Other Critters of Assateague Island Photos

American eel

Young diamondback terrapins - showing color variations

Eastern hognose snake - with neck inflated

Flounder

Ghost crab

Northern fence lizard

Mary Lee, tagged great white shark

Oyster toadfish

Large snapping turtle

Turtles sunning

Blue crabs - the females have red pincers

What Lives On Assateague Island? - Other Critters

Besides the mammals and the huge variety of birds to be seen on Assateague Island, the ground and waters are teeming with other types of life, too.  I'm not even going to try to get into the insect realm deeply - let's just say there are probably thousands of kinds of insects that live in, around, and on the island, as well as the butterflies, who use it as a migratory stopping place - most specifically, the Monarch.  There are ants, beetles, ticks, flies, spiders, wasps, bees, gnats and mosquitoes galore.  Besides the trees, grasses, and shrubbery, there are flowers in multitudes.
  Other inhabitants of the island are less conspicuous than the large mammals and sudden flights of flocking birds.  Seven species of frogs and toads depend on fresh water ponds in the center of Assateague for breeding, and a variety of six snakes, none of them poisonous, are native inhabitants. The black rat snake can be found across the forests, dunes, and marshes preying on rodents, small birds, or toads.  The eastern hognose snake - which is often mistaken for the copperhead - prefers beaches, dunes, and grassy areas; while the northern water snake prefers salt marshes and freshwater or brackish ponds.
  Several factors are thought to account for the discrepancy in the species present on the island (6) and those on the mainland (19).  Geographic isolation and the difficulty posed for most reptiles in crossing the salt waters of the bay are some obvious causes.  It is suspected that humans have also played a role by intentionally introducing some species to the island (as in the Sika deer).  Harsh conditions, as well as limited range size and habitat types, may also restrict the species that can successfully survive on Assateague.
   Several species of reptiles possess morphological adaptations necessary to survive the varying and sometimes harsh conditions of barrier island life.  Many of these animals, for instance, have tough skins that exclude salt and retain moisture.  Still others exhibit behavioral adaptations that limit their exposure to severe temperature or salinity.  The eastern box turtle, one of the island's terrestrial reptiles, has the ability to retreat completely within its shell and will burrow under vegetation to escape extreme weather.
   Assateague also hosts five species of aquatic freshwater turtles and three species of sea turtles, including the Maryland State Reptile, the Northern Diamondback Terrapin.  One of the island's most charismatic species, Diamondbacks are unusual in that they are one of the few species of turtle that prefer estuarine habitats.  They reside in all of the waters surrounding the island, but are most common in the salt marshes that border the bay.  These turtles are a common sight to visitors paddling through these areas during the warmer summer months.  Snapping turtles also abound - a very large fellow was mistaken for an alligator in Eel Creek on Chincoteague a month ago.  One frequently sees turtles sunning on downed tree branches or trunks  that arise from drains, channels and marshes on Assateague - these include the Eastern mud turtle, the Eastern painted turtle, and the red-bellied turtle.  Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles are again laying eggs on Assateague beaches, as are leatherback sea turtles.
   Fowler's toads make a home on Assateague, as do the upland chorus frog, American bullfrog, the gray and green tree frogs, and the Southern leopard frog.  The red-back salamander is also a native inhabitant.   Though not common, lizards can occasionally be seen on Assateague Island.  Northern fence lizards live in forested and shrub thickets on the island.  They feed on small terrestrial invertebrates, ares are usually seen sunning themselves on rocks, tree stumps, and other exposed areas within reach of a close hiding spot.
   Numerous invertebrates, such as fiddler crabs and mud snails play key roles in maintaining the health of the island's salt marshes.  Even the seemingly barren beaches provide habitat for nocturnal ghost crabs.
   Finally, the coastal waters that surround Assategaue Island teem with life.  The sheltered, nutrient rich waters of the estuary formed by the island provide ideal breeding and spawning habitats for many aquatic species.  Many of these water-dwelling creatures are commercially important to the local area - the blue crab, three types of clams,  oysters, mussels and scallops.  Shrimping is done off-shore. And four types of eel can be found in the waters, marshes and ponds of the island.
   Each spring a variety of fish, including spot, Atlantic menhadin, and summer flounder migrate into the area to breed.  Later, the juvenile fish provide an abundant food source for birds, marine mammals, and larger fish.  One hundred and sixteen ray-finned types of fish have been identified in island waters.  (A few days ago a tourist caught an oyster toadfish from a local dock and wanted to know if it was edible.)  One can surf fish at specified areas on Assateague; or bring or rent a boat for your use.  Charter fishing trips are available.  Flounder, croaker, drum, sea bass, and striped bass can be caught in the channels and bays.  Mahi-mahi, cobia, tuna and sharks are found off shore.  There are many types of jellyfish in the area, as well as sharks and rays.  The most common sharks are makos, tigers, hammer-heads, sand, and dusky.
   Occasionally one of three tagged Great White sharks are in the area - Mary Ann is, at last sighting 16 feet long and weighs about 3,500 pounds; the two smaller ones are Yeti and Hilton.  They have transponders and are tracked - social media and/or the news will let you know if they are near.
   If you're interested in the wide variety of life in, around, and on Assateague Island (including lichens), I suggest you visit the 26 pages of the Species Check-List for Assateague Island  at:
https://www.inaturalist.org/check_lists/372430-Species-Check-List-for-Assateague-Island-National-Seashore?page=1

