I saw a big migrating salamander!
I went out in the rain last night, 9pm, 3/10/09, and looked around woods near my house (mid-Michigan, near Lansing). 45degF. It was 50F in day. I waded and searched by the shore of a couple vernal ponds. There's also a bog I could check sometime.
I saw a 7" Jefferson as I was tromping along a trail about 200 feet uphill from water.
He was going pretty fast. I had been searching for a half hour before spotting him. What a thrill!
A little while later I noticed 2 small Jeffersons and a wood frog sitting near a tree about 50 feet away from water. They were all just perched there, doing nothing. Pretty cute, though.
Later on I saw a worm scootching along under some leaves. I noticed him while walking along.
That's it!
Someday it would be great to see a bunch of Tigers or Spotteds, with their yellow colors and hugeness.
It's interesting that it's pretty easy to see living things at night in the rain.
I was using both a headlamp and a handlight. The combo seemed good, like it reduced shadows. After my superbright handlight battery died I didn't see any more critters so who knows maybe using the right lights really helps detection.
It's supposed to get real cold again tonight, 15degF.
I went out in the rain last night, 9pm, 3/10/09, and looked around woods near my house (mid-Michigan, near Lansing). 45degF. It was 50F in day. I waded and searched by the shore of a couple vernal ponds. There's also a bog I could check sometime.
I saw a 7" Jefferson as I was tromping along a trail about 200 feet uphill from water.
He was going pretty fast. I had been searching for a half hour before spotting him. What a thrill!
A little while later I noticed 2 small Jeffersons and a wood frog sitting near a tree about 50 feet away from water. They were all just perched there, doing nothing. Pretty cute, though.
Later on I saw a worm scootching along under some leaves. I noticed him while walking along.
That's it!
Someday it would be great to see a bunch of Tigers or Spotteds, with their yellow colors and hugeness.
It's interesting that it's pretty easy to see living things at night in the rain.
I was using both a headlamp and a handlight. The combo seemed good, like it reduced shadows. After my superbright handlight battery died I didn't see any more critters so who knows maybe using the right lights really helps detection.
It's supposed to get real cold again tonight, 15degF.
