January, 2019: Describe your walk by adding a comment below
Each time you go out and make observations for this project, describe your walk by adding a comment to this post. Include the date, distance walked, and categories that you used for this walk.
Suggested format:
Date. Place. Distance walked today. Total distance for this project.
Categories.
Brief description of the area, what you saw, what you learned, who was with you, or any other details you care to share.
Comments
1/1/19. Anse Noir, Martinique. 0.2 miles today, 1823.4 miles total.
Categories: underwater, nocturnal
I took a leisurely snorkel with my husband along the south side of the bay this morning. We found a large school of small fish just off the beach. Then we met up with a tortoise, which we followed (at a respectful distance) for about 15 minutes until it disappeared under the dock. We returned to the coral on the south side of the bay and admired some yellow candle sponges, many schools of grunts (French grunts?), and a black and gold butterfly fish. Also sea urchins (long-spined and Caribbean sea eggs). On our way back to the beach, we found a large school of gray snappers underwater that appeared to be chasing the small fish. And a brown pelican diving from great heights also hunting the small fish.
In the afternoon we took a slow walk over to Anse Dufour, but I restrained my enthusiasm and didn't shoot anything, not even the weeds along the way. In the evening, we hunted scorpions on the beach with a black light, but only found some hermit crabs. I also shot a collection of moths that came to my work light by the computer.
1/2/19. Anse Noir, Martinique. 0.4 miles today, 1823.7 miles total.
Categories: blooms, birds, underwater
This morning I took my first bird walk of this trip, a slow hike up the stairs to the Anse Noir parking lot after breakfast. On this trip, I have been skipping my before breakfast walks, the first time since we started coming to Martinique. But I just don't want to push too hard physically. Health care facilities are too far away if I get in trouble. In any case, the birds seemed scarce. A few Carib grackles, a few purple-throated Caribs, and a saltator singing in the woods. I heard a broad-winged hawk calling and looked for it high above the bay where I saw it soaring yesterday. I never found the hawk, but while I was looking for it, I spotted an American kestrel sitting on top of a telephone pole, quietly looking for the missing songbirds. On the climb up the hill, I also found a yellow flower in bloom and mother-of-thousands in fruit.
In the afternoon, I went on another long snorkel with my husband along the south side of the bay. Right off the beach I spotted a small octopus in the sea grass being harassed by a large yellow snapper. We watched the two for a while, until the snapper gave up and the octopus settled into a hole. We then went over to the reef under the cliffs and watched the fish and corals. We saw some red sea urchins, a puffer fish, lots of red-lipped blennies, and parrot fish. I'm reviewing my reference collection for Martinique fish drawn from the iNaturalist expert IDs. What a great way to learn fish!
1/3/19. Anse Noir, Martinique. 1.3 miles today, 1825 miles total.
Categories: fungi, ferns, fruits, birds, underwater
I took a short meander up the ravine trail in front of Gilles' house in Anse Noir this morning. It's a relatively flat trail, and I went very slowly. I think I did pretty good at taking it easy, except when I tripped over a weed. It felt so good to be on my feet again! I was amazed by the variety of fungi I found this morning compared to what I was used to seeing in Sainte-Anne. Sainte-Anne is in the "dry zone" part of the island, and it was hard to find fungi there. Here I was tripping over fungi, at least wood rotters. I found lots of polypores, something that looked a bit like artists' conk, some tiny white inky cap looking things and some black ones as well (the same, further gone?) and some grayish fingers. I also found 2 kinds of ferns, one with compound fronds and a cool looking fruit that might belong to the mother-in-law's tongue-looking leaves. For birds, I found a spectacled thrush and a Lesser Antillean bulfinch.
In the afternoon, I went for a long snorkel with my husband. We swam along the north side of the bay this time. I started off with a small octopus right away, some blueheaded wrasses, some smooth trunkfish, some cesar grunts, and lots of squid. We also found 2 kinds of eels, one black and gold in the reef, and one huge with orange spots (sharptail eel, I think). These are the first eels that we've seen here (and recognized as eels--looking back through my catalog, I think we saw a sharptail eel before but I labeled it as a snake).
1/4/19. Anse Noir, Martinique. 0.5 miles today, 1825.5 miles total.
Categories: fungi, sedges, birds, underwater
This morning my husband and I showed our campground host the trail head for the trail that goes over the hill above the campground to the next bay. The campground host is a friend of the campground owner. He thought he knew Anse Noir pretty well, but he didn't know about this trail. It's a favorite of mine for bird watching since chances are good you'll see a yellow warbler along the trail. Indeed, my husband and I sat down at my favorite bird spot under the red puffy flowers and after about 10 minutes, a yellow warbler came to check us out. We also saw a magnificent frigatebird over the bay and a blue-throated hummingbird. We found several polypores. I also found what looks to be an Oxalis in bloom, but it doesn't look like the ones from home.
