August Wildlife Watching Questions

[Keith_E]

Hi I am planning a trip to the Pine Barrens this August and was wondering some things about the animals. First things first, where are the animals located in August, would they be hiding because of the heat? Which locations are good for finding animals and what animals might I find there? Any specific times of day better or worse for finding certain animals? Any information I can get is a huge help.
Thanks, Keith

 

[manumuskin]

August is very hot in the Barrens.This is an understatement.You'll find most critters in or near water.The cedar and maple swamps mostly.Most mammals like anywhere else are nocturnal and especially so in the heat of summer..Reptiles can be found anywhere but many also are nocturnal and hang out near water.Amphibians are pretty much tied to water and are nocturnal and many can be found by vocalizations.Birds happily for the most part are diurnal excepting owls and a few others.Birds and any animal you find out and about in the day will most likely be moving at Dawn and dusk when it's cooler.This is known as "crepuscular" activity.Now insects are out at all hours.Some of our not so pleasant inhabitants are Deer Flies,various species of Ticks,Chiggers,Mosquitoes,and Greenheads in the salt marshes and beaches.Also it's dragonfly and butterfly season and these do turn out in the heat of the day,moths at night.You'll hear cicadas mostly in the day or dusk and katydids are about to debut at night,in august they will be out in full force.Most common birds are Northern Towhees,Ovenbirds,Blue Jays,Crows,Chickadees,Juncos,various Warblers and Sparrows,in the wetter areas red Winged Blackbirds,Great Blue herons ,Green herons,etc. All in all if you want critters you'll do better near water at dawn and dusk.We have White tail Deer and lately a few introduced Black Bear.Also Coyotes commonly heard at night though seldom seen and Bobcat hardly ever seen.We have Rattlers ,very uncommon and Pine snakes more common and diurnal as a bonus.Fish species in the core barrens are limited.Pickerel in streams and lakes, bass in some lakes and sunnies in the blueholes,Tidal creeks have carp as well.What critters are you talking about specifically?

 

[Boyd]

If you aren't familiar with the Pines, then you should be aware that the ticks and chiggers are especially bad during August. Don't expect DEET based repellents like OFF to be particularly effective against them. Of course there are also plenty of mosquitoes and flies too.

I suggest that you treat your shoes, pants and socks with a permethrin based product - do a search on this site for more information. You will not find these at the local supermarket, you need to go somewhere like REI or Dick's Sporting goods. And you need to treat the clothes in advance, then let them dry - never spray it on yourself. Out in the woods, wear long pants and tuck them into your socks.

If you don't like the idea of doing this, then you really need to stay on roads and wide well-cleared trails. Even with treated clothes, avoid going through any high grass whenever possible.

 

[manumuskin]

Boyd speaks wisdom.You may run into critters you have no interest in
The Barrens hide their wildlife well insects excepting.The woods are generally so thick that spotting wildlife is a chance occasion.Like I said dawn and dusk are best,night is good too except that us humans don't see very well then.Also of course be quiet and walk slowly and try to find areas with a not as dense understory.We have a fairly good bird fauna but again the cover is so thick their hard to see this is why I try to learn as many bird songs and calls as I can so i know whats there weather I see it or not.Tell us what animals you after particularly and maybe I can give you specific sites.

 

[Keith_E]

I am mainly searching for the pine barrens tree frog, any sort of diurnal snake and the tiger salamander

 

[46er]

I am mainly searching for the pine barrens tree frog, any sort of diurnal snake and the tiger salamander

I guess you missed reading the sticky;

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/reminder-snake-den-locations.2042/

 

[dragoncjo]

PBTF are abundant, tiger salamanders are endangered and their locations are kept secret due to their sensitivity. Regarding snakes most people on here wont give out locations to find them, again given their rare or sensitive nature. Best bet is to put in some sweat equity and explore by trial and error, it will be more rewarding in the long run.

 

[manumuskin]

Well as Dragon and the sticky says I won't give out den locations on the web and that wouldn't do you any good in August anyway since the snakes are dispersed this time of year.All I can say is watch for them.Most pine snakes I"ve found I found because they run their mouths.The often will hiss loudly and threaten you before you even notice them.I"ve had them sell crap from twenty feet away.I generally walk over to them and say "Really"? I catch rattlers and you think your gonna punk me? Then Tigers,Your not going to find them in the Barrens.Their more down south here my way and their buried in the muck this time of year occasionally coming out on wet nights to hunt.If you find a breeding location you can catch them breeding in mid winter sometimes under ice or in summer dispersing from their ponds once grown or as tadpoles in spring and summer but once again your gonna have to come south.Now PBTF's I can help you with.They are quite literally all over the Barrens if you know what to listen for.There are wav and MP3 files online.I suggest listen to their calls and learn it well.maybe even put them on an ipod to carry with you.Now get in your vehicle at dusk and drive around Wharton or another area in the Barrens with a lot of swamps.Leave your winders down and forget about the skeeters.Leave your radio off and tell everyone to keep a lid on it.AS you drive through or past each wet spot listen for either single wonks or a chours of them.Together at a distance they sound similar to a flock of Canadian geese.Once you locate a mess of them you'll notice they call is spurts and different groups start and stop at different times.Everyone gets their chance to sound off.One group will often start another up and their reactions are amazingly quick.You'll often hear one wonk and quick as lightning another will answer like he was waiting for it.Now if you want to find them they are going to try to play a game with you.They will keep you circling all night if you let them.They are somewhat ventriloqual.Pick your frog or at least your group right off and stick with it.Do not let them distract you from group to gropu because as you approach they will shut up.If you stand still long enough the urge to sing will overcome them.You may have to stanbd stone still for ten minutes or longer but when they call again cup your ears with your hands and squat if you have to if their low (They can be quite high in the trees but their usually in or within a few feet of the water).Now twist your head back and forth and up and down till your wonker is blasting your ears off and then proceed cautiously and stop when he stops.Look for a surprisingly small object between and inch and two inches long and mainly bright green with some lavender on the side and orange underneath.Till you learn this trade it will take some time to locate your first one but with the ear cupping trick and practice you'll find wonkers in many spots.They are threatened but it's mostly habitat thats threatened.If you find a bunch in a suitable spot they can be quite numerous.On a side not most pines are all mouth.But I have run into a couple that will readily back up their mouth.Also if it rattles,don't step on it.

