Notes on my Observations of Animals in Fairfax County, Virginia.

VIRGINIA--It has now been one year since my family and I arrived on the NE Coast of the U.S., with a considerable amount of our time being spent in Washington, D.C. My disabilities have given me some limitations in my ability to get around "the bush", so I have taken an interest in the animals--particularly reptiles--on the acreage of the apartment complex where I live. To both my surprise and delight, the property is home to a nice variety of creatures, and my observations have been listed on both the Reptile and Amphibian Blitzes.

This being my journal, my remarks will be considerably less formal than if I were writing for a professional publication or book. Diving right in with that spirit, I shall now credit my assistant, my service dog, Laddie, with his considerable help. Laddie is a mixed breed of Gordon Setter, Rough Collie, and goodness-knows-what else. He quickly learned the scents of various reptiles and amphibians, and found most of the specimens I've recorded here. The fact that Laddie observed what I was looking for and then, independently, began sniffing out more specimens truly impressed me. Believe it or not: I don't care, and it doesn't change the truth!

And now, to the Journal...

August was an incredible month for me, a time when I was able to observe several interesting aspects of nature that I'd not seen before. What made it incredible was that I recognised just how much "newness" I had witnessed during 2012, and reinforced my lifelong belief that my most important skill must be to learn from nature. She can be a patient demonstrator but, in many instances, one whose demonstrations occur quickly and without warning.

Laddie and I were returning from our daily 3 PM patrol of the grounds, and as we were passing the last building before mine I saw an adult dragonfly, likely the same one I had been observing in that area all summer. It was a female of the White-tailed Dragonfly (Plathemis lydia), her body a drab chocolate brown (with a slight reddish tint), her wings invisibly clear save for a single broad black band on each. Dragonflies have fascinated my for years, decades even. In my eighth through eleventh years I was a dedicated entomological collector. As I dashed about across the huge easement area behind the homes on my street, my net desperately swishing the air in efforts to capture a dragonfly, I must have given several neighbors a good laugh. Perhaps a few talked to my mother about, perhaps, her son having spent too much time in the sun.

But I was relentless, a trait that I retained and honed as the years went on. Relentless when on the hunt for herps or books, I might add, though not much else. One must conserve one's energies for important tasks. Though it would generally take me some time, I did eventually capture my insect and get a considerable aerobic work-out, too. Probably why I was such a skinny kid.

In the many years (okay, a few decades) that followed, I have been captivated by dragonflies whenever and wherever I have seen them. I've spent time on Kansas hills, the desolate Australian Outback, and the marshes of the Alps, and took time to sit and watch the dragonflies in each place. Sometimes I'd watch for hours. But it wasn't until August 2012 that I observed HOW a dragonfly lands on a brick wall.

Yes, yes, I'd seen them land on reeds, leaves, twigs, rocks, and automobile radio antennae. I've seen them land on alligators' snouts and IN crocodiles' mouths. Probably enough landings and takeoffs to qualify as an odonatan air-traffic controller. Though I had seen them land on walls, I had never seen just HOW they do it. I mean, consider; here comes a dragonfly, buzzing along at speed, when it abruptly slows and rests on the wall. It happens so quickly that I often wondered how they did it without hitting the wall and knocking themselves senseless.

And as Laddie trotted ahead of me, I turned my head to see our familiar female White-tailed Dragonfly land on a wall less than two metres from me. Then she launched into the air, made a large circle, and returned to the wall. My position allowed me to see her from the side, for once letting me see how the landing gear handled a vertical surface. She had two procedures.

The first took the following steps: (1) approach wall in horizontal flight; (2) turn wings into nearly vertical positions when about 15 cm from the wall, effectively slowing forward momentum; (3) allow slowed head to just touch wall and then stop wing movement--the instant that the head touches, the front legs get a purchase on the surface; and (4) as gravity pulls body downward, other legs come into range of wall. Result: a nice soft landing. It was a remarkable thing to see in the outdoors, and not on film or television.

Her second landing technique was a bit different: (1) approach wall in horizontal flight; (2) turn wings into nearly vertical positions when about 6 cm from the wall, effectively slowing forward momentum; (3) allow head to slam into wall, effectively stopping forward momentum; (4) as body drops, reach out desperately for foothold. Though I didn't see it, I expect that there is a step (5): take an Advil and get some rest.

At least, that's what I'd need to do.

END FIRST ENTRY

Posted on October 27, 2012 03:00 AM by robertsprackland robertsprackland

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)

Observer

robertsprackland

Date

May 24, 2012

Description

A large adult and an immature with a still-blue tail (shown) seen under horizontal eaves between 1st and 2nd floors of apartment complex. Wall was south-facing, at 1615 hrs, in full sunlight, ambient temperature 27.7 C.

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)

Observer

robertsprackland

Date

June 10, 2012 08:30 AM EDT

Description

Numerous individuals of both sexes seen almost daily since 24 May. Observed only in bright sunlight when temperature is 28.3 C or higher. Most specimens seen on brick walls of buildings or on walls of wooden fences. Those on ground stay very close to a bolt hole, such as gaps around air conditioners, gaps between bricks, or rocks.

Photos / Sounds

What

Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)

Observer

robertsprackland

Date

May 11, 2012

Description

Adult male found on floor of downstairs (basement) shower room.

Photos / Sounds

What

Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)

Observer

robertsprackland

Date

May 24, 2012

Description

Green Tree Frog -- Found at 1600 hr, asleep on inner-facing surface of building drain pipe. Found another specimen in same situation but about 0.85 km from first site. In both cases, the frogs were exposed to intense direct sunlight for several hours.

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis ssp. sirtalis)

Observer

robertsprackland

Date

March 21, 2012

Description

Observed on warm asphalt of parking lot at dusk.

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina ssp. carolina)

Observer

robertsprackland

Date

June 2012

Description

1030 hrs, adult male in good condition, on sidewalk near ornamental bushes.

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

Observer

robertsprackland

Date

October 4, 2012

Description

Found under (a) a fallen log, (b) under flowerpots in the centre of a grassy field, and (c) under plastic bins growing starter blueberries. Temperature was 68 F, no breeze, partly cloudy skies. (a) was a definited red-back; (b) had four salamanders together, and (c) had two. In both (b) and (d) the redbacked-leadbacked numbers were equal.

Photos / Sounds

What

Rough Greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus)

Observer

robertsprackland

Date

September 26, 2012

Description

Subadult, found dead on lawn near 7-foot high wooden retaining wall. Probably dead for less than 30 minutes as body showed no signs of dehydration, decomposition, or rigor mortis. No indication of any insects or other predators; no obvious injuries. Body showed indistinct subdermal pale pink colouration--haematoma?

Air temperature at time of observation was 85 F. Day had been dry, hot, and mostly sunny. Measurements (mm): Head-13; Tail-248; SVL-354; TL-602; 152 ventral scale rows.

Photos / Sounds

What

Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor ssp. constrictor)

Observer

robertsprackland

Date

October 20, 2012

Description

DOR, apparently very shortly before we encountered it at 1030 EST. Dimensions (mm): HL-35; SVL- 1,145; HW (at widest point)-22; TL-313; ventrals-178; subcaudals-81; scale rows-17. Temperature 68 F.

Photos / Sounds

What

Panamanian Golden Frog (Atelopus zeteki)

Observer

robertsprackland

Date

April 2012

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