As I mentioned at the end of my “Herpotpourri pt. 2” post (http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12417), I thought the eastern hognose were done nesting on 6/21/12, as I found no burrowers that night or the next. I had been doing a Butler’s garter snake relocation job at a development site for several weeks at that point, and on 6/22 I did another “visit” to the site. It was a lovely night with thick, fluffy clouds overhead in a beautiful blue sky.


P6220019 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P6220027 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

The site has drift fence enclosing a wetland area.


P6220014 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Cover boards are placed within the fence.


P6220015 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Gravid female Butler’s near the end of a shed cycle.


P6220030 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Stu Willicombe (knightkrawler) and I found a lovely little redbelly.


P6220037 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P6220038 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

On the 24th, I did some herping with Jamie Deboer prior to meeting up with Jason Hood and Josh Baity. We found swamp milkweed...


P6240001 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

...and Jamie told me where to find these beautiful California lilies.


P6240024 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P6240035 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

At one of the nesting sites, some botanists pointed out this Flowering Spurge to me.


P6240037 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P6240038 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the hogs WEREN’T done nesting! This hog was digging deep in an abandoned mammal burrow opening.


P6240039 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P6240040 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

I believe the large mammal that used to use the burrow the hog was digging in relocated to the edge of the prairie opening, and I suspect it is predating on the hogs among other things. This is what I believe to be the animal’s new burrow. (The other burrow had been messed with a few times by kids digging in the sand.)


P6240042 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

When Jason and Josh arrived, we found this lovely milk that was missing a bit of tail.


P6240047 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P6240050 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

I really didn’t know if we’d see anymore hogs that night, but I was pleasantly surprised again when we found two at Hog Prairie. Josh was totally geeked out about the hogs as these were his first in the wild.

Jason shoots a hog.


P6240051 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Nice-looking animal.


P6240059 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P6240063 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P6240068 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

The 2nd hog.


P6240077 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Interesting plant.


P6240078 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

The next day, 6/25, I went back to the abandoned mammal burrow and was surprised to find an egg exposed in the opening. This is the second time I’ve seen this happen.


P6250080 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

I buried the egg, which looked viable, deeper in the burrow.

Nearby there were a few of these running around. They were quite small.


P6250087 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

On 7/6 I took a trip to Door County. That night I found a beautiful, large, freshly DOR western fox snake, which was heart-breaking. The next day I found this large spider...it was approximately 3” long.


P7070004 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

On 7/13 I took the albino Butler’s garter I found last fall to its new home, the Mequon Nature Center.


P7130014 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

That evening I was thrilled to find this lovely juvie eastern milk at my Butler’s relocation site. The site is in a very developed area.


P7140019 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7140035 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7140063 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7140073 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

On 7/22 I photographed a couple frog species I commonly find at my Dad’s place in Oconomowoc. Grey treefrogs are frequent visitors to Dad’s deck...


P7220162 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7220184 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7220185 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

...and bull frogs hang out at the shore below.


P7220187 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7220190 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7220201 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7220217 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7220218 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

A gravid common garter I caught on 7/14 gave birth on 7/22, and released the 23 babies and mom the next day (after mom pounded 4 jumbo nightcrawlers!).


P7230220 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7230230 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

On 7/28, Phil Fritsch took me, his brother Ron, and Phil’s son Avery to a location I’ve been wanting to spend more time at since having found pickerel frogs breeding there in May of 2005. It was a BEAUTIFUL day, and we found this sweet juvie timber out basking.


P7280368 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7280373 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

I also spied this unique little flower in the forest which looks like some type of orchid relative...


P7280379 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

...and I got some decent shots of Indian Pipe.


P7280383 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7280385 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

At the spot where I had seen pickerel frogs in 2005 we found pickerel metamorphs.


P7280405 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

On July 30th, Brian Farnand and I hit a local spot and found northern water snakes and green frogs galore.

Pretty juvie water.


P7300493 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7300501 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7300504 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Cool flowers.


P7300516 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7300519 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Nightshade and its berries.


P7300523 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7300528 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Outrageously gravid female water.


P7300001 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7300002 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7300003 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7300004 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Green.


P7300015 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Aster.


P7300024 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Unknown flowers.


P7300031 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7300030 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

‘Nother green.


P7300032 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

‘Nother flahr.


P7300034 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7300035 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

This butterfly was much smaller than a monarch, so I thought it might be a viceroy.


P7300039 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Blazing star.


P7300047 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

In situ, right before “Snake Ninja” Brian caught it.


P7300055 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Bri with his prize.


P7300060 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Gorgeous animal.


P7300065 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7300069 by Carl Koch, on Flickr


P7300073 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Sign where we ate lunch


P7300078 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

‘Nother momma...


P7300089 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

...loaded with babies.


P7300090 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

SO gorgeous!


P7300094 by Carl Koch, on Flickr

Thanks for checkin’ out my post!
-----
Carl

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