Wildlife Sightings Log

Wildlife & Nature Sightings
What Where When Reported by Comments
Black and Yellow Argiope spider (Argiope aurantia) Wetlands Center Sun, 08/29/2010 Michael DuBois These large, beautiful spiders are common in Maryland. (Photo by Michael DuBois).
Widdow Skimmer (dragonfly) Butterfly Garden Sat, 08/21/2010 John W. Koontz Photograph by John W. Koontz.
Female Box Turtle #65 (L2, R1) South end of Marsh Boardwalk, at foot of steps Sat, 08/21/2010 John W. Koontz This female turtle was first marked as an adult in 1996! Exciting to find a turtle 14 years old and still making it. Photograph by John W. Koontz.
Butterflies BayScape & Butterfly Gardens at GNP's Plummer House Fri, 08/06/2010 Sue Ricciardi The photo is of Joe Pyeweed in the BayScape Garden at Plummer House. In it there are 4 Tiger Swallowtails(at one point there were 15 on it), a Monarch (far right), a Spicebush Swallowtail, and an American Lady. I saw these butterflies today (Friday, Aug. 6, 2010): Black Swallowtail; Spicebush Swallowtail; Eastern Tiger Swallowtail; Cabbage White;Clouded Sulphur; Orange Sulphur; Little Yellow; Sleepy Orange;Gray Hairstreak; Eastern Tailed-Blue;Pearl Crescent; Eastern Comma; Red Admiral; Common Buckeye; Monarch; Silver-spotted Skipper; Horace's Duskywing; Least Skipper; Peck's Skipper; Crossline Skipper;and Zabulon Skipper. Photograph by Sue Ricciardi
River Otter and Birds Railroad Creek tidal channel, Billingsly Marsh Fri, 08/06/2010 Tessa Giannini While kayaking along Railroad Creek tidal channel (across the river from the Observation Deck) between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m., we saw a River Otter at the edge of the mudflats by the water (it fled into the wetlands at our approach), a Prothonotary Warbler among the spatterdock plants and a Sora feeding on the mudflats.
3 eastern mud turtles basking on a log Off the Marsh Boardwalk Wed, 08/04/2010 Susan Matthews and Lindsay Hollister Turtles bask in order to raise their internal body temperature, which in turn, speeds up the digestion of food.
Queen Snake Basking on bush overhanging marsh at high tide Fri, 07/09/2010 Chris Swarth The Queen Snake is an aquatic reptile usually found along mountain streams and only rarely on the Coastal Plain. Jug Bay supports a small, permanent population. Look for them basking at high tide in the afternoon on branches that overhang the river. (Photo by C. Swarth)
Northern Water Snakes On beaver lodge along edge of Patuxent River Wed, 07/07/2010 Chris Swarth and Andrew Cronin Water snakes can often be found basking on beaver lodges in the tidal wetlands. Basking in the sun serves the purpose of raising the body temperature of this large fish-eating snake in order to allow efficient digestion of prey. This summer Jug Bay intern Andrew Cronin (Connecticut College) has observed up to 7 water snakes basking on a single beaver lodge near the River Pier.(Photo by C. Swarth).
Five-lined Skink nest Wetlands Center; under a large rock next to the box turtle cages in backyard Mon, 06/28/2010 Niko Skalski A female was guarding her ten eggs that were under a large rock. Each egg was about 12 mm by 8 mm in size. Five-lined Skinks are common at Jug Bay, but nests are rarely found. Niko was in the science camp and is a keen observer of nature. (Photo by C. Swarth) [On July 29 all eggs were gone and we assume the lizards had successfully hatched and departed. -- C.S.]
Black Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillars Plummer House Butterfly Garden Sun, 06/27/2010 Dave Perry Four caterpillars on the Bronze Fennel in the garden.
Nice variety of adult butterflies in the Butterfly Garden this morning Plummer House Butterfly Garden Sun, 06/27/2010 Dave Perry Butterflies in the garden today: Spicebush Swallowtail, Great Spangled Fritillary, Common Buckeye, American Lady, Pearl Crescent, Gray Hairstreak; Juvenal's Duskywing, Least Skipper, Crossline Skipper, Unidentified Skippers, Cabbage White, Clouded Sulphur, Orange Sulphur, and Eastern Tailed-Blue. Also, Hummingbird Moths and several dragonflies including Common Whitetails, Blue Dashers, and Eastern Pondhawks. And...many bees. I saw Black Swallowtail caterpillars only, no adults.
Eastern Hercules Beetle (Dynastes tityus) On tree along bank of Two Run Branch Thu, 06/24/2010 Lindsay Hollister Three beetles were crawling down a tree trunk next to the stream. All within 1 meter of each other on the trunk. Each was 3-5 cm long; the largest beetle in the United States!
Bald Eagle (immature) Patuxent River Park, Jug Bay Sat, 06/19/2010 Eric J Woody
Common Yellowthroat (pair and chick), and a Scarlet Tanager West side of Patuxent River near the "bald eagle" nest Sat, 06/19/2010 Eric J Woody
Red-bellied Turtle Near the Wetlands Center Wed, 06/16/2010 Susan Matthews, Daniel & Eric Lind The month of June is a peak time for nesting freshwater turtles, including the Red-bellied Turtle. If you come across a nesting turtle, please keep your distance. Female turtles will abort nesting and digging their egg chamber if they are disturbance. Hide and observe from 50 feet away.