 

[Keith_E]

thanks for the info manumuskin, great help. As far as the snakes go I would rather not see one than have a poacher find them, hatred for people that needlessly kill those beautiful creatures

 

[manumuskin]

well the dens are the key.If they find those then they know where to go when they den up. The pine snakes are out in the heat of the day.If it's very hot look for them in the shade,in the morning and evening if it's cool they may bask in the sunlight.Listen more then anything.There is the hiss and i have caught many snakes by listening for the tell tale slither across dry leaves.Good way to catch turtles as well.They make a slower crackling sound.
Are you camping? Where are you from?

 

[Gibby]

Keith, don't be alarmed if you are in an area that is rarely visited by visitors and someone questions what your intentions are for that particular spot. Some of us are often deep in the pine forest monitoring and cataloging the flora and fauna. If we are suspicious our concerns will be raised. Don't be put off by this, we mean well and are just being protective

Have at it and be patient! The best advice I can give is take your time and don't hurry through an area. Walk a few steps and then look around...walk a few steps and then look around...

 

[Keith_E]

Gibby: I won't be alarmed, all for the better of nature! Manumuskin: I am probably camping and from Hawaii

 

[manumuskin]

Ever been to the Alakai swamp? Always been a dream trip of mine.That and the Na Pali sea caves

 

[Keith_E]

I have been, awesome location and the sun dew plants at Alakai are beautiful and unique. Hoping to see some of their continental relatives in the barrens. Sea caves are nice too, but the native plants have all but been replaced by introduced species at lower elevations like the Na Pali coast. The rare native plants are all found at higher elevation spots like the Alakai swamp

 

[manumuskin]

I"m a caver so I"m into the caves for the caves but yes I have heard about the devastation wreaked on Hawaii's flora and fauna by the advent of the White man.We brought our own critters that mangled the critters brought by the Polynesians.I understand James Cook brought skeeters in casks of drinking water? Thats ashame.There went paradise.

 

[Keith_E]

yeah thats how the mosquitos showed up, they spread avian malaria and its killed off way to many of the native birds. Hey, if your into caves you should check out lava tubes that have dried out. While there aren't any on the older islands due to natural erosion, you can find them on the more recent islands. Previously they were used as burials by the ancients so some can be quite spooky

 

[NJChileHead]

Keith E, you mentioned sundews above. There are lots of sundews in the wetlands, as well as pitcher plants and bladderworts. The spatulate leaved sundew (Drosera intermedia) grows in mucky areas, sometimes nearly in standing water. Look closely in sphagnum moss for the round-leaved sundew (D. rotundifolia), which are very pretty but I find them on average not to be as 'dewy' as the spatulate-leaved. In sunny spots they can be very dewy and quite beautiful. The thread-leaved sundew (D. filiformis) actually grows in areas that are sandier and a bit drier than the other two. I find that if I can locate the other two species, I have to look just a few feet upland to find the thread-leaved. They are really nice when they are flowering.

The sarracenia probably won't be flowering when you get here, but the flowers are really cool. We used to call them 'dumbwatches' when I was a kid, because they look like a clock with no hands. I've read that the height of the flower stalk is so they don't catch their own pollinators. The only species of Sarracenia that we have here are the purple pitchers. They are quite common in wetlands, and can be varied in their venation. A nice bonus to finding these carnivorous plants is that there are often beautiful orchids and swamp wildflowers around too. There are some really stunning savannahs in the Pine Barrens. When the Utricularia are flowering, it really is a field of colors. As others have mentioned, please respect the sensitivity of the species and their habitat. Welcome, and enjoy your stay!

Mark

 

[manumuskin]

I believe the longest linear cave on earth is on the Big Island.It is of course a lava tube and I believe is over twenty miles long straight down the side of Mauna Loa.I forget the name of it.Of course there are many limestone caves that are much longer in distance Mammoth/Flint/Joppa/Toohey Ridge system being the longest at over 350 miles now but from point to point the cave on Big Island is longer.I've been in some scary caves but never a spooky one.As a kid we used to play in the graveyard at night to challenge each other to see if we were wusses.I remember being scared at first and when not immediately accosted by the spirits of the dead I got over it.Haven't seen much spooky since then.

 

[Keith_E]

it would be good to get back in-touch with your spooky side. P.S. I've hiked to the summit of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the big island, very unique ecosystems up there. Mark: thanks for the sundew information, my trip will hopefully be a sucecess