notes

A few notes and observations:

The Box Turtle that likes to sit in the pond was there again this morning (I think it's always the same individual). He/she/it goes onto the mud at low tide and waits for the tide to come up. As the water comes in, the turtle is covered and then actually floats with feet and neck outstretched so that only the nostrils and the top of its upper carapace are above water. An odd sight!

Among the birds that have started singing or calling in the past few days are the Catbirds which, as if in some sort of secret agreement, all started to vocalize at once yesterday or the day before after a week or two of silence. One (but not both) of the Common Yellowthroats has started singing again a little back from the marsh edge (it might be a different bird on a slightly different territory from the previous incumbents). Pine Warbler has picked up its steady, strong trilling, also in the past few days. Another bird that has stopped and started again (or disappeared and then reappeared) is the Great Crested Flycatcher. And, finally, to add to the list, Blue Jays have started calling again; Blue Jays don't really sing but, as everyone knows, they are very vocal, at least out of nesting season. In most cases, the non-singing period occurs when birds have young in the nest and don't want to call attention to themselves or the nest (in many cases, the males help feed the young). Blue Jays, for example, will slip in and out of the nest or the nest area in total silence!

Among the new floral arrivals: Morning Glories and Black-eyed Susans, a 'near-native' which has become naturalized here.

In the insect world, Seaside Dragonlets (love that name) have appeared on the salt marshes and ladybugs -- of several possible species -- are all over the marsh elder. This latter plant -- Iva fructescens, the dominant shrub at the edge of the marsh -- is infested with crowds of small, dark insects (aphids or some kind of mites). The ladybugs are feeding on the mites and providing some striking notes of color dotted all through the marsh edge. They are mainly orange and red although there are, if I am not mistaken, some (or some other similar insect feeding on the mites) which are plain dark brown.

Eric Salzman