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Category: Animals

Knobbed Whelk (Busycon carica)

Knobbed Whelk (Busycon carica)

There are two common species of whelk in this area: the Channeled Whelk (Busycon canaliculatum) and the Knobbed Whelk (Busycon carica). They represent our largest beach snails, and their shells can grow to be 7 to 9 inches long.  As living snails, or as empty shells on the beach, they are fairly easy to distinguish, and are appropriately named. The Channeled Whelk has a groove, or channel, running along the spiraled portion of its shell, while the Knobbed whelk has…

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Cape Cod Vernal Pools

Cape Cod Vernal Pools

Saturday, on a near 50-degree sunny morning, I joined a guided walk led by MassAudubon to explore the vernal pools at Ashumet Holly in Falmouth.  A vernal pool is a unique temporary wetland that fills with water in the autumn or winter due to rainfall, snow melt and rising groundwater and remains ponded through the spring and sometimes into early summer.  What makes vernal pools different from an ordinary pond is that vernal pools dry completely by the middle or…

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King Eider (Somateria spectabilis)

King Eider (Somateria spectabilis)

Saturday I was lucky enough to see a King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) among a large flock of Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) along the Cape Cod Canal.  King Eiders are an arctic duck, and are uncommon this far south, so seeing this individual was a fairly rare opportunity.  This particular male King Eider in the Canal was in his full breeding plumage: a spectacular looking bright red bill topped with an orangey-yellow swollen knob, combined with a blueish-grey head, a yellowish…

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North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)

North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)

This post is a little delayed, but I figured it was still worth sharing. Fittingly for the last day of winter (March 19), I was able to take a snowy walk in the vicinity of the Quabbin Reservoir in Petersham, MA.  Unlike Cape Cod that received mostly rain from the “blizzard” the previous week, there was still 8+ inches of snow in Petersham, despite warmer temperatures and some melting over the previous few days.  The snow, in addition to providing…

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Oak apple gall

Oak apple gall

This time of year, with the leaves still absent, it’s hard not to notice the tan spheres attached to the ends of some oak branches.  These ball-like objects are oak apple galls, and can range in size from 1 to 2 inches in diameter (approximately golf ball sized).  A “gall” is a general term for a plant deformity caused by an insect or a fungus.  These oak apple galls are caused by gall wasps in the family Cynipidae. Female wasps…

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Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

On a recent trip to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge yesterday, my friend and I saw a number of new-to-me birds, including a Barred Owl (Strix varia) and an American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea).  However, those sightings were often fleeting and from a great distance.  The Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus), on the other hand, were bold and curious and often perched only a few feet from us to search for food amongst the branches and reeds. Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) –…

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Animal Tracks in Winter (2)

Animal Tracks in Winter (2)

In the past week, Cape Cod has been hit with a series of snow storms.  Today I was finally able to get out and enjoy a morning walk in the forest before the next storm arrives this afternoon/evening.  Unfortunately, I didn’t see any tracks in the forest, but I did find evidence of a number of animals in my backyard upon my return, including the tracks pictured here. The prints from the back feet (larger prints) were approximately 2 inches…

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Zimmerman Moth (Dioryctria zimmermani)

Zimmerman Moth (Dioryctria zimmermani)

While exploring Johns Pond Park in Mashpee a couple weeks ago, I noticed one pine tree that was covered in hardened sap blobs, each with a distinctive circular hole leading back into the tree’s trunk.  At the time I attributed the condition to a pest infestation, but had no way of identifying the specific pest. Thanks to some asking around and sharing the photos of the sap blobs with a professional entomologist, I now know that these “wounds” were caused…

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Faraway Places: Herpetofauna at Barataria Preserve, LA

Faraway Places: Herpetofauna at Barataria Preserve, LA

Barataria Preserve south of New Orleans, part of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, is one of the park’s 6 locations and contains more than 23,000 acres of swamp, marsh and waterways. I had expected to see a myriad of birds while there, but the true diversity in my wildlife sightings turned out to be in the herpetofauna. A few days prior to my visit, Louisiana had experienced unseasonably cold weather with temperatures in the 30s.  The bright…

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Animal Tracks in Winter

Animal Tracks in Winter

Winter provides unique opportunities for gaining insight about the animals that live around us. With the exception of charismatic gray squirrels, most mammals are relatively elusive. Our headlights might reveal a glimpse of a fox darting across the street, or we may see a skunk or a raccoon in our backyard when we flick on an outside light at night.  But to most, the comings and goings of the mammals in our neighborhoods are a mystery. Between Friday and Saturday…

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