northeast-flora-and-fauna

Last year in mid-April I met Hermit Thrushes at Washington Valley Park; this year I met (presumably other) Hermit Thrushes at Sourland Mountain Preserve at about the same time of year. My resources ( All About Birds and 2 field guides) suggest I might be seeing them as they migrate through my area [1]; their maps imply their breeding range starts at northern NJ and continues northward [2]. It's a little unfortunate that Hermit Thrushes generally can't be heard without venturing into the woods; they're considered to be some of the best singers out there.  April 14, 2023 at Sourland Mountain Preserve Photo 272130180, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) April 14, 2023 at Sourland Mountain Preserve Photo 272130437, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] My title of "The Hermits of Sourland" might suggest more permanence than is warranted if the birds are just passing through. [2] It's possible my field guides are getting to be out-of-da

I know many people are bothered by their weight, but there are benefits to bringing binoculars when you're out in nature. Without binoculars, I could only have suspected that the top of a tree looked unusually lumpy. With binoculars, I could actually identify that a Bald Eagle was perched at the top [1]. (My recollection is that there was a family there who just had to take my word for it that there was an eagle up there.) This was taken at the end of a Great Swamp trail that overlooked part of the swamp. I've seen eagles there before, though they've been across the water and pretty distant. I think I heard the eagle nest that used to be there was blown down, though I wouldn't be surprised if eagles nested in this vicinity this year. (I'm not sure how many fish are in Great Swamp, but Bald Eagles will also eat turtles and snakes, both of which are pretty abundant there.) April 13, 2023 at Great Swamp Photo 272120475, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

As I've mentioned from time to time, common names can sometimes be misleading (and there are extreme examples ). Today I'll mention the Green Frog . As I've mentioned before, they're not necessarily green , their (generally) larger cousins the American Bullfrogs can be quite green, and the best way to tell them apart concerns dorsolateral ridges . On a springtime trip to Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge I encountered a greenish Green Frog: April 13, 2023 at Great Swamp Photo 272118834, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) And also a brownish Green Frog: April 13, 2023 at Great Swamp Photo 272118857, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

This April I went to Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge with the hope (among other hopes) of seeing the Northern Watersnakes during mating season. There were 2 problems with this: I think it was slightly late in the season for this. The boardwalk trail where I had seen them in the past was partially closed due to repairs. So although I didn't see any of the 2+ intertwined snakes that I'd seen in the past, but there were still Northern Watersnakes warming themselves in the sun: April 13, 2023 at Great Swamp Photo 272117862, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) And here's another one coming out of the water. April 13, 2023 at Great Swamp Photo 272119139, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Here's a Red-eared Slider that's shedding some of its scutes . These are the carapace segments you can see on many of our turtles. You can see 3 that are in the process of flaking off, and I suspect a spot near the back where a scute flaked off completely. I don't know if Red-eared Sliders shed their scutes more noticeably than other turtles, but the last time I showed a turtle shedding its scutes , it was also a Red-eared slider. Though it might look like something that could be caused by sickness or injury, it's actually a natural way of life for most turtles. April 12, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 272113876, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Although I frequently see Killdeer away from water, they are taxonomically shorebirds , so perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised to see one along the banks of a stream (Dukes Brook). I don't think they dislike the water, though they are fairly comfortable nesting and foraging away from it [1].  The Killdeer was spotted in April, a time when this area gets quite a few migratory shorebirds. While I'd like to think that the Killdeer was at the shore to socialize with these other shorebirds, having names like Solitary Sandpiper suggests to me that they're not the most social birds in the world. (On the other hand, it does sound like Lesser Yellowlegs will flock together, though whether that sociability extends to Killdeer is uncertain.) April 12, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 272115395, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] FWIW some other shorebirds seem to feel similarly.