In the afternoon, I went snorkeling with my husband on the north side of the bay. Today we found 3 long thin fish: a trumpet fish, a bluespotted cornetfish, and something that looked similar but was distinctly yellow. I found 3 yellow goatfish swimming together, a red and white feather duster worm, a purple sea fan, an orange-spotted filefish, a giant sea anemone, an octopus, and a sharptail eel, perhaps the same one as yesterday.
1/5/19. Anse Noir, Martinique. 0.4 miles today, 1825.9 miles total.
Categories: birds, butterflies, underwater
We had lots of rain showers this morning, so I only took a short walk inside the campground and a little up the driveway. I started off by photographing a pelican sunning in a docked fishing boat. Then I caught a lesser Antillean bullfinch and a peacock butterfly near our bungalow. There was a lot of commotion in the hogplum tree above the treehouse (for rent!), where Lesser Antillean saltators were stealing the hogplums. I also caught a few purple-throated Caribs around the campground as well.
In the afternoon, my husband and I swam out around the point all the way to the Anse Dufour side of the peninsula. Getting back was a slog--a bit too far for comfort. The more fish I learn, the slower I swim, and the more fish I see. I used to think this reef was a bit impoverished for species, but now it seems quite, quite rich. Today I think I saw a striped parrotfish, as well as a group of blackbar soldierfish, banded butterflyfish, lots of orange filefish, a spotted porcupine fish. And a gigantic donkey dung sea cucumber. While in the water, I noted that my underwater camera screen seemed exceptionally easy to see today. But as I went through the photos this evening, I found they are really odd, as if all the yellow was missing. Either some setting like white balance is badly off or the camera is dying.
1/6/19. Anse Noir, Martinique. 0.7 miles today, 1826.6 miles total.
Categories: birds, flowers, fruits, underwater
In the morning, my husband and I started off on a walk out the peninsula between Anse Noir and Anse Dufour. But just outside the campground gate, we found the local commercial spearfishman just back with his catch, 3 barracudas, a painted mackerel and a yellow snapper. He loaned us a French reef fish reference book, which I spent the rest of the day reading. We did continue with our work first, though. Out on the peninsula, we found a Carib grackle and several familiar weeds from Sainte-Anne (Heliotropum indicum, Oldenlandia corymbosa, Spermacoce, Rubiaceae, and Sida). We also found a new-to-me yellow flower with fruits, some Plumbago zeylanica in bloom, a new shrub with small white fruits, a familiar shrub with white flowers, and a familiar shrub with orange fruits. We also saw a magnificent frigatebird high over the bay and caught 3 butterflies, a Eurema, a Hemiargus hanno, and gorgeous blue thing.
In the afternoon, I went swimming with my husband along the south shore of the bay. I was moving very slowly and didn't go far since I overdid a bit yesterday. I found quite a few orange-spotted filefish, a mysterious red and green mop head, some feather duster worms, a Spanish hog (fish), a trumpetfish, a school of mullets, and a spotted drum. In the reef fish book, I read that the spotted drum and the grunts are both known for the noises they make with their swim bladders. Cool! But there wasn't a chance of hearing them today since there was a party boat anchored right off the reef with music blaring and drunken revelry. Then my husband pointed out the two sea turtles swimming around under the party boat, which we both followed for a while before heading in to shore.
Wow, I would love to be in Martinique strolling and snorkelling. I think I'll come rent the treehouse...if only. But I love reading your descriptions of all your finds.
1-7-19 TCNJ, Ewing, NJ. 0.25 miles today, 422.25 miles total
Categories: probably not planted
I was down at the college with Molly today and she took me through the only patch of "wild" plants in the center of campus. I had gone to a summer camp at this college when I was in middle school, in about 1985, and I remember taking a guided walk on this same path. We saw burning bush, blackhaw, rhododendron, beech, sassafras, red oak, and a Carolina wren.
1/7/18. Anse Noir, Martinique. 0.5 miles today, 1827.1 miles total.
Categories: birds, underwater
This morning I walked up the stairs to the Anse Noir parking lot in hopes of seeing another kestrel. I sat and waited for quite a while, but there were very few birds around, hardly even any grackles. On my way up the hill, I saw a spotted sandpiper on the beach, a brown pelican fishing in the water, and a broad-winged hawk soaring overhead. I also caught a rascally Lesser Antillean bullfinch on a fence post. But in the parking lot, the only bird I managed to catch today was an Antillean crested hummingbird. Plus a butterfly that I didn't recognize. On my way back down the hill, I finally had some luck, when 2 grey tremblers flew over the stairs, and the one perched in view for over 30 seconds. That made the whole climb worthwhile.
