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| The Kokosing River at sunrise today, a very short distance from the vernal pool the amphibians will soon migrate en masse to. (Photo by Don Comis) |
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| This morning's view of the vernal pool that reduces snowmelt flow to the Kokosing while providing a safe spring nursery for amphibian eggs. (Photo by Don Comis) |
The great annual migration of spotted and other salamanders is close, I can just smell it in the air, literally.
I took a second trip to the vernal pool at Kenyon College early this morning. Rain was in the air and the temperature was 37 degrees Fahrenheit. A night or early morning rain at 40 degrees are two of three main conditions to stir the salamanders and other amphibians out of their muddy hibernation places.
But there was still snow and ice in and around the vernal pool. Until that melts, it's not going to happen, but when it melts, it won't be long.
Besides the benefits of getting up at 5:30 a.m., I got to see a skunk, hear a bunch of wild turkeys gobbling, see 8 to 13 deer, and get confronted by the local neighborhood watch mockingbird again--in that order.
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