Finally Back to Berry Springs

This evening I headed to Berry Springs for the monthly Amphibian Watch. We've been absent for most of the summer and I needed to be out in the park. There are plans to put a sewer line through here. It breaks my heart that development is more important than one small park.

Whatever.

The water was high and the flow over the dam making enough noise to drown out some calls. It was wonderful to see the creek and pond full as the last time I was here (August 18) I walked across a dry creek bed and on the pond bottom that was very dry save for some few large "puddles." There was some small flow from one to another where we found amphibians, but it was pretty dismal.

A number of park regulars were in the park when I arrived and updated us on what they have seen since the rains. Then we headed out to look for the hoppers. The Rio Grande Leopard frogs were in good voice. I attempted a number of recordings, but only managed these two relatively poor ones. Talking, camp noises, highway sounds and such interfere, but there are still some "purrs" and other vocalization from the RGLF. We got photos of one bullfrog after the watch was over. A number of bullfrogs were spotted, but the frogs startled before photos could be taken. KM and I went back to one of the ponds to check "just one more time" before leaving the park and we were rewarded with an odd glowing face of a large American Bullfrog. Earlier we had observed numbers of large bullfrog tadpoles.

We also saw an Western Narrow-mouthed toad, caught near a wet-weather pond area near the parking lot where they have been heard and seen before.

It was a surprisingly good evening after the odd weather we have had.

Some blooming plants were also noted - Mock Vervain, Waterwillow, and Hempvine - also common in the park, but refreshed by the recent rains.

Publicado el octubre 21, 2018 05:14 MAÑANA por alflinn329