I'm Pool Side & In The Pines

Today was a vernal pool check in East Brunswick. With the lack of rain, the salamander migration is a toss up. Just when the Weather Man predicts rain, it clears up. I did notice 6 egg packets along the pools edge, maybe there are more in the center. Forgot my boots today so someone else is going to have to venture to the center.

Egg Packet?

There were plenty of NJ Chorus Frogs & Spring Peepers singing! Chorus Frogs were much more vocal today then the Peepers.

Also my friend "Buck Skull" was still hanging out around the pool. Found his decomp site as well, maybe another trip soon to photograph that.

Right were I found him.

After this Vernal Pool fun, I made my way to what is called Elk Pine Woods. Never knew about this spot until I read the Friends park page. It was a nice walk, didn't find any Owl pellets, but did find one rottening & stinky Red-eared Slider. It was loaded with Carrion Beetles, both Margined & Ridged. This has been a good year for me, regarding these beetles. Anyway I had a fun & light stroll around the area, nothing nicer than a pine walk. I will be talking to Friends EBEC about maybe running a Moth Night in this area.

You're the tops

Them some pretty tall trees

A fallen friend

Movin' On Up!

As most of you readers have figured out by now, this Photog is a little crazy about moths. Now there is even more reason to be Madder Than Moth, I've been named as a sponsor for National Moth Week.
This is quite exciting for me and goes to show that donating some of your photos can lead to big things.

So don't forget to ready your sheets & lights, because soon July 23-29th will soon be upon us. Before then Seabrooke Leckie's book will be available, which is a must for any moth'er! I will be luck enough to moth with her & the Friends of the EBEC on May 10th. Swoon!

With the book, I bet one can get a moth setup going for less than 50 bucks. I mean you already have a sheet, flashlight & a light socket, right? Now ya need a few UV bulbs, maybe one of those Y adapters for a socket and a nice six pack.

The Wait Is Over!

For the last few months this photographer has been going crazy. My work mostly consists of field photos, mostly insects. That is now over (hopefully), the weather is warming up, the salamanders are to start their migration soon and I got my first field photo of a moth. Hurray for me!
While out today at Beekman Rd in East Brunswick, NJ looking for signs of Spotted Salamander Migration in the Vernal Pool (this one was actually a Autumnal Pool) a bold Micro Moth landed on my hand. It appeared to taste my glove looking for a food source, but all it got was a portrait session.

Hello, There!

I also lucked out and found another of my favorite things in the woods, skulls. This is actually a rare find for me, usually my finds are Doe skulls. Buck skulls seam to be far and few in between around here. This marks my first find in NJ. Looks like it was there for a bit, going back to get it in a few days.

Anyway today was a good day.

A Scouting I Will Go

Now in the Great State of New Jersey evening temps are getting low. This means no more Moth Nights or Dragonfly Surveys, Fall is upon us. What to do now? Time-lapse photography of course!

I've been getting back in form by running some over the last few evenings in the backyard. So Sunday was "Scouting Sunday", which I will do for the rest of the Fall & Winter. My visits were local mostly parks &  other public locations.

The first visit was to a site I know pretty well. Dallenback Lake in East Brunswick, NJ. The site of many a moth night with the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission. It is a nice local but not really what I was looking for. While there, I swung by the Freecycle Event that EBEC was hosting. Picked up 7 roll of expired film from the 80's, that is how you make art if you didn't already know. I also talked to Dave Moskowitz about next years Moth Week, which is going to be Bad Ass. So check it out and maybe add your location to the list. Come On, DO IT!

Later I made my way to Farrington Lake in EB, but unfortunately my favorite site from there was right on the road. Don't think a camera could make it for 3 plus hours there, but it is a pretty view.

Right on Riva Ave.

Easing on down the road, my wandering brought me to a place I always forget about. Davidson's Mill Pond Park in South Brunswick, NJ. Right at the end of Riva Ave very near RT. 130. I stuck to the pond area, even though there is much more to see there. I decided on this vantage point.

Best part is, the bench I'm sitting on.

I'll be using some of my old Canon 10D's for this project. Shooting full 6mp at fine Jpeg then cropping down to 1080 HD. Running the cameras will be my Stop Shot set in Interval Mode along with the Canon TC-80N3. Also, a new Thermos & one of those Hunters Blankets will most likely be needed. Just a couple of hours out in the cold for 1800 frame, how bad could it be? It should be a fun time, YouTube post to follow soon along with Bird Lists from my adventures.

Sunday 10/23:

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Tree Swallow

American Tree Sparrow

Belted Kingfisher

Blue Jay

American Crow

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Turkey Vulture

Non Bird List

Common Buckeye

Common Wood Nymph

Black Saddlebags Dragonfly

Meadow Hawk Dragonfly

European Hornet