I set out Sunday afternoon with the intent of finding northern two-lined salamanders. I know a paricular place nearby that tends to have them (just as I have a seperate place for finding the spring peepers, and another place for leopard frogs). I succeeded. I saw at least a half dozen juveniles and one or two adults. I caught two for photos later.

Here's a photo of another juvie in the field, they're a brook-dwelling species that doesn't get very big. They mature into yet another lungless species.


I also spotted a bizarre American robin. It had a white mask, I've never seen one like it before:


and I overturned a log to find some lemon ants tending to their aphids, or what I think are aphids:


I caught a dragonfly nymph as well. Pics will come later along with more of the salamanders. Right now I need some sleep

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"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

nice! that robin is weird... never seen anything like that, wonder how the mask came about. Do you think it's something we'll see more of or just a fluke?

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Awesome Matt...

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MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

Thats amazing! I have never seen any robin like that. Nice pics.

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That robin is weird....never seen one like that around here... we have had one poor guy hanging out just praying for some warmer weather....hopefully this week....

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Very cool, Matt! I agree that the robin is really bizarre! And I didn't know there was really a type of ant called lemon ants -- we have some in our yard that I have called "lemon ants" because they smell like lemon Pledge when I accidentally unearth their nests in the garden. I guess maybe they really are lemon ants, lol!

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Amy

I've no idea. Probably a fluke. Maybe he's a hybrid. He looks fine and healthy, and behavior was normal, he just has the mask.


Haha, well do they look similar? They're also known as citronella ants. I think they get the names from their odor, so you could be on to something It turns out they're not farming aphids though, they're farming mealybugs, which are very similar.

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"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

I have seen tons of robins around here lately and they looked so cold and sad cause when they arrived we had an ice storm after some warm weahter...so they were pretty sad and all in the road trying to find some clean areas to look for worms I guess. It is funny cause tomorrow we are supposed to get 79 degrees lol...very strange weather. Today I am freezing too! So I will be glad to get warm again.

Very cool pics!

Awesome pics!

My friend told me today she spotted a robin like that. Pretty weird.

I guess they look similar, Matt. To me, ants are...well, ants! They did smell like lemon pledge, and yes, like citronella, too, now that I think about it. I'll try to pay more attention next time I find some.

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Amy