Queen Snake Off the Marsh Boardwalk Sun, 06/13/2010 Harry Coulombe & the WEBELOS Naturalist Class This aquatic snake is not common here. It lives in the tidal marsh where it feeds exclusively on freshly molted crayfish. Look for it basking on low branches that overhang the water along shore. Observed most often at high tide in early afternoon.
26 Great Blue Herons Narrow channel south of Observation Blind, off Farm Point Sun, 05/09/2010 Dave Linthicum and Peggy Brosnan All 26 herons were lined up (8:30 pm) within 75 yards of each other in the only remaining water in upper Jug Bay, a narrow channel off of River Farm Point. Strong winds out of the north for a couple days caused extremely low water. Small fish were probably concentrated here, making for good foraging for the herons.
Male Blue Bird Meadow at Wetlands Center Wed, 04/28/2010 Dave Davis Bluebirds are investigating the many nest boxes in the Sanctuary as they gear up for another breeding season.
Mud Turtle hatchlings One on brick path to Wetlands Center (Mary Burton); another spotted by a Cub Scout on the Observation Deck! Sat, 04/17/2010 Harry Coulombe These hatchlings had overwintered in the nest. This behavior is also found in painted and red-bellied turtles.
Chimney Swifts Soaring above Wetlands Center in morning Sat, 04/17/2010 Harry Coulombe First swifts of the spring season.
Osprey with fish Tree near Wetlands Center Tue, 04/06/2010 Jean Filigenzi
Bald Eagle in nest High overhead along a hiking trail Tue, 04/06/2010 Jean Filigenzi
Great Horned Owl and owlet In old eagle nest Tue, 04/06/2010 Jean Filigenzi We saw the young owl in the nest and wondered where mom was. When we got home and saw the photos on the computer we were surprised to see that mom had popped up during one shot. She was keeping an eye on us even though we didn't know it. In several other photos she can be seen though the sticks in the nest keeping careful watch
Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, female Belted Kingfisher Observation Deck and River Pier Thu, 04/01/2010 Dotty Mumford and the Waterbird Survey The wintering green-winged teal will depart shortly for distant breeding grounds; blue-winged teal are just arriving from the tropics.
Pickerel Frog Wet Forest area near Meadow Wed, 03/24/2010 Susan Matthews Pickerel frogs have two parallel rows of dark squarish spots and bright yellow or orange on the inner surface of the hind thigh. In March and May females lay about 2,500 eggs in clusters in pools and ponds. The male call is a steady, low pitched snore of 1 or 2 seconds duration that does not carry very far. They are generally found in meadows, streams, bogs, and floodplains.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) Behind the work shed near the Wetlands Center Wed, 03/24/2010 Susan Matthews Bloodroot is one of the earliest wildflowers to appear in the spring. Native Americans used the red juice of the stem and roots as a dye for baskets, clothing, and war paint. The Latin name sanguinarius means bleeding. The alkaloids produced in the roots are highly toxic.
Box Turtle Enclosure at Wetlands Center Sun, 03/21/2010 Lindsay Hollister We house 3 female box turtles in an outdoor enclosure at the Wetlands Center. They overwinter underground, as they would in the wild. This was the first one this spring to peek out from beneath the leaves.
Ribbon Snake brick walkway by Wetlands Center Fri, 03/19/2010 Chris Swarth & Lindsay Hollister This Ribbon Snake was crossing the brick walkway at the Wetlands Center. It was a healthy-looking, beautiful individual. Total Length = 74cm; Snout to Vent = 48cm. (Photo by C. Swarth)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (2) Railroad Bed Trail: 8:00 am Thu, 03/18/2010 Dotty Mumford with the Winter Waterbirds survey group
Tree Swallows (20) over Jug Bay at noon Wed, 03/17/2010 Chris Swarth Heading north. Some pairs are back already (18 March) at nest boxes along the marsh edge.
Least Brook Lampreys Glendening Preserve, swiming near the outflow pipe (Red Oak Trail crosses over Wrighton Branch) Sun, 03/07/2010 Susan Matthews I observed 6-7 least brook lampreys around 3pm on Sunday, March 7th. A few days latter on Tuesday, March 9 I visited this site again and was only able to see 1 lamprey. Elaine Friebele observed 15 lampreys on Friday March 26 in the Glendening Preserve in the small creek behind Plummer House. The Least Brook Lamprey is a non-parasitic fish; adults do not feed at all. Only the small larval stage (called an ammocaetes feeds). This species spends its entire life in the estuary, unlike the Sea Lamprey which lives as an adult in the ocean or Great Lakes.
