Wood Frog on a Green Frog – April 9 2008

This male wood frog is on top of the green frog.

Wood & Western Chorus Frogs Calling – April 7, 2008

Here is a male western chorus frog “puffing up” to call for a mate.

As I’m watching these wood frogs I notice the vibration that their call makes in the water.

Notice the rings in the water.  I also notice that sometimes the males move in the water when they call which changes there call.

Green Frog Jumping into the Vernal Pond – April 7 2008

On the edge of one of camp’s vernal ponds this green frog jumps to safety.

Frogs – March 31 2008

As I was salamander hunting I found these frogs.

Here’s a Western chorus frog. The first one I’ve found in the wild. This frog only gets to be about an inch long.

Bull Frog – March 28, 2008

It’s around 5 pm and I’m walking home when I spy this bull frog in the fen. Last night there was 2+ inches of snow. It must be hard being an amphibian.

Wildflowers, Insects, & Amphibians by the Lower Flat- August 16 2007

I’m not sure what plant this is.  The purple plant in the back is the invasive plant, purple loosestrife.

HPIM3573, originally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.

Bumble bee on Goldenrod.

 

 

Wasp and another insect on goldenrod

Mayfly on Autumn Olive(Autumn Olive is an invasive species).

I think this might be an early phase of a spicebush swallowtail caterpillar on spicebush leave(?). It looks like bird scat which is great camouflage.  If this is a spicebush swallowtail then the silk that it’s sitting on will be used to seal up the leave as it transforms.

Here’s what it looks like with its antenae out:

Here’s a yellow jacket(upside down) eating a dead cicada(circle of life).

Here’s the after effects of a leaf miner on the shrubs by main beach.

 Here’s a spring peeper.

Colorful Milkweed Tussocks Moth caterpillar(Euchaetes egle) on a milkweed plant.

Female praying mantis.

Nature Camp 2007

What a blast! The campers learned so much!

Here’s a list of some of the many things that we did:

Get to know you games
Camping out
Fishing
Canoeing
Fire Kites
Bug Suckers
Bird Calls
Bird Adaptations
Water Slide
Archery
Swimming
Swamp Hike
Campfire Songs
Gift of Nature, God, Ourselves, & History

 

Toad in the grass – May 2 2007

While walking in the lawn at the base of turtle hill, this toad catches my attention.

A toads’ camouflage works well if they don’t move.

Toads calling and mating – May 1, 2007

Camp’s staff are on a day retreat in a bed and breakfast in Middlebury, Indiana, when we hear toads calling.

A male and female find each other.

 

This male is still hopefully calling.

I love the way this guy’s throat expands as he calls.

Two Salamanders found under a log

Two Salamanders found under a logOriginally uploaded by Camp Naturalist.Camp’s program director turns over a log and found these two red-back salamanders and a bumble bug.

These are the first red back salamanders of the season. I assume that the larger salamander is female but I haven’t confirmed that yet.  These salamanders don’t have any lungs.  They breathe through their skin, and that’s why they have to keep their skin moist.  Red backs are completely terrestrial.

I believe these are red-backed salamander eggs that are also found under the same log. It seems that you can make out two black dots for eyes.