Later I went for a swim along the north side of the bay, crossing under the dock since the beach on the north side of the bay is too stony. Just beyond the dock I found a sand diver, and then at the edge of the reef I found a spiny lobster. I found a fish that looked like a parrot fish or wrasse that was mainly orange with yellow vertical stripes, some yellow goatfish, a large spotted drum, and a very yellow (juvenile) Atlantic blue tang, I found some yellow tubesponges, a giant barrel sponge, and several different colors of encrusting sponges. I also found some serpulids (Christmas tree feather duster worms) and what appeared to be a large sheepskin rug. My husband joined me and almost the first thing he found was a small (relatively) green sea turtle on the reef. That was new, since we have only ever found them in the sea grass before. On the way back in to shore, I found a giant spotted scorpionfish and a green sea urchin. And as I came to the surface, there were 2 brown pelicans floating around in the water at the busiest section of the beach.
1-8-19. Eastfields, Martinsville, NJ. 0.25 miles today, 422.5 miles total
Categories: fruit, lichen, moss
It's been a stressful day/week. Molly is reducing her credits and commuting from home for school next semester, and Becca (15) is having trouble in engineering and math. So I made sure I got out in the woods alone for 20 minutes this afternoon. I walked along a little section of a brook that I'd not walked before, in the closest park with trails to my home (though I was not on the trail). I found 5 lichen and 8 mosses (plus 2 fungi) I have ideas about the IDs of the lichens, fungi and three mosses, but I still need a lot of work. In fruit I found dames' rocket, gerardia, winterberry, Canada and bottlebrush wild rye, and squarrose sedge, and the usual suspects: white snakeroot, rose, privet, heal all, cattailgrass, barberry, black walnut, sycamore, red cedar. And there were deer tracks and several birds that got away.
1/8/19. Anse Noir, Martinique. 0.3 miles today, 1827.4 miles total.
Categories: birds, dragonflies
I took a short walk up to the Anse Noir cliffs in search of yellow warblers this morning. Success! I also spotted the belted kingfisher that I was sure I heard the other morning. eBird lists them as not common in Martinique, but I was quite, quite sure about the call. Along the beach, I watched a Zenaida dove and a spotted sandpiper chase each other and I saw an Antillean crested hummingbird. Then I caught sight of the feral muscovy ducks. Aha! During breakfast, I thought I saw ducks flying across the bay, but I couldn't imagine what they could be. Of course, the resident pair of feral muscovy ducks. Once up on the cliffs, it didn't take long for a yellow warbler to fly in. I got some lovely looks for at least 3-4 minutes. Except, it was sitting with its back to me, preening the whole time. A little while later, I heard the broadwing hawks overhead, and a kestrel crossed the bay. A group of magnificent frigatebirds soared high overhead, and some Carib grackles flew in. Just before I headed back down the hill again, a black-whiskered vireo made a brief visit. And while sitting waiting for birds, I manage to catch at least 3 kinds of dragonflies with my camera.
In the afternoon, I went out for a swim with my underwater camera with its hatch door open. Big ooops. It is now drying in a bag of rice. Fingers crossed that I can get it working again. It's an old camera, but still. Fortunately, I also have a GoPro with me that I received as a gift. It's not very intuitive to use, and I forgot the case with the easy hitch for the wrist floatee. But I made one that seems to work OK out of a plastic bag. I also forgot the microSD card reader, so I'll have to use a cable with a GoPro app to download photos--with our slow internet here, it will take all night to download the app. But I'm hoping I can continue with the reef photos so that I can continue with my fish studies.
Way to go on the lichen and moss observations! Thoreau recommended studying lichens in winter, a great topic for winter study.
1-9-19. Hoffheimer Woods, Warren, NJ. 0.25 miles today, 422.75 miles total
Categories: trees, moss
Hard to find dryish woods not too far from home that are not closed for deer culling. This is the local cross country running trail, though I "bushwhacked" a little, not that it was a hardship, as this area is too close to houses to cull and the deer are insane. The only thing less than knee high and more than an inch was a little bit of greenbrier and some beech drops. The only "shrub" was witchhazel. So I concentrated on trees, working on learning bark. Red, white, black oak, shagbark hickory, hornbeam, beech, sweet birch. I had it easy, bark-wise. There were a few nice mosses, too.
1/9/19. Anse Noir, Martinique. 0.5 miles today, 1827.9 miles total.
Categories: birds, underwater
I had such a good time on the Anse Noir cliffs yesterday that I returned again this morning in hopes of seeing the yellow warblers again. No luck with the warblers, but a black-whiskered vireo made a brief stop. Other birds on this walk included a spotted sandpiper, the pair of wild muscovy ducks, a Carib grackle, a lesser Antillean bullfinch and an Antillean crested hummingbird. I was surprised that there wasn't more bird action on the cliffs--hardly any bullfinches or bananaquits, or even many grackles. And no dragonflies up on the cliffs today. Hmmm...lack of bugs sending the bug eaters elsewhere? When I got back to the campground, I stopped out back by the hogplum tree briefly to see what was eating the fruit. There were some saltators, but I didn't manage to get any photos. I shot a bird with speckled chest and pointy beak; I'm pretty sure it was a gray trembler. I also got a green-throated carib near our bungalow and a red skimmer dragonfly.
