Vernal Pool #3

May 14, 2018, Emmons Preserve, Kennebunkport, ME

For the third week in a row I have stopped by Emmons Preserve in Kennebunkport to check on the two vernal pools which I found there. Here are the links to my first and second reports. I got there just after 3:00pm. The weather was sunny and around 65f.

When I got to the first pool the first thing I noticed was that there was hardly any water at all. To be clear where there had been a large pool the first visit and a smaller pool the second, now there was a muddy spot under the bridge which had some water in it and that was it. I was able to count 14 groups of eggs and every one of them was out of the water. I don't know much about vernal pools or SPOTTED SALAMANDERS, but I'm guessing that without some water coming back into the situation quickly none of these eggs will be viable.

The little bit of water that was left, was packed full of mosquitoes. They were everywhere. I was able to find two groups of eggs under the bridge which were still in water but they were the only two. All of the rest were wet but now of them were in water.

The second pool was unchanged the eggs were all brownish/red and in mud. There was less water at the second location than last week but all of the eggs were in some water. But really it was closer to mud with some water than a pool.

It is my guess that these pools aren't going to produce any SPOTTED SALAMANDERS, but I figure that I'll check the pools one more time next week.

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Posted on 15 de maio de 2018, 01:28 AM by