Spring is here!

Spring is finally here! The vernal pools are alive with lots of frog and salamander activity. Here is a wood frog Ale and I saw when visiting a vernal pool near the Quincy quarries. The season has been slow to arrive with few warm days and below average precipitation.

Below are several pictures of wood frog egg masses taken at a vernal pool in Wilson Mountain Reservation in Dedham.
























On an evening vernal pool at Brook Farm in West Roxbury we saw egg masses that may have been from blue spotted salamanders. We were not lucky enough to see an actual blue spotted sali, but we did get to see one with yellow spots. Isn't s/he cute?

Yellow spotted salamander eggs are amazing to see. They are beautiful and almost luminous. These photos were taken in the Blue Hills at various vernal pools.

I also saw a spring azure when walking with Carly, then another in the Blue Hills that was kind enough to pose for a few photos.

Last, but not least, Carly and I saw a pair of bluebirds in Canton. Here is half of the pair. The photo is a bit grainy because she was very far away, up on top of a broken tree limb.

Happy Spring, everyone!!