Nj Pine Barrens-Spring '05



I met up with Justin, Jim G. and Brandon on one day and Dave P. on another. We targeted any and all of the pine barrens snakes, as none, including the racer, is an easy find.





These chubby and uncooperative fowleri are everywhere!



I also got a glimpse of my first NJ summer tanager, a species not commonly seen in this state.





We were doing a little cruising when we heard a disturbance in the shrubbery. We saw an adult turkey take off and found 10-12 of these lil guys trying to hide. We didn't want to stress them out, so this was the best shot we got.





This feisty northern black racer in shed was the first snake of the trip.





Not far from where the racer was found, I was poking around on sand dunes known for kingsnakes when all of a sudden I notice a flapping animal in the surf. By golly, it's a 2 lb bluefish! It must have been chasing a baitfish at full speed and beached itself. I grabbed the fish on the gills (as any experienced surf fisherman knows, and I brought it back to the bbq! Talk about fresh!





Here's a nice little freshwater "blue hole" as the locals call them. I believe there is a chemical in the water that makes it this color. No fish or amphibians were seen using this hole.





The pink lady slipper orchids were in bloom!



This slippery lil eastern ribbon snake was found shortly after finding a black rat (not photographed as it appeared to have malignant growths on its body).



This red salamander was an unlikely find and a lifer for me. It was found beneath a railroad tie in an area known for pines and timbers because of all the sugar sand.









Here's the red hanging out next to a redback salamander found shortly after.



I saw a snake coming out of a small canal in a cranberry bog. At first I thought northern watersnake, then I thought cornsnake, but nope...its my first live NJ hognose!







Then we started looking around a spot known for pines which looks like this, when we noticed mounds of sand sticking out amongst the grass.





and this...



and this...



and this...



There were pinesnake nesting mounds everywhere!



a lil bit closer...



another hole...



and another...



Then look who we saw slithering about...a gravid northern pinesnake. This was truly a beautiful animal. It had no red on it. She was bone white and midnight black.











And to top it all off, a beautiful sunset on the Delaware Bay.

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