Spotting a Snake

This afternoon my son and I went for a short walk in the Connetquot River State Park. When we got to the Deep Water Pond Bridge, we stopped in order for me to take pictures of dragonflies that were perched besides the water’s edge. I was so focused on taking the photos that I hadn’t heard the rustling noises that my son had. He yelled out to me, “A snake!”  He pointed to bushes he was standing next to. At first I had trouble seeing it because it blended in so well to the leaves and dead tree branches on the ground, but finally I saw it. Unfortunately I did not get a good picture of it, but I think it is a water snake. After all, we did see it along a pond’s edge which is where you would expect to see one and the markings look right. Although I knew there were snakes in the park, I had never seen one until today.

Tussock Moth Caterpillars

 

I saw many of these caterpillars today feeding on milkweed plants growing in the Connetquot River State Park. I was amused when I saw them up close because they look like they have scrubbing brush bristles attached to them. They were nonstop eating machines, devouring many of the poisonous leaves on the milkweed plants. Fortunately for the Tussock Moth and Monarch Butterfly caterpillar, the milkweed toxins have no ill effect on them and it even protects them by causing them, through the digestion of the milkweed, to become poisonous. I was told that the orange color, which both the Tussock Moth and Monarch Butterfly caterpillars display, is a warning signal to caterpillar predators that they are toxic and should be not be eaten.

Butter-and-Eggs

Butter-and-Eggs at Connetquot River State Park

 Butter-and-Eggs is a very fitting name for this plant which has flowers that resemble loosely scrambled eggs.   If you look closely at the cheerful yellow blossoms, you will even notice an orange center that looks like an egg yolk. The snapdragon-like flowers do contain pollen, but it is very difficult for insects to get at it. Heavier insects, such as bumble bees are at an advantage because they can use their weight to pry them open. If you would like to see this plant, just take a walk in the Connetquot River State Park during any summer month. It is one of the more common wildflowers there.

Fawn

There is a large population of whitetail deer in Connetquot River State Park. They are so commonly seen there that I very rarely take pictures of them, but I could not resist this adorable fellow. As fawns, whitetail deer have spotted reddish-brownish coats, like this one has, which serve as the perfect camouflage. The reddish-brown coloring blends in with the dried leaves on the ground and the white spots mimic sunlight filtering through the trees.  However, fawns lose their white spots for good when they shed their summer coat for a winter one, sometime in the fall.

Oak Tree Galls

If you come across one of these while you are walking, take a look around to see if you are under or near an oak tree.  If you are, then you have probably discovered a gall.  These ball-like growths are caused by insects. They form on the leaves or stems of the trees and then often fall to the ground. The one pictured here has a pretty bright red color but a lot of them are speckled. You can also see galls on other trees and plants, but they are very often seen on oak trees in the Connetquot River State Park.

Rattlesnake Brook

Rattlesnake Brook

A friend once said to me that Rattlesnake Brook was a ridiculous name because there are no rattlesnakes on Long Island, but years ago, rattlesnakes did in fact exist on Long Island and could even be found in Oakdale. Back in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, Suffolk County News published stories about residents finding and killing rattlesnakes.  Often the articles ended with a statement on how many rattles were on the dead snake’s tail. Most of the reported encounters with rattlesnakes in Oakdale occurred in the area now known as Connetquot River State Park, not far from Rattlesnake Brook.  A history of the Southside Sportsmen’s Club (now Connetquot River State Park) stated that Roland Redmond, who was a President of the Southside Sportsmen’s Club around the 1890s, would “pick up and show off rattlesnakes which he would catch behind the head with a pronged stick and yank into an ordinary gunnysack.” By the mid-1930s, rattlesnakes were reported to be extinct on Long island. So, as I stood beside Rattlesnake Brook amongst the tall grass and weeds to take this photograph, I had no fear of a snake bite, but I did worry about getting bitten by a deer tick.  Times change.