I've neglected this blog recently; the past few days have been busy: In preparation of the approaching Duke Farms Butterfly Count, on Thursday I was "scouting" the property so I could alert the counters to concentrate on the more promising areas. On Friday I was helping the Raritan Headwaters Association to remove invasive plants around some bush/tree plantings at the Fox Hill Preserve. On Saturday I spent a couple hours at Duke Farms at their Outdoor Education station (primarily) talking to people about fireflies, then did some more "butterfly scouting". On Sunday we had the actual Duke Farms Butterfly Count, which left me a little worn out after 6 hours walking around the property. On Monday morning, I did my usual Steward Volunteer assignment, in this case helping to remove mostly invasive plants around one of their containment fences. We encountered a lot of the "usual suspect" butterflies on Sunday; I suspect the most abundant butterfly we found w

Last weekend at Duke Farms the Outdoor Education topic was "Nature's Nasties", mostly focusing on stuff to avoid like Poison Ivy , Stinging Nettle , and Deer Ticks [1]. We weren't exactly sure what to make of the pinkish growths on some of the Poison Ivy growing nearby. (While 1 of the staff theorized they could be some sort of galls - which turned out to be correct - some sort of fungus also sounded feasible.) Of course there's a natural reluctance to handle Poison Ivy to try and figure out what the stuff was, which didn't help the investigation. After getting home, a quick search showed me a webpage with Poison Ivy with almost exactly the same condition, which they attributed to Poison Ivy Gall Mites. (FWIW iNaturalist uses the name Poison Ivy Leaf Mites.) Although I can't imagine that covering a leaf with these galls doesn't have some impact on Poison Ivy's ability to photosynthesize, this article suggests that the galls aren't particula

In June of 2022 I showed pictures of what appeared to be Common Snapping Turtles mating at Duke Farms. This past April I think I saw the same thing, this time at Great Swamp. At least it looked like a couple snapping turtles sloshing around together, usually with 1 or the other partially breaking the surface but with a lot of activity going on beneath the surface. While I can't completely rule out that this was some turtle fight, it seemed to go on for a while with neither turtle injured or trying to escape. Still, it's not always easy to understand the behavior of our animal friends, especially when water is obscuring part of the activity. April 13, 2023 at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Photo 272119765, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) April 13, 2023 at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Photo 272119838, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)  

After being told about it, I took this picture of a Fairview Farm walkway that was apparently "dammed" by an American Beaver . Although this now looks like some sort of rodent-esque obsessive-compulsive disorder, I suppose I should acknowledge that it's possible that a small amount of water might flow down this trail when we get a sufficient amount of rain [1]. My suspicion is that this dam wasn't particularly effective at curbing water flow; the boards are slightly elevated, and unless the beaver stuffed sticks under the boards in addition to on top of them [2], I'd expect water to continue to flow.  To the right of this picture there's a small (possibly man-made) pond where the beaver presumably lives/works. Unfortunately the beaver itself wasn't available for a photo-op. June 21, 2023 at Fairview Farm [1] The boards are presumably there so people can avoid the worst of the mud when things get wet here. [2] I didn't think to examine the bottom of the

Last April at Duke Island Park I got scrutinized by a Bald Eagle . I'm assuming the eagle was staring intensely at me because it was doing a careful threat assessment since: This is central New Jersey, so seeing humans shouldn't be an interesting novelty for an eagle. The eagle could presumably tell at a glance that, being at least 10 times its weight, I wasn't a good candidate for a meal. Besides being in a tree, the eagle was also across the Raritan River from me, and it decided I wasn't threatening enough to leave a fine perch like this 1. It remained up there as I wandered off. April 3, 2023 at Duke Island Park Photo 270607396, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

As you might expect, Song Sparrows like to sing, and I like the way they rear their heads back when they're in "concert mode". For (relatively) small birds, they really can belt out a tune . There have been 52 recognized subspecies, but currently ornithologists agree on 25 subspecies . While a widespread species like the Song Sparrow can be expected to have some variations, 25 is a pretty high number of subspecies. Most of these differences appear to be superficial visual variations though, without all that much genetic diversity. It's unlikely that any of them will be spun off into separate species unless taxonomists radically change the species/subspecies requirements. March 29, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 270606240, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Human kids have a different fashion sense than adults, and juvenile Bald Eagles "dress" quite a bit differently than adults. When I saw this bird soaring overhead, my 1st thought was that it was big and dark and thus probably a vulture ( Turkey Vulture or Black Vulture ). But the plumage was wrong for both; from below both vultures have dark bodies with (different) lighter areas on their wings. This bird was mostly dark with some scattered speckling. This is also different from an adult Bald Eagle , which would have a white head and tail with a rich brown color elsewhere. The previous time I got a picture of a juvenile Bald Eagle, it was in a tree next to an adult Bald Eagle. In that instance I had no trouble IDing the juvenile because no other bird the size of a Bald Eagle is (routinely) found in my area [1]. In today's picture of a soaring raptor, judging size isn't as easy. March 29, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 270605877, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY

This Pond Slider is determined to get to the top, and it doesn't care who it has to step on to get there. In this case it's climbing on the back of a Northern Red-bellied Cooter . Though I've seen other species of turtle do this climbing thing, Pond Sliders have some reputation for being aggressive (or at least obnoxious). There are 2 subspecies of Pond Slider here in New Jersey and it's a little difficult to tell which 1 this is: Usually the Red-eared Slider has a pretty obvious red mark on its ear [1]. This picture is a little inconclusive though, with what I think is a slightly reddish tint blending in with the dark head.  The Yellow-bellied Slider lacks the red "ear", which I initially thought was the case for this turtle. They're also supposed to have wide yellow stripes on the side part of their plastron; this turtle looks to have fairly thin yellow stripes instead. My field guide suggests that there are a small number of Red-eared Sliders withou

Looking back at some iNaturalist postings from last spring, I was a little surprised to see the Double-crested Cormorant listed as " critically imperiled " in New Jersey despite it being a bird I see semi-regularly. On the Raritan River at Duke Island Park, I saw at least 10 of them preening, fishing, and sunning themselves just in 1 day. Is it likely that I'm just much better at spotting cormorants than most people? That seems highly unlikely; these guys were admittedly closer to the opposite shore than the park shore, but they were right out in the open, and other people besides me were watching them for a while. What I think is going on is: I frequently see these birds in the spring and fall while they're migrating I suspect that "critically imperiled" means that most of them don't spend the winter or summer in NJ, but mostly just pass through it during migration. March 26, 2023 at Duke Island Park Photo 269674341, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserve

It's just barely spring, the weather's warming up, you want a place with ample sunlight but with easy access to water. For many turtles, this means there's some competition for a good log. I haven't seen fights over a log spot, but I'm some pushing, shoving, and even climbing atop other turtles certainly occurs. In this picture it looks like 6 Eastern Painted Turtles , 1 Red-eared Slider (in the middle, and with the red "ear"), and (probably) 1 Northern Red-bellied Cooter (the big 1 at the top). FWIW the (non-native) Red-eared Slider is considered a pushy species, though I do wonder about their ability to push around the usually-larger cooters. And AFAIK the more abundant Painted Turtles don't team up to help 1 another against the other species. Though it seems a little crowded, this is the general solution for turtles looking for some springtime sun. March 26, 2023 at the Raritan Water Power Canal Photo 269672785, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserve

I have to admit that I didn't recognize who this was at 1st. (I don't see a lot of Red-shouldered Hawks , and iNaturalist says they're critically imperiled in New Jersey.) The thin even stripes on the breast/belly reminded me of our accipiters , our Cooper's Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk , but their heads would have more color and their tails wouldn't have white stripes. Instead it turned out to be the buteo that resembles an accipiter. Though this is considered of our most vocal hawks (listen to its soothing music stylings here ), this 1 wasn't talking. Perhaps because it had its mouth full; it was clearly tearing apart and eating some small animal. This was taken adjacent to a canal, so frogs, small turtles, snakes, squirrels, rabbits, muskrats, and any number of small birds could have been its victim. Though some old-time birders considered Red-shouldered Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks to be arch enemies that wouldn't share a habitat, the Red-shouldered Hawk