In the afternoon I went for a swim with my husband along the south shore of the bay. I had my GoPro camera along. It is frustratingly difficult to use, but better than nothing. It does take nice clear picture thanks to its aperture settings, but the zoom doesn't appear to work underwater. Not that that would help anyways, since it only has digital zoom. I caught the brown pelican floating on the surface. Then the first creature I found under the water was a largish octopus. I was practically on top of it before I saw it, so it turned bright white and crawled into a hole. Next was a spotted scorpionfish, then a pair of lobster under a rock, some barnacles? on a rock, a lovely green dimpled thing that might be a sponge, a purple pointy thing (another sponge?), a green encrusting sponge, and a spotted sea cucumber that didn't look like the chocolate chip sea cucumbers I have seen before.
1/10/18. Anse Dufour and Anse Noir, Martinique. 1.1 miles today, 1829 miles total.
Categories: birds, arthropods, underwater
This morning since it was Friday and we needed fruit, my husband and I headed over the hill to Anse Dufour to meet the produce truck, which comes at 8:30 (island time) on Fridays. We got there about 8:15 in case it arrived early. Then while we waited, I poked about looking for birds and anything I might not have shot before. I found a Carib grackle on a TV antenna, then a fence post tree that was loaded with flowers and pollinator birds--bananaquits and hummers. Meanwhile, a tropical mockingbird was singing from a tree on the hillside above the town--my first tropical mocker of this trip! I also managed to catch a yellow butterfly and a honeybee before the truck came a little after 9. The driver said she usually arrives around 7 but was running late today. On the way home, my husband noted that today was actually Thursday, not Friday, so according to the schedule we were given, the truck wasn't supposed to arrive until 12:30. We probably caught a different truck. What luck! Provisioning is quite tough here, much more so than in Sainte-Anne, since there are no stores at all and we don't have a car.
In the afternoon I took a swim with my husband along the north side of the bay. I found a small octopus right off, and then a huge porcupine fish with bright green eyes. Too bad those photos didn't turn out. I got some fine photos of the ocean floor, however.
1/11/19. Anse Noir, Martinique. 1.5 miles today, 1830.5 miles total.
Categories: birds, ferns, underwater
This morning I took a slow walk up the ravine trail behind the campground. I didn't go as far as wanted, but it really felt great to use my legs a little. I'm slowly starting to realize how unique the ravine micro-environment is in Anse Noir. A geology book that the campground host loaned us notes that this peninsula has the very driest forest on the island. But the ravine is constantly wet and is loaded with fungi and probably lots of other species that need moisture. Birds today were a brown pelican, spotted sandpiper, magnificent frigatebird, and Carib grackle near the beach, a green-headed Carib and a lesser Antillean bullfinch in the garden, and a green heron in the ravine. Also in the ravine were some water bugs (mating), some fresh water fish and some fresh water snails. I found 3 kinds of ferns that I didn't photograph in the ravine last week. I also found some papayas in fruit (not yet ripe), and something that looks like a lily (in fruit).
In the afternoon, I went for a swim along the north shore of the bay. I found a small octopus fighting with a large parrotfish, and a gigantic spotted scorpionfish. I was reading yesterday about reef creatures that manage to live amongst the stinging tentacles of sea anemones. Today I checked every anemone I could find and found a creature in one them. It looked like a tarantula with orange legs and big white polkadots on the legs. Unfortunately, it was too far away to capture effectively with the GoPro camera.
1/12/19. Anse Noir, Martinique. 1.5 miles today, 1832 miles total.
Categories: birds, underwater
This morning I did a little birding around the campground before, during, and after breakfast. I shot a brown pelican, a spotted sandpiper, a lesser Antillean bullfinch, a zenaida dove, a green-throated Carib, a magnificent frigatebird. I also found a tetrio catepillar and a hermit crab. After breakfast, the water was quite calm, so my husband and I took the campground kayak out to the cove with the bat cave just around the bend. Along the way we saw several more spotted sandpipers and a green heron along the rocky shore. At the bat cave were several black and white birds that I didn't recognize. The bats were quite loud, and there were hundreds of them. I tried to shoot the birds and the bats with the silly GoPro, but none of the shots were even remotely acceptable. Perhaps a bird expert might be able to guess the black and white birds. Even though I just went through the motions of paddling and my husband did all the real work of moving us through the water, the trip was way too much for me. I spent the rest of the day flattened. Still, I managed to get out for a short swim before dinner. I saw several lobsters, a sea cucumber, and what I think was a mollusk of some sort with blue "lips".
1/13/19. Petit Anse, Diamant, Morne Pavillion, Riviere Salee, Martinique. 1 mile today, 1833 miles total.
