Amphibian Migrations

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Just back from checking the nursery after last night's storm. Heavy rains pounded us and at about 3 AM there was lights and noise from a giant t-storm that sent Karl the Wonder Dog into serious dog frenzy. The Winooski River is up four feet since last night and the small brooks are all over their banks and into farm fields. I knew it was wet this morning when I opened the back door and there was a woods frog sitting on the top step and the ground was covered with night crawlers and worms.

We have been waiting for spring rains to arrive and melt the snow that remains +6 feet deep on Mt Mansfield and 3-4 feet deep here in Marshfield. This has been an unusual spring and the temperatures have been colder than in previous years. The sight of the frog this morning reminded me of the year 2007 when Gail and I attended a program at the community center on amphibian monitoring for salamanders and frogs. I wrote about it on the Vermont Gardens blog that I used to write parallel to The Vermont Gardener. Take a look at what I wrote back then as we first learned about spotted salamanders like the one pictured above. Maybe tonight we can get out on a couple back roads and get a sense of how healthy the amphibian population is this year. Check out the North Branch Nature Center and view the pictures under the Nature News section. The "Big Night" in Central Vermont was Monday night for the lower elevations around Montpelier but I'll put my money on tonight in this part of Vermont as snow pack is still heavy in the woods and some amphibians are probably in that suspended state that only a woods frog with a personal supply of frog anti-freeze experiences. Very interesting animals!

Gotta scoot! Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where Karl the Wonder Dog wants to go for yet another walk. He loves the smells and sounds of spring!

George Africa
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Spotted Salamander Search

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Quit a day in Vermont as rivers rose above their banks after heavy rains that started yesterday afternoon. Banks along the Winooski River in Waterbury where I work necessitated evacuation of a parking lot. Fields along the river in Middlesex were covered the entire distance to Route 2 and the river road on the opposite bank was under water in places. Here in Marshfield the walk to the new Martin Covered Bridge was under water as were surrounding fields. We were fortunate that the thick ice broke up in early winter when another "spring" came and left.

Tonight I wanted to go looking for amphibians knowing that all the rain would wake them from their forest hiding places. The rain finally stopped and the temperature dropped and now at 36 degrees it's just too cold to think about going tonight. Amphibians, like aging gardeners, don't move quickly in cold weather.

These pictures of spotted salamanders are from two years ago. I usually put some wet moss in a couple dish pans and then take a couple wide beam flashlights. Any salamanders in the road I move along to safety and those that look like size records go into the pans until I can measure or photograph them. Soon the weather will warm and the migrations will be obvious. In the meantime, take a look at the North Branch Nature Center site and check out your neighborhood if you get a chance. Understanding what grows in your backyard is as important as growing flowers and vegetables.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the rain is now silent and the streams will have a chance to slow over night.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
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