A toast to Deb Palmer, June 12th, 2010

Nest Visit, June 12th, 2010 at NCTC

Wood Frogs, from egg mass to frog! Spring 2010

We rescued the egg mass on March 20th from a drying up puddle in the field. Most of the eggs were released to a pond, but we kept some to watch them grow up!
Although they were all from the same egg mass, they grew at very different rates. From little tiny slivers, to bigger, to developing rear legs, then front legs, then finally, FROG! And not even as large as a pinky fingernail!
Once they develop the front legs, the tails start to absorb, they stop eating, and within 5 days, they are out of the water, breathing air, and hungry! We released them back into the woods at that point, to live out natural lives.
The last ones were released 2 weeks ago, however, in some of these pictures you'll see a very, very tiny taddie. We call him "Dinky". HE is still with us, getting bigger all the time, but not yet developing legs. He will ultimately go to Irvine Nature Center, where my friend Tracey is in charge of native animal care and display!
Wood Frogs "freeze", an amazing feat...http://animal-facts-trivia.blogspot.com/2008/09/wood-frogs-freeze-thaw-back-to-life.html

Bluebirds, part 2

Taken 5/5, 5/10 and 5/15/10, the latter being the last safe time to view the babies without fear of frightening into fledging too soon.

Slugs mating, summer of 2009

Two slugs, ready for mating, will crawl to a ledge and create a "slime" rope which they then crawl down.
Once hanging freely, the sex organs (slugs are hermaphrodites) are extended and then entwined so that sperm may be exchanged.

When the mating has been completed, one slug drops to the ground, the other climbs the slime, and they go their separate ways to lay eggs.
Pretty, huh?

wet raccoon?