Mike his wife Andrea and I went for a little cruise over to Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve today in search of new flora and fauna for our life list. Weather conditions were excellent sunny around 80 degrees and low humidity. The preserve,located off the beaten path accessible from Evergreen Mills road in Loudon County, is an 1840’s dwelling situated on rolling open hills and some areas of mixed forest adjacent to Goose Creek. 

[flickr id=”5873235900″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”medium” group=”” align=”none”]

 Today we set our sites on birds along Goose Creek and the adjacent riparian forest that separates the creek (more like a small river) from the open rolling hills meadow habitat leading up to the Natue Center.  Birding quickly turned to amphibian searching given that many of the birds chose to be high in the densely coverd canopy and  could only be identified by their calls . We prefer to see things!!!  We caefully lifted a few logs and and rocks near the creek and found two species of Salamanders.

[flickr id=”5872677227″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”medium” group=”” align=”none”]

(above: Mike checks for more salamanders in spring that feeds into Goose Creek.

Both of the same Genus Eurycea but two different species the common names of which are known as longtail and two line salamanders.

[flickr id=”5871566882″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”medium” group=”” align=”none”]

Further along the trail Mikes wife Andrea discoverd a garter snake and some juvenile spring peepers.

[flickr id=”5871566986″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”large” group=”” align=”none”]

 Overall a fun time and new site to explore in the future.

[flickr id=”5871567058″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”medium” group=”” align=”none”]

Below me holding one of the two juvenile spring peepers Andrea found.

[flickr id=”5871010231″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”medium” group=”” align=”none”]

Above: That’s me in the marsh looking out over the Occoquan River.

Five Lined Skink

I sit here typing away at 3:55 am with not one but two swollen hands from bee stings received yesterday while conducting a survey for VHS and the Fairfax County Park Authority. Today was a good day as far as weather was concerned-couldn’t ask for nicer conditions. Clear skies and temp ranged between 70-80 degress.  From the start it appeared that this might turn out to be a species rich site. Almost instantly I recovered a skink and our VHS survey leader a beautiful spotted salamander. Another participant found a worm snake. Worm snakes turned out to be the most abundant finds amond the reptiles recovered today.

Spotted Salamnder

Worm snake

Other species found today included cricket frogs, eastern box turtle, mud turtle, black rat snake, black racer snake, american toads.

Mud turtle found by Michael Gregory

Eastern Mud Turtle
Kinosternon subrubrum subrrubrum

This small water turtle was found on land. Unlike other aquatic
turtles, this Mud Turtle will feed out of water. Note the double hinge
and 11 scutes on plastron.

photo by Michael Gregory:

Above is video of cricket frog we caught within same vicinity of the mud turtle

Other cool sitings included a black widow spider and indian ghost pipe plant and a red breasted chat.

Black widow spider above and indian pipe plant below