Carol Flanagan writes:
Who's this guy?
Hint: Taken recently at DeKorte Park.
Last night, as part of a BioBlitz, I participated in a reptile and amphibian census with Allegra Mitchell of the Conserve Wildlife Foundation and two other volunteers at the South Mountain Reservation.
The BioBlitz, sponsored by the South Mountain Conservancy, is described as an "intensive, 24-hour study will count the many species of plants (flora) and animals (fauna) to establish a baseline for the SMR’s biodiversity."
We combed the preserve's Wildflower and Forest Preserve for 90 minutes and counted (and released) several species of salamanders, toads, frogs and a non-poisonous DeKay snake.
It was a terrific way to see some new little critters and experience nature at night.
The 2,110-acre reservation, the largest park in Essex County, includes hills, rivers, ponds and woodlands preserved primarily in their wild state.
More about the conservancy and the BioBlitz here.
More about Conserve Wildlife Foundation here.
On Monday, I asked:
Name that bird -- photographed at Duke Farms earlier this month.
Answer: Field Sparrow (at first I thought it was a Chipping Sparrow, as did a reader.)
On Monday I wrote:
This is a cellphone shot, and there was no quarter next to it to give you a sense of scale, but believe me, this is one cool insect.
Photographed about an hour away in NY State last week.
What is it?
It's a click beetle, and yes, those big eyes are fake!
More on click beetles here.