After the end of May, my birding treks afield become more limited. It’s not that I tired of birding, but most of the migrants have already migrated through and settled into their breeding areas in Canada or areas to the north of the Times News region. Toss in the fact that I don’t like to disturb the nesting birds, which keeps me in my garden or orchard longer.

I still can’t resist the urge to explore some areas I may have overlooked earlier in the year. I may walk into that area knowing that I won’t see a new bird of the year, but maybe I’ll bump into a fox, coyote, bear or doe with her fawns.

On those trips, the curious side of me leads me to carefully flipping over some rocks or turning over a fallen tree trunk or rotting log. The heat of summer not only limits the lengths of some of my hikes, but it causes many “critters” to seek some protection from summer’s unrelenting and drying sun.

These damp, cooler spaces under these objects can reveal quite an array of small animals. I would ask you to exercise caution if you intend to lift a stone or two in an area of copperheads or timber rattlesnakes. I pick and choose my “spots” to nature snoop.

These rocks offer safe havens to salamanders, toads, some small snakes and many arthropods. I regularly find millipedes curled up here or usually a centipede or two.

This is a good time to remind you of course, that neither of these are insects. Adult insects have three body regions and six legs. Spiders and other arachnids such as ticks have two body regions and eight legs. Millipedes and centipedes are “overqualified.” Specifically, millipedes belong to order diplopoda. They have two pairs of legs on each of their numerous body regions.

Centipedes, belonging to order chilopoda, have one pair of legs per body region. Generally, millipedes have many more legs which are rather short and they move very slowly. Centipedes have long/longer legs and can quickly scurry away. Enough of biology class.

I’ve regularly found ringneck snakes, an occasional garter snake and toads seeking shelter here. Very often I find lead-backed and red-backed salamanders and a few times the less common spotted salamanders. If the stone was in or just next to one of my favorite mountain springs, red and dusky mountain salamanders have made my searching worthwhile.

Don’t rule out finding one of our smallest mammals, shrews, taking refuge here, too. Even though you may not necessarily find them, chipmunks and mice often leave a cache of acorns, seeds or the remains of them here, too.

Grubs, larva of beetles, and beetles themselves frequent the stone’s safer haven. Look for some spiders, ants and sometimes snails here. Whether vertebrate or invertebrate, cute or not so cute, many animals find the shelter of rocks to their liking.

No matter what your interest in nature is, just get out there and discover what is around us, obvious or not.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: True or False: The spotted lanternfly only has wings as an adult insect.

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: Hummingbirds do add gnats, small spiders, etc. to their diet to help them “bulk up” for their long migrations across the Gulf.

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.