Categories: flowering plants, animals
This morning the man who was our campground host the first week we were here came by with his car to give us an island tour with an emphasis on geology and mountain views. He is from mainland France but has lived here 20 years and is quite knowledgeable about the island and its volcanoes. He took us for a short hike in Petit Anse to see a hotspring by the edge of the sea. After that, he took us to a variety of spots where we could see the volcanoes that built the island and the landforms. Along the way, I shot many, many flowers, some old friends like dayflowers, castor bean, Boehnia, rock sage, agave, sea grapes, sargassum, painted spurge, butterfly pea, red tasselflower, blue porterweed, fence post tree, papaya, and some new plants that I didn't recognize. For animals, I caught a honeybee, a broadwing hawk, an eared dove, and some new shells.
I love the image in my head of an eared dove, with actual ears, maybe like an owl. (I realize it looks like a morning dove, but mine is better)
1/14/19. Anse Noir, Martinique. 0.3 miles today, 1833.3 miles total.
Categories: birds, underwater
This morning I took a short walk along the beach and then went up to the cliffs to see if the yellow warbler would come by. No warblers today, but instead, an American kestrel flew in and landed about 10' up, directly overhead (glad it didn't poop!). It stayed there for about 10 minutes, during which time I didn't move from my spot. I finally got a decent photo as it took off and began to ascend the up drafts. Other bird life on the cliffs today was pretty minimal, but the excitement on the beach was a common gallinule (rare, according to eBird) was traipsing around. Other beach birds were our resident feral muscovy ducks, a lesser Antillean bullfinch, a Carib grackle, and hordes of bananquits and hummers on the fence post tree over the beach which is currently in full bloom. Also, a spotted sandpiper.
In the afternoon, I went for a snorkel along the north shore of the bay. No octopus or lobsters today, but I found 3 sand divers in the rocks to the right of the dock, and an enormous trumpet fish. Up near the water line I noted a different kind of anemone today for the first time, something with a wide yellow neck and short red tentacles. I think it's an anemone, but I guess it could be a worm.
1-14-19. Washington Valley Park, Martinsville, NJ. 0.5 miles today, 423.25 miles total.
Categories: bark, moss, fungi, fruit
I tried to walk in this local park the other day only to find it was closed for deer culling. The whole park is posted with no hunting signs, but we do have professionals come in every winter to cull. Even so, the deer damage is extreme here.
This time, though, I was able to walk, and I stayed on the "peak" of the "mountain", all 600 feet of it, and walked the "ridge trail". I was working on bark and found tulip, sassafras, black cherry, black birch, flowering dogwood, white oak, chestnut oak, Japanese aralia. Also some planted pine that is not white. (pitch?). There were several mosses, and all four of the "turkey tail" look-alikes I see most often. As I was leaving there were crab apples, privet, and multiflora rose fruit.
Next weekend I will be in the Catskills, taking my youngest two to a YMCA camp. The girls are hoping for snow, I am hoping for none, so I can find more plants! But sledding would also be good. At any rate I'm looking forward to visiting a new park; it's been quite a while since I've done so.
1/15/19. Anse Noir. 0.5 miles today, 1833.8 miles total.
Categories: birds, inverterbrates, underwater
This morning I didn't feel up for a walk, so I took my chair out to the beach and set it up under the blooming fence post tree to count hummingbirds. In addition to 7 Antillean crested hummingbirds, 1 green-throated Carib, and 3 bananaquits, I also got to watch the muscovy duck pair and pelicans. The spotted sandpiper paid a quick, and the kestrel soared past. Meanwhile, the magnificent frigatebird soared in the distance. I also managed to catch a honeybee and several butterflies.
In the afternoon, I went for a lazy snorkel along the north shore of the bay. I spent 20 minutes observing the behavior of a trumpetfish. Basically, it hung out in one place for a while facing out of the bay, then turned and drifted with the current about 20 feet along the reef, then slowly went back to its starting place and did it all over again. I watched the loop about 4 times before moving on. A little further up the reef I saw an Atlantic peacock flounder, my first of this trip.
In the evening, I took a walk with my husband up the beach looking for crabs. Yesterday evening, the beach was crawling with crabs, but tonight there was hardly a one. Well, two, actually, a Grapsus grapsus and an Atlantic ghost crab. I also spotted some mangrove and a pile of periwinkle snail shells.
Good luck with that trip to the Catskills! It sounds like there may be snow!
1-15-19. Chimney Rock Park, Martinsville, NJ. 0.75 miles today, 424 miles total
Categories: fruit, leaves, bark, galls
I walked with Molly again, this time in the local park with the model solar system. We started at the sun and walked to Earth and back, as I refused to cross the not-yet-frozen stream to get to Mars. Everything else was frozen, with a light dusting of snow. This is the path I usually take for the best local spring ephemerals. I don't recall ever walking it in the dead of winter before. Essentially nothing of the spring plants was showing, but we looked a lot at shrubs (juniper, privet, burning bush, honeysuckle, autumn olive) and vines (honeysuckle, raspberry, blackberry, bittersweet) plus some tree bark (sycamore, shagbark, white oak) and some weedy goldenrod, wild garlic, and mugwort. Molly spotted bunch galls on the goldenrod, stem galls on the mugwort, and I found a blackberry knot gall.
