Egg Hunt

Day 105: What with having been sick last week, I wasn't sure if I'd be up to attending both sections of the training in identifying amphibian egg masses which was on the schedule for today. The lecture portion was a definite yes, but wading in a stormwater retention pond on a cold and possibly rainy January day was not something I wanted to commit to until the last minute. Fortunately, the weather was better than it had been all week and, while still chilly, it was forecast to be dry. I borrowed a pair of insulated chest waders and waded into the project with full scientific enthusiasm. By the time I emerged two hours later, I'd scored one Long-Toed Salamander egg and one aquatic red mite from the family Hydrachnidae. Most members of the group managed to find at least one salamander egg (Long-Toed Salamanders typically lay one egg at a time, as opposed to a cluster of eggs). Further up the pond, one team of four scored a large grouping of Red-Legged Frog eggs in a mass resembling a bunch of gelatinous grapes. As one person put it, "You can sure say you love your job when what you do on your day off is also what you do for a living." While I'm not likely to become an expert on local amphibians, I certainly know more about them this afternoon than I did at 7 AM.