Vernal Pool #2
May 7, 2018, Emmons Preserve, Kennebunkport, ME
One week after I first searched Emmons Preserve for vernal pools, I headed over there after work to see how things were doing.
Originally, I had found two pools which had eggs of SPOTTED SALAMANDER. Both of the pools were on the Learning Trail and were both fairly close to the trail. The pool I call vernal pool #1 is fairly close to the river and is spanned by a small wooden bridge. The first time that I was there I had found one group of eggs in the pool. This time things had changed there were well over 8 groups of eggs in the pool. The original group of eggs was fairly hidden as they were now completely covered in algae. The others were much easier to find partially because some of them were slightly above the water level. It was clear since the last time that I was there one week ago that the water level had lower by a fair amount.
There mosquito larva was fierce in both pools. Even more so in vernal pool #2 but even vernal pool #1 had a fair amount. There was also a WATER BOATMAN (Corixidae). As I was leaving the area I found a large number of egg sacks on the other side of the bridge which I had missed before. All told there are at least a dozen groups of eggs.
The other pool, which I'm calling vernal pool #2 is on the same trail but much further into the property. I'm very curious about this one, as it was formed in the small hole left from a fallen EASTERN HEMLOCK. The first time I was there it was full of water, but this time the water level was much lower. Even more curious to me was that the egg groups had turned a deep brownish/red. They appeared to be almost solid because of their much darker color. I'm not sure if it had something to do with the fact they were older than the eggs at vernal pool #1, if it was because there was so little water, or if the tannins in the water somehow changed the color of the egg groups. I know that SPOTTED SALAMANDER and WOOD FROG eggs take in the water, so if the water was full of tannins it only makes sense to me that the eggs would be as well. I'm very curious to see what happens with vernal pool #2.
The mosquitoes in vernal pool #2 seemed some much more substantial in number. The pool is much smaller but even so the density of the mosquitoes was great. This video gives a sense of the amount of larvae present.
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