Happy New Year!

Another year gone, and to start 2012, sunny and 40 degrees is not so bad, for January A full year of wildlife to blog about is coming.

Last Post of the year

If you noticed the new picture at the top of this blog, and have read my past few posts, you guessed it!
Mr. Muncher, my Male Black Swallowtail, hatched in early December. As i lay on my bed, i heard what sounded like paper crinkling above my head. I looked up at his cage hanging on my ceiling, and saw him breaking out of his brown chrysalis. He should have overwintered in his chrysalis, bu, being inside, he must have thought that spring had came early. That picture came from his first flight, indoors of course, where he circled the tree several times before landing on it. Simply amazing, considering that he stayed inside our house for the few cold days without power during a past storm. He seems to be laying what looks like eggs on the side of his mesh cage, but they are obviously unfertilized. I feed him a paper towel in a dish soaked with sugar water, and the occasion orange slice, which he seems to ignore. I carried him to our grandparent's house over vacation, not wanting to leave him alone. I have been inspired by this little creature and am ordering more for the spring, along with Monarchs and Tiger Swallowtails. You can too, just visit butterflyworkx.com/. Info on swallowtails and monarchs, just go to http://www.joyfulbutterfly.com/articles/blackswallowtailindoors.html or http://www.monarchwatch.org/rear/index.htm. All right readers. This has been a great year for Westport Wildlife, and I look forward to sharing the plans of the future wildlife garden at my home, in our THIRD year of blogging. I hope you had a wonderful year and that luck continues throughout 2012!
-Charlie Colasurdo

A Few Cool New Species to Close out the year...

Matilda's horned viper



World's Smallest Frogs

 African dwarf sawshark

Cyclops Shark

Mind-Control Fungus



Paleo Prizes

As promised, I have great pctures of the fossils won at the Paleo Bowl-

Amnonite Pair

Mosasaur Tooth

Trilobite

Yale Paleo Knowledge Bowl 2011

Hello all. I have some very exciting news, which also has to do with myself being MIA. My team of 2 other dino-savvy 4-6th graders and I have been studying for the annual Paleo Knowledge Bowl hosted at the Peabody Museum up in New Haven. My team was Based at the Wilton Public Library, under the teaching of Mr. Darrell Fennel, and his daughter, Katherine. The bowl was a series of questions, quite like a spelling bee, minus spelling. It started with a written exam, followed by 2 rounds where we spoke out our nswers. It all lead up to the final round, which we got into, and we won the entire bowl, beating another team by a mere 1 point. It felt really good, and I would like to personally thank the news blogs WestportNow, Patch, TheDailyWestport, and Dan Woog from 06880 for sharing this story. Anyway, we won some pretty cool stuff like...





This Shirt and Trophy (Cast Parasaurolophus Skull)

A Mosasaur (Giant Marine Reptile) Tooth

2 Ammonites (Nautilis-like Creature)

1 Trilobite (Arthropod)

A 1 year family membership

And best of all, a behind the scenes tour of the collections.

Pictures coming soon.

Mr. Muncher

I know what you think, what the heck is this? Well, for those who dont know butterflies, its is a Black Swallowtail, which I found eating a parsley plant last Sunday. He would have frozen if it was not in the safety of a warm living room. I set him up, and now he is changing, and fast. Here is what he used to look like, say... yesterday:

And this is what he will look like when he/she emerges from his cocoon:

Anyway, I will kepp you posted on how he develops.

Backyard Hawk

Sorry I have not posted in a while, busy with school and moving. But, I have  A beautiful picture of a hawk that should make up for it.

Day at the beach

Species found:
Blue Crab Male
Several Lady Crabs Male
Spider Crab Male
Asian Crab Female
Green Crab Female

Trip to Stony Brook

Crayfish

Salamander

Make Way for... Goslings?

Into The Nest

I was able to snap a few close-up photos of a robins' nest while the mother was away. Notice the unusual 5 eggs in the nest, it is almost always 4.

Turnpike Turkey Has a Family!!

These three toms were found courting and displaying for their fture mates, one of them probably Turnpike Turkey.