These two birds (and other birds) were foraging in a Duke Farms meadow after a controlled burn had been done (probably weeks before). You can still see blackened plants out in the meadow, though also some green suggesting grow-back was already occurring. I'm not sure what effect a controlled burn has in the short term for birds. I'm sure some arthropods and seeds burned. On the other hand I'd imagine some arthropods will begin to move in, and certainly the burn increased visibility for foraging birds. Though I'm uncertain what the short term effects are, long term these controlled burns are probably the most natural way to retain a meadowland [1]. The 1st bird is the frequently-seen American Robin . March 24, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 269154677, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) Not far away was the easily-recognized Northern Cardinal . March 24, 2023 at Duke Farms Photo 269154677, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] Left to its own devices,

Here's an Eastern Garter Snake I met last March. March is a funny time of year in that some of the days can be pretty cold while other days can get fairly warm. This was the 1st snake picture I got this year. Given our snakes brumate over the winter, they're probably pretty eager to take advantage of warm days to get out there and forage. (Unfortunately I didn't think to bring a salamander for it to eat.) My recollection is that this guy was basking on the paved path until I came along and (as usual) terrified it into slithering into branches and leaf litter. March 22, 2023 at the Raritan River Greenway Photo 269153773, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Last March I met a Mourning Dove sitting on the ground and who didn't fly away when I approached. As often happens, I can't say I know exactly what was going on. The bird didn't appear to be hurt, another Mourning Dove was walking around, perhaps foraging, but this 1 was just sitting there. I think we can rule out that the bird was incubating eggs. Although there are differences of opinion on whether they nest on the ground ( Audubon says yes , Wild Bird Watching says no ) their nests aren't supposed to be so small that the bird would entirely cover it. Perhaps I interrupted a courtship ritual, and the birds hoped I'd have the social grace to awkwardly depart? Maybe that's the choicest location to sit in the grass by some dove reasoning?  March 22, 2023 at the Raritan River Greenway Photo 269153514, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Though I've shown a Tufted Titmouse before in a communal setting , this post is of a solitary one. Tufted Titmice are considered relatively bold and curious birds: They might pluck fur from a shedding dog. They sometimes turn the table on birdwatchers, seemingly watching them instead. Titmice are related to chickadees and will sometimes form small flocks with them called banditries [1]. In 2002 the population of Tufted Titmice plunged, but not due to death. This is the year that the Black-crested Titmouse became a separate species; before that they were considered a subspecies of Tufted Titmouse [2]. March 22, 2023 at the Raritan River Greenway Photo 269154306, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] Despite the larcenous name, law enforcement rarely needs to investigate their activities. [2] These 2 species are clearly related and frequently hybridize, but: They tend to hybridize only in a narrow strip where their ranges overlap. Scientists think there's enough

Here's a Carolina Wren I met last March. I'm a little surprised to realize that this is the 1st Carolina Wren post I've done [1]. I did show a House Wren before, which is in the same family if not the same genus. Before anyone asks when I was in the Carolinas, the name Carolina Wren doesn't represent the range of this species very well. Imagine a quadrilateral formed from New Hampshire, Florida, Texas, and Iowa, and you'll have a better sense of where this bird can be found [2]. This is a fairly big range with a variety of climates, and since this bird doesn't migrate [3] it must deal with these variations as best it can. One consequence is that a brutal winter can seriously deplete the northern population, though they seem to be expanding northward as our winters become milder. Their plan is to mate for life, though most birds that do this will look for another mate if their spouse dies. If you hear someone repetitively yelling "teakettle" in the w

Okay, I have to admit when I took this picture I thought I was seeing a Common Grackle . But when I posted it to iNaturalist, it suggested a Rusty Blackbird , and other people agreed with this identification. Though in the same family , these species are in different genera and so are probably not really close relations [1]. You might wonder why they're called Rusty Blackbirds since this fella looks black, maybe with a slight bluish sheen. Rusty Blackbirds were named for their non-breeding plumage which actually does look a bit rusty, or at least an uneven brown color. This is presumably a male that may not be in his breeding range but does have his breeding plumage. With this plumage they resemble the dark, shiny, light-eyed grackles. We're supposed to differentiate them by the Rusty Blackbird being smaller (hard to judge from a distance), having a smaller tail, and having a less robust beak. These birds also resemble the Brewer's Blackbird , a close relative that isn'