The Chesapeake Bay - Part 2

I remember, as a child, riding the ferry across the Chesapeake Bay on our way to Chincoteague.  When I was born, my father was in the US Navy, and we were stationed at Oceana, Virginia; then at Millington, Tennessee, then Corpus Christi, Texas.  Dad retired from the Navy on my fifth birthday, and we moved to Gainesville, Florida.  Anytime we visited Mom's home town, which was usually once or twice each year, we took the ferry from Norfolk to Cape Charles, Virginia.  That happened until 1964, when I was 8 years old; in April of that year, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel opened.  I was astonished that you could drive both over and under Chesapeake Bay and did not have to take the ferry.  I can even tell you that we crossed the Bridge-Tunnel in my Uncle's brand new Jeep Wagoneer - my sister, Mom, and I in the back seat, and Aunt Ruth in the front passenger seat, with Uncle Claude driving.  I remember seagulls flying alongside the car, and how scared I was when we entered the first of two tunnels.  Now, 52 years later, I enjoy the scents of the salt water and the rhythmic beat of the tires across the joined slabs of the road bed - as well as the sight of the gulls flying beside the car.  For me, the Chesapeake Bay has always meant that I was almost home...
    The Chesapeake Bay is home to many fauna that either migrate to the area, or live there year round.  There are over 300 species of fish and many shellfish and crab species. Some of these creatures include the Atlantic menhaden, the striped bass, the American eel, the eastern oyster, and the blue crab.  Birds include ospreys, great blue herons, bald eagles, and peregrine falcons; the last two listed were threatened with extinction by DDT: their numbers plummeted, but have risen in recent years.  The piping plover is a threatened species which inhabits the wetlands around the Bay.
    Larger fish, like the Atlantic sturgeon, as well as several varieties of sharks, and stingrays visit the Chesapeake.  The waters of Chesapeake Bay have long been regarded as one of the most important nursery areas for sharks along the east coast.  Megafaunas  like bull sharks, tiger sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, basking sharks, and manta rays are also known visitors.  Bottlenose dolphins are also found in the Bay.  The unconfirmed sightings of humpback whales seem to be proven, as four dead humpbacks have washed up recently along the Eastern Shore.  The endangered North Atlantic right whale, as well as fin, minke, and sei whales have also been seen within and near the mouth of the Chesapeake.  Loggerhead turtles are also known visitors in the Chesapeake.
    The Bay is mostly known for its seafood production - especially blue crabs, clams and oysters.  In the middle of the 20th century, the Bay supported 9,000 full-time watermen and their families.  Today the Chesapeake is less productive than it used to be .  This is due to runoff from urban areas along the western shore of the Bay, runoff from farms on the Eastern Shore and from the Susquehanna River watershed, over-harvesting of marine life, and the invasion of foreign species into the waters.
    In the 19th century, the plentiful oyster harvests in the Chesapeake led to the development of the skipjack, the state boat of Maryland, which is the only remaining working boat type in the United States that is still under sail power.  Other characteristic bay-area work boats include sail-powered boats such as the log canoe, the pungy, the bugeye, and the motorized Chesapeake Bay deadrise, the state boat of Virginia.
    In contrast to harvesting the wild oyster, oyster farming is a growing industry in the Chesapeake Bay that helps maintain the estuary's productivity, as well as a natural effort for filtering the impurities, such as excess nutrients, from the water in an effort to reduce the effects of man-made pollution.  The Chesapeake Bay Program is using oysters to reduce the amount of nitrogen compounds entering the Bay's waters.  Oysters are hermaphroditic and will change gender at least once during their lifetime; they often begin life as a male, and end life as a female.  There are numerous ways to cook and eat them (besides raw on the half-shell), as well as many recipes and sauces to accompany oyster dishes.  According to Kendra Bailey Morris, of the National Public Radio in 2007, "The Chesapeake oyster - sometimes called Chesapeake white gold - has a flavor and texture that begs connoisseurs to come back and shuck just a few more."
    The Chesapeake is also famous for its rockfish, a regional name for striped bass.  Once on the verge of extinction, rockfish have made a significant comeback because of legislative action that placed a moratorium on rockfishing, which allowed the species to re-populate.  Rockfish are now allowed to fished again, but only in strictly controlled and limited quantities.

