Ambystomids on the move

While the weathermen here in Detroit hemmed and hawed about the thunderstorms that hit the area Monday and yesterday, herpers like myself threw a party and broke out the Phil Collins, because you could feel it coming in the air last night. At 8:15 p.m., I left my home base with flashlight in hand, popped in the smooth jazz, and started off for my first locale. Fifteen minutes into the drive, rain started to hit the windshield. By the time I got on the back roads, it was a typhoon, much to my delight. After a few minutes on a dirt road, a giant Bullfrog appeared in the middle around 9 pm. Frogs such as Leopards, Greens, and more Bullfrogs caused me to go about 5 mph the last two miles. Once I saw those frogs, I knew that last night was the night. Upon reaching the salamander locale, I adorned by camcorder, camera, walking stick, and trusty headlamp. I got to the first vernal at about 9:35, and things started off with a bang. Wood Frogs and Peepers were calling left and right, and the first log I tipped had a Blue-spot under it. Only upon taking the blue-spot's picture did I realize that a 7.5" Spotted Sally was staring me in the face from atop the leaf litter. Another pool yielded two more Spotted in under twenty minutes, along with three red-backs and hoards of frogs. I got video and camera shots of it all, and managed to get home by midnight, spending less than 1.5 hours in the park. Needless to say, I am now on Tiger watch, as they may be in the pools today and tomorrow laying eggs after last night's migration. For now, put the Aaron Neville on and get ready to have fun here in the mitten, because it feels like rain.

That is awesome! I am still waiting for the migration here in Minnesota because there is still snow on the ground.

Good luck in the land of ten thousand lakes. Watch out for what's between da twos and da fours in Minnesota: da trees!