Year in Review PLUS

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
User avatar
Berkeley Boone
Posts: 878
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am

Year in Review PLUS

Post by Berkeley Boone »

It's raining here this morning, so I thought I would put this together.

My year in review is actually a little bit more. I didn’t get to finish my YIR last year, so this post will include some stuff from the end of last year as well that I never posted. It has been a busy 18 months for me, with a new job and a toddler. That being said, I have taken only one deliberate trip to see some reptiles- this year for my birthday. And I didn’t even go anywhere exotic. I went down the street to an area where I know canebrakes can be found. The rest of my finds and photos are pretty much incidental.

Let’s get on with it. I hope you enjoy viewing these pics as much as I did taking them. They are in roughly chronological order (last year’s pics are mixed in with the months that they occurred).
Some frog eggs I found in a vernal pool at work:
Image2Frogspawn by bwboone, on Flickr

I got to photograph a prescribed fire as well:
Image3Camera Unload 3.11.14 044 by bwboone, on Flickr

Elf Orpine, or Diamorpha from a rock outcrop on site. This tiny little plant blooms profusely in the spring, and then dies back for the rest of the year, and makes a crunchy brown carpet. It is only found on Granite Rock Outcrops.
Image4dia sma Elf Orpine Army by bwboone, on Flickr
Image4diamorpha smalli world by bwboone, on Flickr
Image4Diamorpha smalli by bwboone, on Flickr

Spring blooming shrubs. Native azaleas:
Image4DSC01765 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image4DSC01802 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image4DSC01842 by bwboone, on Flickr

Fothergilla:
Image4fothergilla1 by bwboone, on Flickr

A ruby throated hummingbird taking a rest:
Image4hummer by bwboone, on Flickr

A great spot at work. Right on the edge of a cow pasture, this place floods in the spring, and is the breeding site for Pseudacris. It was hard to stand here long enough to take the picture, the choruses were so loud.
Image4lovely spot by bwboone, on Flickr

This was cool. I found the pupa of this big girl while I was raking the yard in the late winter/early spring. So I brought it into a sheltered location and set it up for a couple of months while it finished developing. This is what I had waiting for me one night when I was turning off lights in the shed: a Regal Moth. This is as she was taken outside and released that night:
Image5Citheronia regalis by bwboone, on Flickr

And what the caterpillars (called Hickory Horned Devils) look like:
Image19sepIMG_6684 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image20sepIMG_6691 by bwboone, on Flickr

I keep a running list of herps that I find in and around my property at home. I had several new species of snakes (four, if I remember correctly) get added this year. Most exciting was this kingsnake:
Image5house king by bwboone, on Flickr

And this ringneck:
Image5house ring by bwboone, on Flickr
Image5house ring hand by bwboone, on Flickr

And rough green:
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr

The fourth was a garter snake, but I forgot to upload any photos of that one.
This king was found as it was swimming across a pond at work:
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr

This Yellowbelly had just finished laying eggs:
Image5Trachemys scripta by bwboone, on Flickr

Atamasco lily:
Image5Zephyranthes atamasca by bwboone, on Flickr

Vacation was fun. We went down to the coast and spent some time with my family.
Image6all mis by bwboone, on Flickr
Image6cne sex by bwboone, on Flickr
Image6DSC02508 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image6DSC02510 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image6eum lat by bwboone, on Flickr
Image6gas car by bwboone, on Flickr
Image6hem tur by bwboone, on Flickr

Mama osprey and some ugly babies:
Image6pan hal by bwboone, on Flickr
Image6predator and prey by bwboone, on Flickr
Image6sca hol by bwboone, on Flickr

Corn found crossing the road, back at work:
Image6Elaphe guttata CEWC by bwboone, on Flickr

A trip to the Go Fish Center in Perry GA was pretty neat… managed to find a few herps there even while chaperoning a teacher’s workshop. The fish were in the cypress swamp exhibit.
Bowfin:
Image7 Amia calva by bwboone, on Flickr

Gar:
Image7 Lepisosteus oculatus by bwboone, on Flickr
Image7Dueling Cowbells by bwboone, on Flickr
Image7Pontederia cordata by bwboone, on Flickr
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9apa fer by bwboone, on Flickr

