Category Archives: North Shore

Female Sand Fiddler Crab

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Tuesday, July 9, 2019,

This is a female Fiddler Crab of the species Uca pugilator, otherwise known as the Sand Fiddler Crab. These little critters can be seen by the hundreds, even the thousands, in salt water marshes or tidal flats. Whole swarms of these guys will make their way across the mud as they move to and fro. I’ve seen so many on occasion that the very ground seems to be moving.

This little lady was traveling alone. I had been waiting for birds to visit the artesian well at West Meadow Beach when I spied her crawling near where I was seated. As you can see, she does not sport the extra large claw that her male counterparts carry. She does, however, have the same pretty coloration that males wear.

After allowing me to get these photos, she made her way into a grassy area and disappeared. She may have been seeking shade or maybe even some relief from the paparazzi. Hey, I’m a guy with a camera. If I see a pretty lady, I’m gonna take her picture. JK

Wood Frogs

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Wednesday, May 1, 2019,

These are two photographs of Wood Frogs. The male is in the pic above and the female is below. As you can see, the two genders look fairly different than each other. The male is darker and largely brown in color. The females tend to be lighter and often wear a rust coloration. Also, while you cannot tell in these photographs, the female is the larger of the two.

In early Spring, the males and females head for freshwater ponds and lakes. The males sing out their calls, which, believe it or not, sound rather like ducks quacking. The female finds her prince and lays her eggs. Once she has done so, the male fertilizes the egg mass and then everybody parts ways till next year. The photo below is of one of the egg masses. After the eggs hatch into tadpoles and the tadpoles morph into juvenile frogs, this new generation will also leave the pond, only to return the following year. JK

JK

More Loonage

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Saturday, April 27, 2019,

Two posts back, I shared a pair of photos of a Loon I had encountered in Stony Brook Harbor. Those photos were well received both here and on Facebook. So, here are two more for you to peruse. They are all of the same bird, but what a beauty this bird is. Loons in breeding plumage are truly a sight to behold. JK.

JK