Wow--to the Earth and back! Any news from Jupiter?
I've never looked for galls on mugwort. That will be on my list once we get back to VT.
1/16/19. Anse Noir, Martinique. 0.8 miles today, 1834.6 miles total.
Categories: birds, campground plants, underwater
I was feeling better today, but to play it safe, I went for a sit instead of a walk this morning. I sat for 20 minutes at the back of the campground, 20 minutes at the bottom of the ravine, and 5 minutes a little ways up the driveway. This area of the campground away from the water is wooded and shady, so it was hard to see the birds. Still, I managed to find a purple-throated Carib, an Antillean crested hummingbird, a gray kingbird, a spectacled thrush (my goal), a Carib grackle, and of all things, a mangrove cuckoo. I have heard a cuckoo calling softly several times early in the morning on this trip. But this bird was giving a different call entirely, one that rang a bell, but I couldn't recall it until I actually saw the bird. I think the call must be a warning call, a loud ominous croak that is very different from the soft cuckoo. I also shot a mango tree, a large vine, and a plant with small red berries.
In the afternoon, I went for a snorkle around the north side of the bay. It was a rich, full day underwater. I found 3 spotted scorpionfish, a small porcupine fish, 2 chain morays, a spotted moray, a small octopus, and a new striped fish. At one point I looked up to find a sea turtle just in front of me eating algae off the ledge--what a treat!
Later in the afternoon, I took a wander around the campground and found some liverworts together with some lichens on the palm trees out front. Then my husband and I took a stroll along the beach. While he picked up newly deposited sea glass, I found some crabs and seashells.
I love the idea of going for a sit instead of a walk. I'm not much of a birder at all, but the other day I was sitting outside, reading, about 10 feet from a birdfeeder and was enchanted when the birds started coming back, no longer afraid of me (until I decided to get up, that is).
The mugwort stem galls are new to me this fall. I think Molly may have been the one who first pointed them out to me. I've tried to find out what they are; there are some posted to Bugguide, but still in "unidentified galls", unfortunately. In fact, Charley Eiseman said in 2012 that there are no known galls from mugwort, but that they are probably midge galls. https://bugguide.net/node/view/729173/bgimage
1/17/19. Anse Noir. 0.5 miles today, 1835.1 miles total.
Categories: birds, trees, underwater
This morning I took my chair down to the far end of the beach near the brackish pool for a bird sit. I was hoping for a green heron back in the swamp behind the campground, but I did better than that--it turns out that's where the common gallinule is hanging out. The ducks came out to say "Bonjour", and the gallinule followed them. I got dozens of close up photos of the gallinule, a gorgeous bird. While I was sitting there, a young Ukranian guy stopped by, hiking through. When I pointed out the gallinule, he got out his camera and shot it. He told me he set out for a 1 week trip 4 months ago and has been going ever since. He crossed the Atlantic by boat and has been hiking across Martinique. With 3 cameras in his waterproof bag. I showed him iNaturalist and he said he plans to download the app. As we chatted, a Caribbean eleania flew in overhead briefly, the first I've seen this trip. From my chair, I also shot an agave, a cassia, and a sea almond.
In the afternoon, I went for a snorkel with my husband along the north side of the bay again. The north side just seems to have more interesting creatures than the south, and the lighting is better as well. Today the reef did not disappoint. I found several more of the little orange spotted fishes that seem to sit on the reef in the shallows. Then I found a brittle sea star (my first ever), a spotted moray, a sharptail eel, a scorpionfish, and a nudibranch! The nudibranch was really cool, so much more exciting than a garden slug. Gosh, I hope I find some more!
1/18/19. Anse Noire, Martinique. 0.5 miles today, 1835.6 miles total.
Categories: birds, trees, underwater
This morning I did a little bird watching from our porch, then took my chair down the beach to the brackish pool to see what birds might pop up. The surprise from the porch was a gray trembler that flew in and perched overhead for a few minutes, long enough for me to change lenses on my camera, clear my photo card from yesterday, and come back out to shoot it. I didn't think I'd have a chance of seeing a trembler, a yellow warbler, or a cuckoo without hiking into the woods, but I've been quite lucky--they've come to me! Down at the pool it seems the common gallinule has made friends with the feral muscovy ducks and is hanging out with them. The ducks came over to see me in my chair, and the gallinule followed, coming to within 4 feet of my chair. When it returned to the pool, a spotted sandpiper joined it. Meanwhile, i shot a few trees visible from the end of the beach, a West Indian birch and a plumbago tree. I had trouble hearing the birds because of a rescue helicopter that was doing a search operation in the next bay. Then it came into our bay, a few hundred yards from where we snorkel and a diver was lowered from the chopper into the water. A minute later a lifeless form in swim fins was hauled up into the chopper. Then the diver went back up, but immediately came down again and the search continued. Fortunately, when I got back to our bungalow, the local spearfisherman told us it was just practice, not a real rescue, not a real body. Phew!