This summer also provided me with a couple of lifers. Again, these were found on trips that I had other duties to be doing. This was all incidental herping! The one that I was most excited about was this juvenile Green Salamander. I have been looking for these for years, and finally found this one, clinging upside down to a rock shelf above my head. It was a glorious moment!
Image7ane aen! by bwboone, on Flickr
Image7Aneides aeneus by bwboone, on Flickr

These were not lifers for me, just cool to see and photograph:
Image7car amo by bwboone, on Flickr
Image7Cool Ant Mound by bwboone, on Flickr
Image7Eur luc spotlight by bwboone, on Flickr
Image7Eurycea lucifuga by bwboone, on Flickr

And the inside of the cave from where the previously pictured plethodontid was found:
Image7Looking In by bwboone, on Flickr

And the view looking out of the mouth of the cave:
Image7Looking Out by bwboone, on Flickr

I know some of you do not believe that this was all incidental herping. I swear it is true though! You can ask my boss!

A sunset after a storm one night at work. Taken from the driveway heading out:
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr

Some snakes from our Backyard Wildlife Habitat example:
Image7lam get by bwboone, on Flickr
Image7Nerodia sipedon by bwboone, on Flickr
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr

Never seen a whole lot of life out on the rock outcrops, but this is one of my favorites out there, Lichen Grasshopper:
Image7Trimerotropis saxatilis by bwboone, on Flickr

This was a fun surprise one day. Driving in to work, saw this Scissor Tailed Flycatcher hanging out on the road. Another lifer. Apparently, it caused quite a stir in the bird world around these parts:
Image7Tyrannus forficatus by bwboone, on Flickr
Image7Tyrannus forficatus1 by bwboone, on Flickr

I had a great year with the big silk moths. Another one that I successfully watched emerge:
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr

And now for the one dedicated herping trip I went on this year. For my birthday, I told my wife that I wanted to go hiking. I have had a tradition for about ten years now to seek out a ‘Birthday Snake’. Something venomous is preferred, but not necessary. So we loaded up the kiddo and went to a place that we like to hike around, not even 5 minutes from the house. I timed it perfectly this year:
Image8babypile by bwboone, on Flickr
Image8babypile1 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image8babycane by bwboone, on Flickr
Image8babypile2 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image8babyrock by bwboone, on Flickr

A total of 11 canebrakes were seen, including this monster, rattleless adult. It crawled out of a crevice under a boulder I was standing on, and proceeded to drop down into another hole in between where my wife and I were standing. It was incredible!
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr
Also seen during the hike, and no less lovely:
Image8sce und rns by bwboone, on Flickr
Image8Sce und rns1 by bwboone, on Flickr
Great camouflage, isn’t it?

Image8dragon by bwboone, on Flickr
Image8White tailed skimmer by bwboone, on Flickr
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr
Image4actias luna by bwboone, on Flickr
Image23sep by bwboone, on Flickr
Image21sepDSC06266 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image24sepDSC06259 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image3augDSC05430 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image4augDSC05435 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image5augDSC05439 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image6augDSC05449 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image7augDSC05454 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image8augDSC05460 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9augDSC05462 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image10augDSC05465 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image11augDSC05472 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image28sepDSC06255 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image27sepDSC06229 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image25sepDSC05995 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image26sepDSC05996 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image29sepDSC05991 by bwboone, on Flickr

Sign I saw from a gas station while I was filling up one day. I don’t think that I would eat that that restaurant….
Image16sepDSC05705 by bwboone, on Flickr

Annie, our front porch toad:
Image12augDSC05557 by bwboone, on Flickr

A very ungrateful canebrake that I moved off the road:
Image1julDSC05232 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image2julDSC05240 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image1julDSC05201 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image3augDSC05330 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image15augmarshmallow by bwboone, on Flickr

More late summer inverts:
Image23sepDSC05915 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image17sepDSC05804 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image18sepDSC05551 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image22sepDSC05423 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9DSC04768 by bwboone, on Flickr

And something that likes to eat them:
ImageDSC00125 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr

A trip to the coast of Alabama in September was productive too. Again, this was all incidental herping:
Imageracer on bike by bwboone, on Flickr
Imageracer on road by bwboone, on Flickr
Imageribbon by bwboone, on Flickr

While riding my bike one morning, I saw movement off to the side of the bike path. I stopped, and hopped off to check it out. I’m glad that I did- another lifer for me! Oak toad:
Image9buf que hand by bwboone, on Flickr
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9col con in situ1 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9col con in situ2 by bwboone, on Flickr

