Broadwater Bay Ecotours

09/09/2022

“Woah, that’s a really big cobweb”. If that’s what you’re thinking, you’re not alone. They are showing up all around the park and the surrounding communities. However, this web-like mass has nothing to do with a spider.

Meet the Fall Webworm (Hyphantria cunea). At first glance, this can be mistaken for a similar creature, the Tent Caterpillar. Once you get a glance up close, you will be able to distinguish the two. The adult moth can grow up to ¾” with white wings, sometimes having black spots. In it’s larval (caterpillar) stage, they can be 1” long with two different color patterns: black head with yellowish bodies, or red head with a brown body.

Webworms spawn two generations annually. The first will come around in May, and the latter will show itself between August and October. This second generation is much larger and more evident. We are in prime time for that second generation.

They are not picky eaters at all. They have been found on over 100 species of host trees, anything from oaks and hickories to apples and mulberries. In the Virginia district, Rangers have spotted them primarily on cherry trees.

It looks like they are causing way more damage than they do. Their webs will consume many leaves and terminal buds, but only in relation to their size. It typically is not enough to impact the tree long term, and predators swing into action before they can grow too large.

At this point, most people ask what they can do if they see one. Well, we have established that biologically, these webworms are harmless, just existing as part of the ecosystem. On the flipside, they can be an eyesore. If you find a web mass growing on a tree at home, you can simply prune off the affected branch.

This specimen was spotted by Ranger Katie down in the Virginia District, on the Wildlife Loop. She likes to think of it as helping us wave goodbye to summer.

Image description: A large, webbed mass is engulfing a tree branch. Inside are small caterpillars crawling and feeding on leaves.
Text: K. Sloan
Photo: NPS Photo/K. Sloan

08/30/2022

After a two-year hiatus, the Eastern Shore Laboratory's Marine Life Day public open house is back! We hope that you'll join us.

Pre-register online at www.vims.edu/mld.

08/27/2022

08/19/2022

As you’re exploring the Virginia district of Assateague Island National Seashore you may notice that the squirrels seem a little… different.

Bigger, less agile, and frosty gray, Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrels (Sciurus niger cinereus) are actually a different species altogether from the Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) commonly found in the area. The fox squirrel’s range is small—not many are found in the Maryland district of the park!

This limited range can be blamed in part on habitat loss caused by our ever-changing human landscape. In 1967 the Delmarva fox squirrels were listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Between 1969 and 1971, USFWS released 30 squirrels in the woods surrounding Assateague Lighthouse. This and other successful reintroduction efforts led to the subspecies being removed from the endangered species list in November 2015. Today there are over 300 Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrels living on Assateague Island.

https://www.fws.gov/species/delmarva-peninsula-fox-squirrel-sciurus-niger-cinereus

Text: A. Durrant
Image description: A Delmarva Fox Squirrel sits on a tree branch.
Photo Credit: USFWS/Guy Willey

08/08/2022

There are plenty of jellyfish floating about in the waters surrounding Assateague Island! Have you ever seen the moon jelly with it’s distinctive “four-leaved clover shaped” internal organs?

Jellyfish have complicated life cycles that include both sexual and asexual reproduction. During one stage, the baby jellyfish—resembling small sea anemones—attach to hard surfaces and feed on critters they grab with their tentacles. It is not until the adult, or medusa, stage that our jellyfish friends become recognizable. Here is a cool link for more information: https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/jellyfish-lifecycle-and-reproduction

Moon jellies do sting, but it is uncommon for them to affect humans. Even so, for the safety of both you and the critter it is always best to leave wildlife alone.

Text by A. Durrant
Photo description: Moon jelly in the Coastal Bay waters at Assateague Island. (Photo credit T. Turnbaugh)

08/05/2022

Today we are featuring the Horseshoe Crab, Limulus polyphemus.

This arthropod’s name can be misleading as it is more closely related to spiders than to crabs, and its earliest ancestors lived more than 350 million years ago! These creatures are easily identifiable by their hard exoskeletons and long tails, called telsons. Females are typically bigger than males, and can grow to 2 feet long, and males can often be found hitching a ride to the back of females before she lays her eggs. Eggs are laid on coastal beaches in late spring and summer. These eggs are an important staple in the diets of other organisms including birds, turtles, and fish, classifying Horseshoe crabs as keystone species in the Delaware Bay. Horseshoe crabs can live up to 20 years, and don’t reach maturity until age 10. If you see one of these prehistoric critters on the beach they may look intimidating, but don’t worry, they are harmless!