In the afternoon, my husband and I went for a snorkel along the north side of the bay again. The water was very choppy and the current was strong, so we stayed well inside the bay. We saw several morays (spotted and chain), a sand diver, and a lobster, but between the big swells and the sediment in the water, none of the photos came out. I did manage to get a few photos of a stubby spined sea urchin, however. Later, my husband and I went for a walk along the beach, picking through the new rock piles for sea glass and shells. I found a couple new gastropod shells and some mollusk shells.
1/19/19. Anse Noire, Martinique. 0.5 miles today, 1836.1 miles total.
Categories: birds, trees, weeds, underwater
This morning I took my chair a short way up the access trail above the campground for a 40 minute sit. There weren't a lot of birds, but it was really good practice spotting that ones that did fly in. I caught a saltator, and then a yellow warbler. And then an American kestrel came by and sat overhead, but this time not directly overhead, so I actually got a decent photo. While I was waiting for the birds, I also pointed my camera skyward towards the trees. In all our visits to Martinique, I haven't shot many trees. They are so far up, so it really helps to have a birding lens to capture what their leaves look like.
In the afternoon I went for a swim along the south side of the bay for a change. Because of its orientation to the island, most of the reef on this side of the bay is in the shade most of the time. Today I was struck by how less species-rich it is compared to the north side of the bay, possibly due to the lower sun levels. Many corals and sponges have symbiotic relationships with zooxanthellae that utilize photosynthesis, which of course does better in sunlight. There were plenty of fish on this side of the bay, but fewer algae, sponges, and reef creatures. Still, I managed to see a large octopus (too deep to photograph with the GoPro) and some creatures growing on sea fans, maybe some nudibranches and snails. The "nudibranch" I saw a few days ago was actually a spotted sea hare, a kind of sea slug.
1-19-19 Frost Valley, NY. 3.25 miles today, 427.25 miles total
Categories: fruit, buds, bark, lichen, tracks
We headed up to Frost Valley YMCA camp on Saturday for the weekend. I walked from our cabin through the dining hall down to the pond where Katie and my husband were playing broomball, around the pond, back to the cabin, back to the dining hall, then to the greenhouse and out around the lake on a "medicinal plant hike" and finally back to the cabin before it got too dark to take photos.
There was ankle deep snow on the ground, some of which had been shoveled and then re-covered with a dusting. I found turkey tracks (which I'd never seen before and thought were goose) and then eventually the turkeys themselves. There was a ton of yellow birch, Scots and red pines, and dog rose, none of which I see often. There was a big moss that I thought was a clubmoss (but now think is some Polytrichum species) later I found an actual clubmoss. There was European raspberry (I think) and European barberry, and ninebark all planted, all not familiar to me. There were several species of lichen. There were a number of tiny animal tracks as well as the cat (though it could be fox) that I'm familiar with.
In the greenhouse there were a number of common weeds, but all green and happy, plus convergent lady beetles and syrphid flies. They had a dwarf banana blooming, which was neat (I don't see banana plants often). On the hike the leader showed us mugwort, white pine, wintergreen (Gaultheria), and yellow birch, none of which were new to me, though he also pointed out the red pines, which I rarely see and was not comfortable IDing.
1-20-19 Frost Valley, NY. 2.5 miles today 429.75 miles total
Categories: not already photographed
Sunday i walked another two and a half miles going between buildings, but the weather was horrible, first pouring rain then snow that froze into slippery slush, then finally after dark it stopped coming down, but froze solid. I only took two pictures: a hairy (probably) woodpecker and some sensitive fern.
Chuck had come down with the flu, and Monday morning it was -8 with a windchill of -30, which was mighty cold for us NJ folk, and I spent the day dropping kids at activities, digging out the car, getting the car stuck and then unstuck on the driveway, and packing to come home. No photos taken at all. Still, it was a good trip and I'm glad I went.
Sounds like a wonderful trip to Frost Valley (except for the flu and the negative temperatures!). Turkey tracks, red pines, Scots pines, European raspberry, European barberry and clubmosses--I see them quite often. It's amazing to hear that you don't, but then there are so many southern plants and weeds that you know that I wouldn't recognize if they bit me. There is a huge plant zone change between New Jersey and even southern New England.
I love the greenhouse weeds and insects! What an opportunity for some winter finds!
We are back in Vermont and back in our old busy lifestyles again. I'm trying to catch up with the photos from our last day in Martinique, but it's taken a full week to get to the computer. Yikes!