I stopped to photograph this green heron at a little gator watering hole (yes, the water was really that color!). I got home and noticed there was a cottonmouth crawling across the sand in the background of the photo. Had I noticed it while I was there, I would have taken other photos of the snake. This was the only one that I got of this individual….I had been so engrossed in watching the green heron feeding.
Image9cotton and green by bwboone, on Flickr

Speaking of feeding, on the other side of this bike path, at the same gator hole, I saw a cottonmouth among the roots in a feeding position. There were mummichogs or mosquitofish in the water that it was preparing to eat. It spooked when I suddenly appeared, and then crawled back into the rootwork. I felt bad that I kept it from getting breakfast that morning, but I didn’t realize that it was there when I walked up to the edge of the water.
Image9cotton in situ by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9cotton strike position by bwboone, on Flickr

More fun stuff. My Father-in-Law took us out on a boat so that my daughter could see some dolphins. They did not disappoint:
Image9dolphin jumping by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9dolphin jumping2 by bwboone, on Flickr

Cool hoverfly photobomb:
Image9hoverfly by bwboone, on Flickr

Has anyone ever heard of ‘Jubilee’? Apparently, down on the Gulf, runs of baitfish come in periodically and the birds come in from all over. There were gulls and terns EVERYWHERE at my wife’s aunt and uncle’s house. It was almost a little like watching Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’, fairly creep-inducing, but much less sinister.
Image9jubilee by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9jubilee1 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9jubilee2 by bwboone, on Flickr

Some YOY skimmers that refused to take part in the fish party:
Image9tres skimmers by bwboone, on Flickr

Some young and juvenile gopher tortoise tracks from other bike rides:
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9young gop pol tracks by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9young gop pol tracks2 by bwboone, on Flickr

While on vacation, my bike rides have turned up a fair number of herps. Here are a few of note from this fall.
First, a very cooperative coachwhip (two seen within about ten minutes of each other):
Image9mas fla in situ2 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9mas fla in situ head1 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9Ophisaurus ventralis by bwboone, on Flickr

This was a cool observation. Someone had squished a katydid on the bike path, and a fence lizard was taking advantage of an easy meal and breaking off bite-sized parts and eating them. When I rolled up, it scooted off the edge of the pavement with a mouthful of wing and parked in the sand to finish eating. I watched it come back and get another mouthful, then run back. When I came back down the path about 20 minutes later, the katydid was mostly gone, and the fence lizard had gone back to the shrub line.
Image9sce und snack1 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9sce und snack2 to go by bwboone, on Flickr

Further down the bike path, this awaited me:
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9sis mil bar5 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9Stagmomantis carolina by bwboone, on Flickr

I love pitcherplants. They are just amazing to me, and I was excited to find this grove of them one morning. These are Sarracenia leucophylla:
Image9sar leucophylla field by bwboone, on Flickr
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9sar leu tops by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9sarracenia leucophylla by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9moon by bwboone, on Flickr

If you have seen any of my Years In Review posts in the past, you may remember that I have been trying to find either nesting or hatching sea turtles. For years. Well, it finally happened last year (these are some of the pics that I never got to post previously).
My in-laws’ neighbor is the coordinator for the sea turtle hatching program in their part of coastal Alabama, and she knew that I had an affiliation for all things coldblooded. She called me up on our last night down there and asked if I would like to come and help with a hatch that had just started to happen. It was several days earlier than expected, and it was 10:30 at night, but was I interested? As my dad likes to say, “Does a chicken have lips?” Heck Yeah, I’ll come and help!
Obviously, you cannot use normal lights with the babies, so these are just a few of the pics that I was able to capture with the ambient red light.
Image9loggerheads 1 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9loggerheads 2 by bwboone, on Flickr

That was quite an experience. 77 babies ended up hatching on their own and crawling through a trench I dug to the ocean. There were two more that did not hatch by the time we left that night, but they were assisted and freed the next morning.

