All posts in category reptiles

friday at black marsh and environs

Black Marsh Wildlands Area, Edgemere, Maryland, USA. © 2017 S. D. Stewart

Little Blue Heron at Black Marsh Wildlands Area, Edgemere, Maryland, USA. © 2017 S. D. Stewart

Eastern Box Turtle at North Point State Park, Edgemere, Maryland, USA. © 2017 S. D. Stewart

Rose Pink (Sabatia angularis) at North Point State Park, Edgemere, Maryland, USA. © 2017 S. D. Stewart

Spicebush Swallowtail at North Point State Park, Edgemere, Maryland, USA. © 2017 S. D. Stewart

Eastern Cottontail at North Point State Park, Edgemere, Maryland, USA. © 2017 S. D. Stewart

Not depicted: (1) the Eastern Ratsnake that beat a hasty retreat from the trail it was attempting to cross when it sensed my approach; (2) the White-tailed Deer fawn that bolted from its hiding spot adjacent to the trail as I came upon it; (3) the 30+ other species of birds I saw and/or heard.

2 Comments

by sean on August 4, 2017 • Permalink

Posted in birds, breathing rights, butterflies, eastern box turtle, eastern cottontail, eastern ratsnake, escape, fridays, friends, little blue heron, mammals, nature, parts of the whole, photography, reptiles, somewhere else, spicebush swallowtail, swamps, wildflowers

Posted by sean on August 4, 2017

https://sd-stewart.com/2017/08/04/friday-at-black-marsh-and-environs/

john fahey – voice of the turtle

life along a west virginia stream

Streamside Attraction No. 1

Ebony Jewelwing

Streamside Attraction No. 2

Wood Turtle

Streamside Attraction No. 3

6 Comments

by sean on July 7, 2016 • Permalink

Posted in damselflies, ebony jewelwing, ecology, nature, photography, west virginia, wood turtle

Posted by sean on July 7, 2016

https://sd-stewart.com/2016/07/07/life-along-a-west-virginia-stream/

friday birds (with bonus turtles)

Fox Sparrow (Red) – my favorite sparrow

Wood Duck

Hermit Thrush

Eastern Painted Turtles, © 2016 S. D. Stewart

Eastern Painted Turtles taking the sun at Black Marsh.

12 Comments

by sean on March 12, 2016 • Permalink

Posted in birding, birds, breathing rights, eastern painted turtle, fox sparrow, fridays, hermit thrush, nature, photography, reptiles, somewhere else, wood duck

Posted by sean on March 12, 2016

https://sd-stewart.com/2016/03/12/friday-birds-with-bonus-turtles/

always red and black

i returned
to the rocks
where i picked
one up to find
a snake coiled
in red and black

(sleeping it was
as i am now)

up above i flew
circled around
where from the air
i saw the snake
wake and slither off

the next night
i found tiny snakes
wrapped around my wrist
and as i pulled them off
they inserted fangs
beneath the skin

the pain was great
but i kept at it
as did they
until i’m not sure
if i blacked out

the sound of drilling gets me down

Today they are repaving the street, thus deeming it unfortunate that this is the first Friday in a long long time that I’ve actually been home all day. Numbered among the factors that kept me at home instead of out romping in the forest and field with the birds were: (1) logistical difficulties, (2) general malaise, and (3) the crash that comes at the end of migration (it’s just knowing that there will be far fewer birds out there, while most of the ones that are there are busy with family duties). Even though I didn’t go out in the field, I did enjoy a bit of home birding. I was happy to see some robins and mockingbirds gulping down wild cherries from both the tree out front and the weeping cherry out back. And this morning a catbird’s constant song made the sounds of road resurfacing much more bearable. Even a house finch stopped by to sit on the power line and sing his cheerful song, as a couple of goldfinches flew by in the background (haven’t seen many of them in the neighborhood this spring).

In general, though, I found that I did not enjoy being home all day. I was restless and agitated, and while I did complete a few tasks I had wanted to, for the most part I languished unproductively. I did not write the reviews I planned on writing (that are due in just over a week). I tried but couldn’t bring myself to critique other people’s work, especially when I have absolutely nothing to show of my own, so really, what right do I have to criticize others when they are at least making an effort? But whatever…it’s really neither here nor there what I did with my day.

As promised here are a few photos from last week, the first two of which are from Soldier’s Delight Natural Environmental Area.

One of the blue-eyed grasses from Iridaceae, the Iris Family (I did not have my wildflower field guide with me, and the photo doesn’t allow for definitive identification of all the necessary field marks, but I think it’s either Sisyrinchium angustifolium or atlanticum).