Wildlife Observations: April 3, 2020
Herp Alert!
March 8 seemed to mark the official wake-from-hibernation day for reptiles and amphibians, as Greg Hoy and Marie Koethe, both of Swarthmore, submitted photographs of an eastern ribbon snake and three wood frogs, respectively. Marie reports that her frogs had already deposited egg sacs!
Eastern ribbon snake. Photo by Greg Hoy
Mating ribbon snakes in Crum Creek. Photo by Robert Scott.
I came upon the two eastern ribbon snakes in the photograph on the bank of Crum Creek on March 21, entangled in the act of reproducing. My approach made them flee into the creek, but even in their state of retreat they did not uncouple. They remained attached until they disappeared from sight on the opposite bank. I admired their focus on the task at hand.
Wood frogs. Photo by Marie Koethe.
And painted turtles are once again sunning themselves on logs in Crum Creek.
In birding news, Dave Eberly reported that he saw three pairs of wood ducks in the Crum Woods, one pair “on a limb high up a beech tree on the slope of the path leading down to the holly collection.” Dave further noted, “The wood ducks are right on time. They usually arrive in the first 10 days or so of March. I checked the woods on 3/5 and found none, then this morning (March 8) 3 pairs. Fidelity to arrival and departure dates of many migrants always amazes me.”
Turkey vultures. Photo by Jim McCambridge
I saw several eastern phoebes and a brown creeper in the Crum Woods, and a bald eagle soaring over the Swarthmore town center. And Jim McCambridge of Swarthmore submitted a photo of “two turkey vultures violating the college’s restrictions on visitors to the grounds.” (The restrictions have since been lifted.)
Visiting Rose Valley, Nora Scott of Swarthmore saw a great blue heron in Ridley Creek on the boundary of the Saul Wildlife Preserve; Pete Brown saw a pair of bald eagles flying east near the intersection of Brookhaven and Rose Valley roads; and David and Maggie Dee saw a mature bald eagle circling over the Old Mill in Rose Valley before it headed up the creek toward Media. David noted, “Seems sightings of eagles are becoming much more common than a few years ago, perhaps a sign of improved habitat and breeding success.” Finally, David submitted a photograph of a Cooper’s hawk — which feeds on songbirds — hoping to avoid notice atop a bird feeder.
Andy Rosen of Swarthmore submitted a photograph of a “garden-variety fox.” He said that the fox “hung out in sunny spots in our backyard for about 15 minutes! Never saw a fox stay in one place that long, and he was scratching and biting himself quite a bit. As you can see, he looks to be on the mangy side.”
Fox scratching itself in the sun. Photo: Andy Rosen
Dan Snyder of Swarthmore submitted a video containing the first visual confirmation in over six months of the continuing presence of the Crum Creek beaver! I’ve seen plenty of tree-gnawing evidence but no actual sighting since last fall.
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