Berry Springs Preserve Herps of Texas report, 20Jan2018

After bitterly cold temperatures days earlier in the week, the weather had thankfully moderated a bit for the 10 people who came out to check on the frogs and toads at Berry Springs Preserve for the first time in 2018.
No amphibians were calling while we were there. Several of us noticed Blanchard's Cricket Frogs jumping from the pond banks into the water, but none of us were able to get a photo. Several tadpoles were seen, and two were briefly captured, allowing us to get some photos - at this point, we're thinking that they were Rio Grande Leopard Frog tadpoles.
A Great Horned Owl was heard calling from the slough area after dark. For the last portion of the monitoring period, we checked out the beaver's bank lodge (built over the hole in the bank that we had seen last month) from the spring deck peninsula. Mike told us that he has seen two beavers working on the lodge with his game camera. Maybe we will have baby beavers in a couple of months ?
The monitoring period was 17:55 - 19:10.
Participants were Kathy, Amy & Mike, Christie, Tonja, Mike, Sondra, Randy & Sandra, and Don (welcome !).
Environmental conditions at the main pond at sunset:

• Air temperature = 63.7 deg F
• Water temperature = 65.3 deg F
• Sky = Mostly cloudy
• Water level = Average
• Relative humidity at sunset = 57 %

Publicado el enero 21, 2018 06:04 TARDE por k_mccormack