    Chincoteague Island, my maternal family home, was long famous for its oysters and clams.  For many years, Campbell's Soup Company had an exclusive contract for the oysters and clams caught, or raised, in and around the island.  For quite a few years only Chincoteague oysters and clams were used in Campbell's soup.....  The island had problems with pollution, and our shellfish production took a huge dive.  The waters are now cleaner, and our oysters and clams are being noticed again.

Scrap Metal Sculpture

Critter Sitting

I met two new cuties that I'll be caring for in a few days - a pair of black sister litter-mates, Pip and Squeak.  They are very sweet.  As usual, I had a little giggle because the cats came out to meet me, after their owner assured me that they were both sound asleep, and wouldn't be stirring for several hours.  I heard a quiet "Mmm-row?" and told her that one of the cats was awake - and she looked very startled and told me I must have heard something from outside, or that the cleaning team had made something squeak.  Less than 30 seconds later, Squeak was doing the snaky figure-8 around my ankles.  It gave the owner quite a surprise.  Less than a minute later, Pip also joined us, and I was able to see the differences between the sisters.

   I was also able to walk Rosie today...  She is such a sweet girl.  The owners' son had been home from college and just left yesterday, so I didn't walk Rosie on Thursday and Friday; instead Max spent time with her.  And she loves Max so dearly - she'll try to do anything he asks, no matter what.  And since she's fourteen and a half years old, we never know if the day will be her last.  She still enjoys life greatly - she absolutely loves Chicken McNuggets and usually eats 17 to 20 of them when I take care of her in the evenings.  She doesn't have much of an appetite for her prescribed dog food, and usually gets rotisserie chicken and meatballs from a local market, plus fresh-frozen duck.   Spoiled?   Not my Rosie!  Today she chased a mule deer in my sister's back yard, and I think that made her feel powerful and young again.  There are usually squirrels and rabbits galore for her to see, and chase, if she decides to do so.  Today, the fir trees were full of chickadees and that was almost all you could hear - and Rosie had a good time "playing Safari" under the low branches of the trees, looking for lions and tigers and bears.  The only thing we haven't found there is a tiger, so far...

   Both of my cats are curled up on, or next to, my bed - Nedi has made himself a little nest in my dirty laundry basket and is out like a light.  Lovey is at the foot of the bed, but I can tell from her ears that she's listening to the keyboard.  I have been lucky to have had the use of Donn's VW Touareg since two days past Christmas; while he's away, I pick up his mail, and get to use his vehicle, just replacing the fuel that I've used.  He returns tomorrow afternoon, and after almost 30 days straight with a car available, it'll feel strange to go back to busing and walking...  but that's what happens tomorrow.

   Luckily the job that I begin on Wednesday (actually two jobs start at once) is within a block of a bus stop; I'll have to walk two more blocks to see Pip and Squeak.  I'm just hoping that we'll continue to have mild weather and little snow until both families return.  Also back a Dellwood on Wednesday - chickens, cats and fish to care for.  At least, if there is a heavy snow, the way is short from the house to the chicken coop, and the girls will be able to stay in the covered run.  They also have a heat lamp and heated water bowls, so there's no worry there.  I'll just have to try and keep the cats inside, if there is a heavy snow; Carter would rather be inside where it's warm, but Xuxa wants to go out and burrow in the snow, silly girl!