Beaver Observation Blind Wed, 02/24/2010 Liz McClunin
Flock of 18 wild turkey Field just south of Pindell Branch & just west of Pindell Rd. Tue, 02/09/2010 Dave Linthicum
Rufous-sided Towhee River Farm Pt. Sun, 02/07/2010 Dave Linthicum A large number (about 10) were also seen foraging for seeds on soils exposed by snow plowing equipment near the barn at River Farm
Drifting Snow River Farm Sun, 02/07/2010 Peggy Brosnan Drifts of 7 feet covered some Sanctuary roads
Snowshoeing human Two Run Branch bridge Sun, 02/07/2010 Dave Linthicum
Tundra Swans (6) On river edge as seen from the Observation Deck Fri, 01/22/2010 John Evans & Susan Matthews The Tundra Swan is identifiable by its long, straight neck, its black bill, and a small patch of yellow skin at the base of the bill below the eye. In Maryland, another swan - the introduced Mute Swan - also occurs in many waterways. Tundra Swans breed on the Arctic tundra and migrate south in the fall to spend the winter on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Eastern populations frequent the Chesapeake Bay and North Carolina, while western populations winter along the California coast. These large birds fly 3,725 miles (6,000 kilometers) round-trip each year!
Glaucous Gull tidal flats at Jug Bay Sun, 01/17/2010 Chris Swarth We spotted a first winter Glaucous Gull as it flew in from the west and landed amidst dozens of ring-bills and Herring Gulls at about 10 am. All white, with a dark eye and large, pink bill with black at the tip. Very large, about the same size as a nearby adult Great Black-backed Gull. Almost pure white - a striking bird. Viewed by 20 birders in a sanctuary ornithology class. Photo by Carol Frost.
Herd of 11 white-tailed deer, Crossing River Farm Rd. in woods near fields Sun, 01/10/2010 Peggy Brosnan/Dave Linthicum
Rusty Blackbirds Edge of Sanctuary on Wrighton Road near Windsor's baseball field Fri, 01/08/2010 Chris Swarth A flock of about 25 feeding on road edge with White-throated Sparrows, cardinals and towhees. About 3 inches of snow on ground.
Southern Flying Squirrels Riggleman Preserve Sat, 01/02/2010 Elaine Friebele During our group hike, one of the hikers tapped on a dead tree trunk beside the trail. Two flying squirrels jumped out of a waist-high hole and scaled the trunk above our heads. They appeared to be shivering on a very windy, cold day! Flying squirrels don't hibernate, but congregate in nests while resting to conserve body heat.
Great Egret (1) Flying over cattail marsh Wed, 12/23/2009 Chris Swarth This is very late in the season to see an egret at Jug Bay, especially considering the storm on December 19 left two feet of snow on the ground.
Bald Eagles and Double-crested Cormorants Patuxent River Sat, 11/28/2009 Rogard Ross Hiked out to River Pier. Two cormorants took off heading north low along the river. As my gaze followed them I spotted a Bald Eagle spiralling over Mt. Calvert. I continued to watch the eagle through binoculars as it came lower and lower, finally skimming the river before landing on the Osprey nest platform in the shallows on west side of the river opposite the Observation Deck, about half a mile upriver. Then a second Bald Eagle appeared, circled, and landed - initially right on top of and then - next to first! They stayed out there quite a while. When I got to the Observation Deck an hour later, one was back at the same platform.
Black Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillars Plummer House Butterfly Garden Sat, 11/21/2009 Dave Perry This afternoon, while planting Pussy Willow shrubs in the garden, my wife and I saw two Black Swallowtail caterpillars on the bronze fennel plants. One was a final stage caterpillar and the other was in its third stage. These are the same fennel plants that hosted 20 of these caterpillars earlier this year. It seems very late for these caterpillars this far north.
Common Mergansers Off the Observation Deck Wed, 11/04/2009 Susan Matthews At noon I observed three Common Mergansers from the Observation Deck. These mergansers occur in the fresher parts of the Patuxent estuary; they are much more common at Jug Bay than in the more saline areas downstream. They nest in tree cavities and on the ground near large lakes.
Bearded Tooth (Hericium erinaceus) Off the Otter Point Trail, growing on the side of an oak. Wed, 10/28/2009 Lindsay Hollister & Susan Matthews This large, edible white mushroom is 10-25cm wide and high; forms a solid mass of long, beardlike "spines." Grows on hardwoods such as oaks, maples, and beech (August-November).
Bald Eagle Sighted off the Swamp Blind Sun, 10/25/2009 Susan Matthews At 4:15 pm, I walked to the Swamp Blind and observed an adult Bald Eagle hovering over the Patuxent River. Why was this eagle hovering? Perhaps it was searching for a fish, or a small diving duck in the open water. The eagle circled several times and even landed in a tree very close to where we stood.
Bald Eagle Over Patuxent Wetland Park Wed, 10/21/2009 Chris Swarth Two adults and an immature soaring overhead in late afternoon
Northern Watersnake Marsh, next to the Marsh Boardwalk Wed, 10/21/2009 Elaine Friebele An unusually late fall sighting, but temperature was in the 70s.
Juvenile Red fox Observed on the road by Plummer House entrance. Sun, 10/18/2009 Harry Coulombe Sighted on the road around 11am. The fox was feeding on a road killed opossum; retreated back onto the Glendenning Preserve.