Top Photo: Spiny-backed orb weaver (Gasteracantha cancriformis) Only about 1/2” wide, spiny-backed orb weavers are distinctive for their shape and pattern. The individual pictured is mostly white with black markings and red spikes. But, they may also be yellow or red with shades in between. The spines may be black. Some suggest the spines may deter predators such as birds or even subterranean-nesting, spider-seeking, solitary wasps. I doubt birds would be put off by the spikes. I must admit, though,Read more
Posts filed in: Summer
Shedding, Basking, and Waiting
Top Photo: A green anole in mid-molt. Air bubbles are visible under old, shedding skin of the green anole pictured here. Green anoles may shed as often as once a month, or as infrequently as once annually. They may eat their old shed skin. At first glance, the dragonfly below looks to have three pairs of wings, even four pair. In fact, eastern amberwings have two pairs of wings. The illusion is cause by the translucence of the dragonfly’s wings,Read more
Turtle Nest
Top Photo: Eastern painted turtle heads back to water after laying eggs. Painted turtles come ashore each spring and summer to lay eggs. They deposit 2 – 6 eggs in a hole dug by themselves. The eggs take from 70 – 80 days to hatch with some young remaining in nest until the following spring. The turtle’s eggs, like the other aquatic turtles in our wetlands, are frequent victims of predation by terrestrial mammals, raccoons, foxes, and even squirrels. WhenRead more
Nest Box Update 7.4.23
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. We have one active nest, house wrens for a second brood at the Cow Pasture. ————————— The Cow Pasture nest, as it did last week, has six house wren eggs. I was expecting nestlings. I didn’t see or hear an adult in the area which makes me wonder whether this nest has been abandoned. Though, six eggs is a large investment for these birds to quit. We’ll see what happens next week. The Explore theRead more
Big Eyes, Long Legs, and Bright Colors
Top Photo: Larva of eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly. Many insects have physical features which tend to disguise themselves or to make themselves look larger or more intimidating. Eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillars have “false” eyes on the top of their thorax to perhaps convince would be predators they’re snakes, or at least, that they can see them coming. The individual in the photos is ready to crawl off to find a secure location to pupate. Would you think twice about pickingRead more
Nest Box Update 6.27.23
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. It’s now down to one active nest, a second brood by house wrens. —————————— The nest box at the Cow Pasture now has six house wren eggs. This nest has already produced 4 house wrens. This is the second brood of the season. The Explore the Wild, Into the Mist, and Parking Deck East nest boxes are all empty. I expected an empty nest at Parking Deck West during this week’s inspection of the nestRead more
Pickerel Frog
Top Photo: Can you see the frog in the center of the picture? In our area, pickerel frogs breed from February to April. The rest of their year is usually spent away from the temporary pools of water they typically breed in. They may be far from water during the non-breeding season. The frog pictured here was tucked in a crevice of a stone wall behind the waterfall in Earth Moves. Pickerel frogs are mostly brown in color with moreRead more
Nest Box Update 6.20.23
Top Photo: Eastern bluebird eggs. We have two active nests. One is a rebuild and second brood by house wrens. The other, a bluebird nest about to fledge its occupants. ——————— The Cow Pasture nest which was empty last week, and which has already fledged four house wrens is at it again. After cleaning out the nest box and putting in a new berry basket, wrens have again built a classic twig nest in the box. No eggs yet. ExploreRead more
Morphing Frogs
Top Photo: Bullfrogs at edge of wetlands. The numerous bullfrogs that are currently morphing from tadpole to frog in our wetlands were eggs last summer. The eggs hatched approximately five days from deposition. Nine months to perhaps a year later they’re transitioning from tadpole to frog. That may seem a long time, but consider the bullfrog in more northern climates. A bullfrog tadpole hatched in a Massachusetts pond may take three years to become a frog. These frogs are approximatelyRead more