Odds and Ends

If you watch the Broncos versus Kansas City Chiefs on television today, you'll see beautiful blue skies and probably hear that the temperature is in the 60s (F).  It is a totally gorgeous Colorado fall day - it was 25 degrees when I got up at 6, and, now, at 8:30, it's 45 degrees.  No clouds are visible, but snow from Wednesday morning is visible in shadowed places along the Front Range.  Heck, there's snow in our parking lot, and in Lynn's back yard...
   Our forecast calls for rain and snow starting late tomorrow afternoon - but the computer programs vary greatly in the forecast.  One says a little rain, followed by "a trace amount to four inches" of snow.  One says a half-inch of rain followed by twenty-two inches of snow.  We'll just have to wait and see what happens.  Since Boulder is in a valley in a curve in the mountains Front Range, snow amounts are always a guessing game.
   I'm invited to join the Grand Jury members, District Attorneys, lawyers, police witnesses, and various agents for supper at the Cork restaurant on Tuesday night.  That's where we get to chat with the DA's office and tell them what we liked about our Grand Jury experience, and what we think could make things better for future juries.  We were offered pizza almost every night we met for Jury duty, so filet mignon or prime rib will be a treat...  And I'm going to ask #6 if his name is John Drake...  (I know it isn't, but I want to see if he understands my question.)
  There's a tummy bug going around Boulder, and I had a light case of it earlier this week.  Beatrice had to stay home from work for two days, but luckily has today and tomorrow off.  She's feeling much better...
  We did get her curtain rods and thermal curtains up in her room on Thursday.  I thought that Mike was going to put up the curtain rods above the sliding glass doors on the balcony at the same time, but he didn't.  That means I'll have to do it.  And I special-ordered 95-inch long drapes on Tuesday, and paid extra for two day shipping.  I was told they would arrive on Friday, but haven't seen them at all.  I've contacted the company, asking where they are, but haven't yet received a response.
  Wednesday I begin a three-week pet-sitting job - cats, chickens and fish, not to mention mail gathering and snow-shoveling, as needed.  I'll need to let the hens out about 8 every morning, and get them back into their coop before dark...  Feed them, gather eggs, check their feet and grease them, if needed.  The fish are actually hibernating, so I just need to make sure the pump is running in their pond.  The cats will be fed and loved, played with, and I'll clean their potty boxes.  The weather will decide whether I allow them out out not - I have no worries about Carter - he has a thick coat and plenty of body heat, but Zuza is tiny, with a thin, silky coat.  It'll be a judgement call...

Simmering Saturday

Whew!  Just returned from taking Christine to the Denver airport - it's warm, humid, and I drove through five different rain showers on  the way home. Maggie May, Tensington, and Haku  were glad to see me when I arrived at the Barrera house - I couldn't tell  about the fish. I spent time with Lovey, Nedi and Mocha this morning - loved and fed and played with all of them.  When I returned to Lucy's, she had left me "presents" both in the basement and the living room; and Terence had left me a note about them, he having left while I was gone. Arrived at Lynn's at 2, and had time to play with Dhisana, Lilly, Lyra and Tess before Christine was packed. Getting ready to feed Lucy dinner, then go over to the red kids' until 7:30, returning to feed the Thore critters, then Maggie May. From now through the 5th, I'll be running from house to house to house to house.....
Knowing I was going to be baking for  my bus drivers, I asked Darcie what she would prefer to have: brownies, cobbler, or Berry Uglies.  She said since she had never had Berry Uglies, she'd opt for them, and that she never turned down a cobbler, either.  So I guess I'll be making all three - brownies and Berry Uglies for the drivers, and cobbler and Berry Uglies for for Darcie's family. - It's fine with me - her kitchen is tremendously well equipped, so all I have to do is provide the makings for the goodies.
State rescue teams have been searching  Missouri Mountain, looking for a 53-year-old doctor and his 20 year-old daughter, who went missing during a hike on June 24.  Bodies matching their descriptions have been found 5,000 feet above the one of the trails there.  -  And another young woman slipped and fell off a trail yesterday, falling her her death. -  Why don't people use due caution?  I know I'm not immortal...