Early April Garters and More at Maumee Bay State Park

It was a bit cool and overcast at Maumee Bay State Park.

Trumpeter Swans were seen in the bay. In 1996, Ohio became one of a number of states involved in reintroduction plans to restore them to the Midwest.

A Leopard Frog with a large number of small spots.

A Leopard Frog with a small number of large spots.

This American Bullfrog was missing its front foot, but otherwise seemed healthy.

Leopard Frogs outnumber Green Frogs by far at Maumee Bay, but I did find this example.

Ground Beetles are primarily nocturnal and in the daytime hide under rocks, logs and loose bark.

The little red fruiting structure of the lichens resemble the red hats worn by invading British troops during the American Revolutionary War; they give British Soldier Lichen its common name.

This Eastern Garter Snake showed up at the door of our cottage - it was the first snake of the trip.

A group of Double-crested Cormorants.

This Northern Water Snake was seen basking t the edge of a pond.

A Midland Painted Turtle with some debris on its back.

An "in situ" Eastern Garter Snake with a faded dorsal stripe.

Scenic herp habitat.

A cool looking Eastern Garter Snake with a reduced dorsal stripe and flecks of sky blue.

Bee Mimic Flies seem to like me.

A juvenile Melanistic Eastern Garter Snake that I found along a hiking trail.

I saw my first-ever Blue-winged Teal on the trip.

It was fantastic to find a few Blue-spotted Salamanders.

An Eastern Garter Snake sporting a bit of orange.

A young Melanistic Eastern Garter Snake with a fair amount of white on its face.

This nice looking adult Melanistic Eastern Garter Snake was also found on the trip.

A Northern Water Snake retaining a fair amount of its juvenile pattern.

Maumee Bay herp habitat.

Butler’s Garter Snakes prefer moist meadows, marshes and lake edges. They subsist on a diet of mainly earthworms, but they may also eat leeches, salamanders and frogs.

Flea Beetles are named because they supposedly jump around (like fleas) when they’re disturbed.

An "in situ" Eastern Garter Snake.

Unlike Ohio’s other woodpeckers, Northern Flickers spend a lot of time on the ground hunting for ants and beetles, digging for them with their unusual, slightly curved bill.

The Western Chorus Frog’s call resembles the sound made by rubbing one’s finger over the teeth of a hard plastic comb; a long cr-e-e-e-e-e-k..

Close-up of a Midland Painted Turtle.

Dekay's Brown Snakes are usually less than a foot long and mainly eat earthworms.

A weird looking fly.

Although essentially aquatic, the Blanding’s Turtle often wanders about on land, but seldom far from water.

It was a great trip to the northwest part of the Buckeye State!