 at Great Swamp
Photo 228539724, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

A little later I saw an Eastern Cottontail out doing a little careful foraging. They may appreciate the edge habitats like this one. Edge habitats are areas where (for example) a meadow meets the woods. This can be a popular spot for rabbits and some birds since there's usually different plants growing in both habitats, and the edge area frequently has its own plants. It's like a supermarket, where lots of different food is located in roughly the same spot.

August 10, 2022 at Great Swamp
Photo 228539754, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Apologies if you were expecting the actual Swamp Thing.

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