north carolina and west virginia

[mrcanada21]

Hi,

Last May I went to Nagshead NC for a little rest and relaxation. I did a little herping down there (nothing too crazy) and found these (in no particular order).

We had one rainy night so my brother and I went for a walk and found a couple of these...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/northcarolina12.jpg

same one

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/northcarolina11.jpg

Found these fowler's toads on the same stretch of road.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/northcarolina08.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/northcarolina07.jpg

I checked out a local conservation area and noticed the woodchips moving on the path I was on. This little eastern mud turtle had burrowed in the path so I moved it off.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/northcarolina06.jpg

On the way out this eastern box turtle was crossing the road. I wish I noticed the grass on it's shell...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/northcarolina05.jpg

a closeup...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/northcarolina13.jpg

This Northern black racer was sunning on the side of the road.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/northcarolina02.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/northcarolina01.jpg

That was all I got in NC but on the way home we stopped in West Virginia for the night and it rained all night....perfect:)

Here's what we got while driving at night.

a green frog

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/northcarolina09.jpg

a wood frog

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia16.jpg

a spring peeper

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia14.jpg

an american toad

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia01.jpg

my first salamander was a mountain dusky

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia04.jpg

we got several northern redbacks

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia05.jpg

a four-toed salamander

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia03.jpg

a northern red salamander (anyone dispute this ID?)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia11.jpg

a slimy salamander

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia12.jpg

and another

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia13.jpg

I also found this dead snake, anyone know what it is?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia15.jpg

In the daytime I managed to find these Northern watersnakes

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia10.jpg

before...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia09.jpg

after

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia08.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia06.jpg

this one looked a bit different

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/westvirginia07.jpg

The birding was great too. Here's a few I managed to snap off

female boat tailed grackle

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/z01.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/z02.jpg

a male eastern towhee

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/z03.jpg

I love this shot of a female prairie warbler

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/z05.jpg

a laughing gull

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/z04.jpg

a neat shot showing the difference in size between a least tern and a royal tern. Notice the band on the royal terns leg??

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/z06.jpg

a sanderling

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/z08.jpg

a ruddy turnstone

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/z07.jpg

and a willet

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/z09.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/britishcanuk/new%20pics/z10.jpg


Hope this post works

Russ Jones
Ontario, Canada

[Matt_K]

fixed your thread for you.. Took out the 'noboarder' that you had in your tags..

Those are some amazing pics man!!!

[HeatherRose]

Those are some really beautiful pictures...most of the animals don't even seem to be aware of your presence. The birds are amazing!

Thanks for sharing :D

-Heather

[CamHanna]

Great bunch of pics! I love the birds; how'd you get such good shots of them?

Cam

PS - Your DOR is an eastern garter ;)

[dave68]

WHAT KIND OF CAMERA IS THAT?!! Really those are amazing shots holy!!
Cam you beat me to it!!

Dave

[snakehunter]

AWESOME your first slimy is a male and the second looks fem, dod you find them in the same spot?

[JD@reptiles]

awesome pics. i think cam is right on the garter. not 100% sure if its a eastern though.

[CamHanna]

Orginally posted by JD@Reptiles
not 100% sure if its a eastern though.
I believe that T. s. sirtalis and T. sauritus are the only native Thamnophis in North Carolina and West Virginia. That is certainly not sauritus.

Cam

[mrcanada21]

Thanks for the comments! Snakehunter, they were both found on the road within 100 meters of eachother. The camera I use is a Nikon Coolpix 990. For the bird shots I attach the camera (using an adapter made by Kowa) to a Kowa TSN 824 spotting scope. As for the DOR snake, That head sure does look like an S. sirtalis. The other possibility I thought would be a juv. racer but I think it may have too many spots for a racer. I'm gonna go with e. garter on this one. Thanks again!

Russ

[bistrobob85]

Amazing pics! I've been a couple times in virginia and i haven't had the chance to go out herping... was stuck in virginia beach with my parents... I have to say that the quality of your pics is truly amazing! Can you tell me what kind of little animal the willet is about to eat on the first willet pic??? I used to pic up a few houndred of these out of the sand in virginia beach... Very nice herping pics! My compliments!

phil.