Archive for May, 2008
New Job as an Outdoor Education Instructor
I have just accepted a full-time position working for an outdoor education company as a field instructor. I will be working at Wildcat Mountain, located in Waywayanda State Park in West Milford, NJ for Project U.S.E. (www.projectuse.org) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality, memorable outdoor education experiences to individuals through ropes courses, rock [...]
Eastern Worm Snake, New Jersey Pine Barrens
I flipped this adult Eastern Worm Snake while herping/photographing with Chris in the New Jersey Pine Barrens last week. We drove a bunch of dirt roads hoping to find rocks, logs, and artificial cover to turn, and I found this snake under a wood pallet dumped in the woods. Worm Snakes are small, brown snakes [...]
Juvenile Redbelly Snake, Pennsylvania
One of my new species discovered this weekend was the Redbelly Snake, a small snake, either rust or dark gray in color with a belly that ranges from orange to red to pink. Collectively, our group found eight Redbelly Snakes, including this small individual. I tried to get this snake to pose with part of [...]
Face to Face with a Cannibal – Spring Salamander Portrait
I just got back from Lycoming County, PA where I spent the weekend herping with Chris and several friends. Combined, we found over 300 herps on Saturday and Sunday, including three lifers for me, Spring Salamander, Mountain Dusky Salamander, and Redbelly Snake. I also found the only Northern Water Snake of the trip, a baby [...]
In: Recent and Random Photos, Trip Reports
Longtail Salamander on Oak Leaves, Pennsylvania
One of the lightlights of our rainy day Tuesday herping trip was finding Longtail Salamanders, one of the species Chris had really wanted to see and photograph. Our friend Jeff had a great spot for them and we were able to find a couple dozen of the species, including some rather cooperative individuals like this [...]
In: Recent and Random Photos
Adult Milk Snake and Herping Trip
Yesterday, Chris and I met up with some friends we met through a herping forum and tried our hand at herping in some of the most miserable May weather conditions. We had planned to find some new snakes – in particular Timber Rattlesnakes, Copperheads, Milk Snakes, and Eastern Hognose Snakes – to photograph, but the [...]
In: Recent and Random Photos, Trip Reports
Endangered Pine Barrens Treefrog and Trip
Yesterday Chris and I met a friend Kyle to do some herping in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. We ended up having a very successful day, finding and photographing several species, including six species that I had never seen nor photographed before. Our finds for the day included: 10 Carpenter Frogs (lifer and new stock [...]
In: Recent and Random Photos, Tips and Techniques
Pickerel Frog, Washington Crossing State Park, NJ
Earlier this week, Chris drove up to New Jersey in order to see me graduate today. So yesterday we made a trip to a local state park to do a little herping. Combined we found 25 Two-lined Salamanders, 18 Redback Salamanders, 5 Northern Dusky Salamanders, and 5 Pickerel Frogs (and also a shrew). I had [...]
In: Recent and Random Photos, Trip Reports
Redbud and Two Trees, Shenandoah National Park
Well, I hope you guys aren’t tired of spring photographs of Eastern Redbuds in bloom yet, because I still have a few more to share. Despite student teaching and classes finally being over, I haven’t been out shooting nearly as much as I’d like. Instead, I’ve been working long hours trying to make up for [...]
In: Recent and Random Photos
Happy Mother’s Day!
I wanted to take the opportunity to publically wish my mom a Happy Mother’s Day! I am very fortunate that my mom has sacrificed so much for me, and given me the opportunity to travel locally and pursue nature photography to the extent that I have. Without my mom’s love and support, I never would [...]
Spring Colors, Shenandoah National Park
Here is a shot from a few weeks ago, when Chris and I made a couple of trips to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to photograph the new growth of spring. In this shot, you can see the beautiful colors of the trees in early spring as the trees bloom and bud, including native Eastern [...]
Snuggling Red Fox Kits
Monday night I had the opportunity to photograph another fox den, one discovered in Delaware by my friend Kim Steininger. I left New Jersey after school and arrived at the den around 5:30PM, a little later than I had hoped, but still plenty of time to get some photos before sunset. Fortunately, the kits were [...]
In: Recent and Random Photos, Trip Reports
Decisions, Decisions: Should I Work in Colorado?
I will be graduating from The College of New Jersey on May 16th (finally). It’s been a long journey, but the end is finally near. This is my last week of student teaching, and Wednesday will be my last final exam of my undergraduate career.
I will finish with a Bachelor’s of Science in Health and [...]
Black and White Striped Jack-in-the-Pulpit
I thought you might be tired of salamanders, so I decided to post a different type of shot from this weekend. One of the parks I’ve been visiting in Pennsylvania has a lot of Jack-in-the-Pulpits, very pretty and unusual wildflowers that tend to grow in bogs and wet areas. Saturday, when I revisited the area [...]
Northern Dusky Salamander, Pennsylvania
Yesterday, I met up with a friend to do some herping in a favorite nature preserve of his in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. We didn’t find any unusual species, but stumbled across quite a few Northern Dusky Salamanders, Redback Salamanders, Northern Two-lined Salamanders, and Green Frogs. We also found a half-eaten flying squirrel, wood frog tadpoles, and a [...]
In: Recent and Random Photos, Tips and Techniques, Trip Reports