A few images from the 11 acres of prime swampland I bought in Huron County, from top to bottom.
* A mud minnow trapped (and released) from teh big swamp at the back. About 3 inches long, they apparently are not decisively predatory on amphibian eggs and larvae, as numerous frogs and some salamanders share this swamp.
* Among the frogs are Wood Frogs, shown here in amplexus (March 19) in a spot in the big swamp. The males cluck out their breeding call and when a female responds he climbs onto her back in an hours-long embrace, helping to squeeze the eggs out of her and fertilizing them with his milt when they emerge.
* A group of Wood Frogs in breeding frenzy. I tried to load the video I took of this - simply amazing! - but it wouldn't fit on the blog page.
* The mossy long oon which i sat while watching the Wood Frog lovefest.
* A skunk Cabbage bloom
* Tiger Salamander egss - the second record found in Huron County!