Back at work now. A project I was working on had me out in the woods, where I stumbled upon this supercool plant called Pinesap growing in an old abandoned cemetery. It lacks chlorophyll, and thusly cannot photosynthesize its food, so gets it from root fungi parasitism. Fascinating stuff!
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr
Image9Monotropa hypopitys1 by bwboone, on Flickr

Monarchs in the backyard:
Image10Danaus plexippus by bwboone, on Flickr

Another trip for work yielded this cricket frog…:
Image10acr gry by bwboone, on Flickr

…on the edge of this pond:
Image10sunrise by bwboone, on Flickr

Once the sun rose, this is what I saw. Lots of love grass, covered in the dew of a cool October morning.
Image10clouds1 by bwboone, on Flickr
Image10clouds by bwboone, on Flickr

As it warmed, I found this little fellow crossing the road in front of my truck. My intern was a little too excited to see it as well, and I was unable to get an in situ shot before she grabbed it.
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr

A couple of walkingsticks were also located:
Image10walkingstick by bwboone, on Flickr
Image10walkingstick1 by bwboone, on Flickr

The remainder of pics are from the end of last year. More pics that I didn’t get to share in my last Year In Review.
A brief trip up to North GA:
Image10maplecolor by bwboone, on Flickr

Closed gentian. The petals do not open on this unique flower. (Sorry it is sideways…didn’t catch that in the uploading)
Image10Gentiana andrewsii by bwboone, on Flickr

Turkeytails:
Image10turkeytail by bwboone, on Flickr

Back down to the coast for a workshop, I saw a few neat birds:
Image11Ardea herodias by bwboone, on Flickr
Image11Aythya americana by bwboone, on Flickr
Image11Calidris alba by bwboone, on Flickr
Image11Pelecanus occidentalis by bwboone, on Flickr
Image11phalacrocorax auritus by bwboone, on Flickr

This was pretty wild. One night as I was walking to dinner from where I was staying, I saw a red fox walking down the sidewalk toward me. I stopped and watched, and she just kept coming. She knew I was there, and kept an eye on me, but continued running side to side on the sidewalk, sniffing here and there as she went. When she got within about ten feet of me, she veered off the pavement, circled me, and hopped back on the sidewalk and kept going. She was completely habituated to people, but I was relieved to see that she did not approach me looking for a handout. Unfortunately, I did not see her when I was down there again this year, and heard rumor that she had been relocated.
Image11Vulpes vulpes by bwboone, on Flickr
Image11liveoak by bwboone, on Flickr
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr

We’re down to the end of the review. My in-laws live on a lake, and when we went to see them last Christmas, I decided to walk down to the water to take some pictures of the fog. As I took pictures, I noticed a funny looking spot in one of the images, up in a tree:
Image12decDSC07108 by bwboone, on Flickr

So I zoomed in and took another pic:
Image12decDSC07109 by bwboone, on Flickr

Huh. Well how about that? It was an eagle. Just perched up there in that poplar, watching the world go by.
Image12decDSC07110 by bwboone, on Flickr

As I watched, it took off and flew a lap or two over the water. Then a second eagle, a female- its mate, joined it from the same set of trees. I hadn’t even seen it! Once the pair was both flying, they soared around the point of land and disappeared.
Image12decDSC07114 by bwboone, on Flickr

A little marbled found while wandering back through the woods to the house:
Image. by bwboone, on Flickr

Finally, for those whom are still following, a little something to make you smile. From one of the walls in downtown, small city GA:
ImageBearlax by bwboone, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing. Have a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year!
--Berkeley
User avatar
mtratcliffe
Posts: 533
Joined: January 19th, 2014, 4:34 pm
Location: Mt Laurel, NJ

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by mtratcliffe »

Looks like you had a great year - thanks for sharing! That's awesome that you got to see those snakes right in your yard, and also that you have some herps near work!
User avatar
Kelly Mc
Posts: 4529
Joined: October 18th, 2011, 1:03 pm

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by Kelly Mc »

Sometimes when somebody posts pictures you can see the beauty of their heart.

I loved all the places and every single everything.

you made me say Hi Annie!..
User avatar
Rich in Reptiles
Posts: 494
Joined: November 30th, 2012, 7:45 am
Location: Missouri

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by Rich in Reptiles »

Wonderful post! Congrats on that green salamander- that was one of my year's lifers too! :D The elf orpine is gorgeous! It reminds me of one of my favorite Tennessee plants, glade stonecrop.

I really love the photo of the baby hognose arching and flattening its neck! So super squee!
Coluber Constrictor
Posts: 1165
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:25 am
Location: Mobile, AL

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by Coluber Constrictor »

.
User avatar
Berkeley Boone
Posts: 878
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by Berkeley Boone »

Thanks yall! Glad you enjoyed it!

