View allAll Photos Tagged hammonassetstatepark
Strings of these littered the wrack. To imagine... a snail laid these! I still cannot get over how big the whelks are on this coast. For my west coast friends, think: Conch (another common name for the giant marine snails in these parts)
MEGA* First CT record, if eventually accepted by ARCC. Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison, Connecticut, USA. 23 November 2019. © Frank Mantlik
Male feeding in shallow rainpool. Hammonasett SP, Madison, Connecticut, USA. 13 May 2020. © Frank Mantlik
Rosehips? They looked a bit small, but there were definitely thorns along the stems!
Taken during a CT Flickr Meetup.
And HBW - a bit early!!
In general I'm not a fan of thorns - but this native vine is great for wildlife:
Faunal Associations: The insect visitors of the flowers are probably similar to those of Smilax hispida (Bristly Greenbrier) as they have very similar flowers. Thus, likely floral visitors of Round-Leaved Greenbrier include Halictid bees, Andrenid bees, cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), Syrphid flies, and other flies. The flowers offer nectar as a floral reward to such visitors; the male flowers also offer pollen. Other insects feed on the foliage of woody Smilax spp. (Greenbriers). These insect feeders include the leaf beetle Pachyonychus paradoxus, the aphid Neoprociphilus aceris, the thrips Ctenothrips bridwelli, and larvae of the following moths: Acrolepiopsis heppneri, Acrolepiopsis incertella, Phosphila miselioides (Spotted Phosphila), Phosphila turbulenta (Turbulent Phosphila), and Phyprosopus callitrichoides (Curve-Lined Owlet). Both upland gamebirds and fructivorous songbirds feed on the berries of Smilax spp. These bird species include the Ruffed Grouse, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, American Crow, Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Bluebird, and White-Throated Sparrow (see the Bird Table for a more complete listing of these species). Such mammals as the Opossum, Raccoon, Gray Squirrel, and Fox Squirrel also feed on the berries occasionally. Other mammals browse on the woody stems, leaves, and young shoots of these vines. This includes the Beaver, Cottontail Rabbit, and especially the White-Tailed Deer; it also includes cattle and other domesticated livestock. Round-Leaved Greenbrier and similar species provide protective cover for many birds and small mammals. - www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/rl_greenbrier.html
Taken at Hammonasset State Park on an outing with my camera club
Hammonasset Beach S.P., Madison, Connecticut, USA. 24 February 2020. 12th CT record. © Frank Mantlik
Photos of mollusks at Hammonasset State Park on 10/19. East of the popular beaches is the rocky walk to Meig's Point, with the waters of Long Island Sound on one side and marsh on the other side. The 3rd photo shows the scene where I found all these mollusks. At first I thought they were empty shells left by seagulls, but a closer look showed these shells were still inhabited by living creatures. Last photo shows human disturbance of the area.
We are so lucky to live near wonderful state parks like this!
...the world's smallest wind section is performing.
Tubularia grow amongst the read beard sponge. So many tubes and nooks and crannies... If you were small enough I imagine it would sound like a symphony with the wind blowing through.
I'd never seen horses on this part of the shoreline. Pretty rocky at Meigs Point, but they did fine.
MEGA* First CT record, if eventually accepted by ARCC. Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison, Connecticut, USA. 23 November 2019. © Frank Mantlik
MEGA* First CT record, if eventually accepted by ARCC. Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison, Connecticut, USA. 23 November 2019. © Frank Mantlik
Stalking prey in marsh grasses. Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison, Connecticut, USA. 22 April 2019. © Frank Mantlik
Hammonasset State Park, Connecticut, USA.
I've only just noticed the island out there ...
My photo appears in this article -