Salamander Hunt

Last night there was an impromptu walk to visit the Grafton Ponds vernal pools in search of salamanders. With warm temperatures and rain in the forecast on the night with a nearly full moon, it was the perfect time for the salamanders to be on the move. Unfortunately, they weren't checking their emails. So five of us wandered around the area in the dark with our flashlights looking for the creatures that were probably tucked up at home with a nice book in front of the fireplace.
But while it wasn't the salamander-paloosa that we hoped for, we did have a few great sightings. The best, by far, was this Mabee's Salamander. In fact, it was the only salamander seen.

We saw a lot of aquatic insects. That surprised us. I, at least, was expecting that most of the insects would be hibernating or otherwise inactive. Especially since most of the pools were still ice-covered. We also saw a handful of frogs. Like this Southern Leopard Frog.

For our next trip I think several of us will be getting much brighter lights.