08/04/2022

The Chesapeake Bay is visited by dozens of shark species each year, mostly in the warmer months.

07/30/2022

Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont and West Virginia have Monarch Butterflies as their official state insect. In the past 10 years, Monarch populations have declined between 22%-72%! One study estimates that their population has declined 85%-95% in the eastern US since the 1990s! It takes multiple generations of Monarchs to migrate from as far north as southern Canada to Mexico and back. Help this butterfly rebound by contributing one square foot of space in an outdoor pot or garden and planting milkweed.

Using acrylic and oil on extremely heavy canvas from military tents, I created “Danaus plexippus.” Let’s hope future generations are able to connect with and enjoy this beautiful insect!

07/17/2022

Specializing in the most unique garden decor! Shop our whimsical selection of wind spinners, garden statues, yard ornaments, copper bird baths, decorative bird houses, beautiful metal rain chains & wind chimes today!

07/12/2022

07/10/2022

Did you know the world's oldest and largest wildlife migration takes place in the Chesapeake Bay and on Maryland and Virginia's Atlantic coasts?

The annual spawning migration of horseshoe crabs is estimated to be about 350 million years old! Each year, thousands of horseshoe crabs emerge from the depths of the Bay to spawn along the shore. On average, one spawning female horseshoe crab will deposit 20,000 eggs into the sand. Horseshoe crab eggs are a natural part of the diet for migratory shorebirds preparing to return to their summer nesting grounds in northern Canada. Horseshoe crab larvae are also an important food staple for juvenile Atlantic loggerhead turtles, as well as striped bass, American eel, and flounder.

The migration might have ended this year, but the Maryland Department of Natural Resources stresses people should give them ample space as to not injure them.

📷: Tiffany Richardson

07/01/2022

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06/29/2022

06/29/2022

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05/11/2022

Oniscidae; You may have found them under a brick or a damp object. You may have felt disgusted and wondered why they exist in nature.
Well, let me tell you, these animals oniscidae, better known as cochineal, are a subgroup of isopod crustaceans whose function is to remove harmful heavy metals to the earth such as mercury, cadmium and lead. They contribute to the cleansing of the soil and groundwater and reaffirm the wisdom of nature.
Do not damage them or spray pesticides!

www.returntonow.net

05/03/2022

04/27/2022

03/21/2022

By Rachel Kester As the largest estuary in the United States, the Chesapeake Bay holds countless natural wonders, and behind its best-known species are many others you likely haven’t heard of.

03/17/2022

With a face only a mother could love, the Oyster Opsanus tau is a year-round resident of the Bay. It prefers oyster reefs, beds, and other shallow-bottom habitats, where it nestles in crannies or hollows a den to wait for its prey, which includes crabs, worms, shrimp, snails, clams, and small fish. Males emit a foghorn-like call to attract mates; both sexes grunt like a toad to fend off interlopers. Photo courtesy Diego Vaz.

03/17/2022

Yearly snapshots of tidal measurements and sea-level projections show geographic variability, offer localized guidance for stakeholders in 32 U.S. coastal localities.

03/11/2022

There are at least 12 species of sharks found in the Bay. Some are quite abundant, while others are very rare.

03/10/2022

The brown pelican is a year-round resident of areas near the Bay mouth and occurs baywide during summer. It preys on small fishes such as , , and silversides using spectacular plunge dives; expels up to 3 gallons of water from its expandable pouch before swallowing the captured fish whole. Populations have rebounded markedly following serious declines in 1950-60s from thinning of shells due to . The pictured behavior is thought to help individuals expel fishy debris from their pouch. occidentalis

03/03/2022

The BIC invites you to join in the exploration of Eastern Shore of Virginia traditions passed along over generations and to imagine new possibilities for our heritage.

02/24/2022

Dr. Richard Snyder, Director of the VIMS ESL, will provide a presentation on the basic biology and ecology of the bay scallop, the history of its fishery and aquaculture use, and current work with the species at the ESL. Registration required.

02/22/2022

02/21/2022

02/10/2022

Draw nigh, me hardies and take on board the tale of one who saved many a life at sea. Not all heroes of the sea are sailors. Many a life has been saved by men like Thomas Henry Orcutt, who was the Lighthouse Keeper at the Wood Island Light from 1886 to 1905 but there are those who consider his dog "Sailor", shown here ringing the big fog bell by pulling the clapper rope with his mouth, the real hero. Sailor became nationally famous and was much loved by the local mariners - who ensured he never lacked for a meaty bone. You see, no matter how thick the weather when "Sailor" heard a boat sounding its foghorn, he would ring the bell in answer to their call.