Matt, yeah, I count myself pretty lucky to have such diversity in my yard. I've found 13 species of snakes (two venomous), and 32 species of herps total. Herps right out the door at work (and a laid-back boss!) is a great perk, too.

Kelly, thanks for the kind words. It was an enjoyable time for me, and I am pleased to be able to take you along.

Good stuff, Bethany! Glad you checked that one off as well. Yes, that little hognose was pretty adorable.

Thanks James, it was a good year for kings, I thought. Good to know on the jubilee thing- that was just what my wife's aunt told me it was. It was definitely for more than a couple of hours. I think they had been around for a day or two already when we saw them.

--Berkeley
User avatar
Jeroen Speybroeck
Posts: 826
Joined: June 29th, 2011, 1:56 am
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by Jeroen Speybroeck »

Love the diversity and the non-herp stuff.
Tamara D. McConnell
Posts: 2248
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:42 am

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

Sometimes when somebody posts pictures you can see the beauty of their heart.
Gosh, yes. This post is luminous with love for the natural world.
There is so much great stuff here! I would have LOVED to have seen the fence lizard devouring the katydid. Love the caterpillars and moths, also.
This post reminds me that there are little miracles all around us. All we have to do is look. Thank you, Berkeley.
User avatar
Mike Pingleton
Posts: 1471
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:45 am
Location: One of the boys from Illinois
Contact:

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by Mike Pingleton »

Pretty good year for 'incidental" herping!

Great natural history post, Mister B. You've got your eyes open.

-Mike
User avatar
Berkeley Boone
Posts: 878
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by Berkeley Boone »

Thanks Jeroen, I'm glad you enjoyed all the extras. It's always a treat for me to see them as well.

Tamara, thank you for the very kind words! It warms my heart to know that it made such an impression. I'm excited to share my enthusiasm for all that is around us!

Many thanks, Mike! I definitely had a good time, and I think next year will also be a good one.

--Berkeley
User avatar
walk-about
Posts: 567
Joined: June 14th, 2010, 12:04 pm
Location: 'God's Country' aka western KY
Contact:

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by walk-about »

Berkeley - What a perfectly crafted post. Beautiful shots of the myopic (floral especially) world that surrounds us but is often not appreciated. Love the many insect shots...they are really pretty. Congrats on that Green Salamander! Happy New Years!

Dave
User avatar
JEDDLV
Posts: 69
Joined: April 28th, 2013, 1:54 pm
Location: Las Vegas, Nv.

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by JEDDLV »

really enjoyed your post Berkeley, nice pics man, well done
User avatar
LouB747
Posts: 1184
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:50 am
Location: Huntington Beach, CA

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by LouB747 »

Love the moths, especially the Luna. Do you see many of them?
User avatar
Berkeley Boone
Posts: 878
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by Berkeley Boone »

Thanks Dave, Jedd and Lou! I appreciate it, thank you very much.

Lou, I don't think I could say that I see LOTS of the Lunas, but I see them periodically. I've also found that they seem to be more locally abundant. (i.e- I see a lot of them in the woods/parking lot at work, but not as many in my neighborhood)

Thanks yall! Happy New Year!
--Berkeley
User avatar
Roki
Posts: 199
Joined: January 23rd, 2012, 10:08 am
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by Roki »

Nice mix of shots. Seems like a very good year. Thanks for sharing.
Roki
User avatar
Berkeley Boone
Posts: 878
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by Berkeley Boone »

Thanks Roki. I'm putting it in my 'Good Year' category!

Glad you enjoyed the photos.
--Berkeley
cherper
Posts: 173
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 10:14 am
Location: CSRA Georgia

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by cherper »

Berkeley,

I love the fact that you capture the whole experience of God's creation. Sometimes I forget the beauty of the plant life and variety of bird life around me when I'm focused on the ground. Nice work and nice year!

Cary
User avatar
Berkeley Boone
Posts: 878
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by Berkeley Boone »

Thanks Cary! I have always enjoyed God's work out there in the field. I am grateful that I get to experience it.
I look forward to getting out with you sometime this spring!
--Berkeley
cherper
Posts: 173
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 10:14 am
Location: CSRA Georgia

Re: Year in Review PLUS

Post by cherper »

Let's do it!!
Post Reply