1/20/19. Anse Noire and Trois Ilets, Martinique. 0.3 miles today, 1836.4 miles total.
Categories: birds, trees, underwater, flowers, fruits
This morning I took my chair down to the brackish pond at the end of the beach for a sit. I watched the muscovy ducks and the common galinule for a while, noting that the galinule has definitely bonded with the ducks. The galinule hangs close with the ducks, wherever they go, even if they come up to greet me in my chair. While I sat, a saltator, kingbird, and pelican flew in (separately). Meanwhile, a pair of royal terns cavorted over the bay (or rather, fished). A sandpiper flew in and picked at the shore on the nearby rocks, and a magnificent frigatebird soared over the bay. I shot several trees with my bird lens that were visible from my seat.
After my sit, I went for a last snorkel along the north side of the bay. I found several sand divers in the rocky area between the dock and the reef, and finally got some good photos for the stubby slate pencil urchins. The jellies were incredibly thick today, and I was getting stung continuously. It would have been good to have a full wet suit and gloves as well as a diving cap. I managed to get a few photos of the flocks of spot-winged comb jellies.
Just as our friend met us to take us to the airport, we received an email from Air Canada saying our flight was delayed 5 hours due to the East Coast blizzard. With so much time to spare, our friend took us on an impromptu tour of high spots for mountain views between Anse Noire and Trois Ilets. The first spot where we stopped had a humid forest with plants that are usually only seen in the rain forest near Mt Pelee, according to our friend. I shot every flower I could catch, and a few fruits as well. We also stopped at the plantation near Josephine's birthplace where we found some feral pigeons (the first I've seen on this trip), some escaped cocoa trees, and a pair of mating galinules. Once we arrived at the airport, I shot a few urban birds hanging out at the airport (grackles and zenaida doves) and a sidewalk Euphorbia, the only weed I could find in the manicured grass around the airport.
Sounds like an excellent end to your trip. I am often frustrated by immaculate landscaping in public places and tend to get lots of shots of things like tiny sidewalk euphorbias if stuck waiting there. So neat to get an impromptu high spot tour. I loved your description of the the escaped cocoa trees, sandwiched between two types of birds, it made me picture them as actively escaping, running away from where ever they were meant to be.
1/27/19. Adamant, VT. 0.1 miles today, 1836.5 miles total.
Categories: birds
I donned many layers this morning and headed down to Adamant for a sit on the front steps of the co-op. With the ponds well-frozen over, there wasn't much chance of seeing any water birds today. After sitting for a while, I finally noticed that the building directly across the intersection has a bird feeder hanging outside the window. Several blue jays were at the feeder, as well as some chickadees. Then a flock of 8 mourning doves flew in and began feeding off the porch below the feeder. Meanwhile, a flock of ice fishermen were fishing at holes out on Sodom pond.
1-31-18. Dead River, Lyons, NJ. 0.25 miles today, 430 miles total.
Categories: bark, fungi (birds)
I walked twice yesterday and took lots of photos only to get home and find out the SD card had come loose and none were recorded. Today I checked before I started, however it was awfully cold (about 7 degrees) and Molly and I were underdressed (only one layer of pants and she had no scarf), so we didn't last long, We walked in a swamp woods, chosen as the parking area is always mucky and I knew it would be frozen today. We were working on telling trees from their bark and did shagbark hickory, hornbeam, hophornbeam, white oak, and red oak. She also had not previously realized that red cedar has shreddy bark. And we found several frozen fungi.
Otherwise I have been sitting at home, watching birds at our feeder. We provide suet and hulled sunflower seeds (as the seed coating mess bothers my husband). We get squirrels most days, but generally only early in the morning. We nearly always have juncos, mourning doves, cardinals , and white throated sparrows on the ground and house finches and blue jays on the feeder. Downy woodpeckers like the suet. New this year, we have tons of house sparrows and goldfinches on the feeder. Starlings are also much more common. Titmice (titmouses?) and Carolina wrens are virtually unseen this year and nuthatches are down as well. Song sparrows and redbellied woodpeckers are always a nice surprise, and we often get chickadees (probably black capped, but we are less than 10 miles from the convergence zone). I've yet to see a hairy woodpecker and they are usually common.
Great to take advantage of the frozen ground! I would love to get out on the ponds, but I still can't walk anywhere right now, much less snowshoe or ski. It sounds like you have a lot more bird variety than we do up north. For my breakfast bird count this morning, I only had 3 species: a blue jay, a chickadee, and 2 crows, and those were all by calls, since none actually showed up at the feeder. Birds are cyclical whether they show up in a given winter. But still, in the olden days, just 10 years ago, we always had purple finches, goldfinches, red-breasted nuthatches, and mourning doves every day of winter. I haven't seen a finch in months.
and I've seen one purple finch ever and never a red breasted nuthatch.
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