The Greenbelt crew is heading out for a walk to this lovely vernal pond at Tompson Street Reservation. See us all searching for some of our not so furry friends.
The above grouping of three precious photographs were taken by Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team volunteer Sandy Barry.

Spotted salamander and Wood frog egg masses

Always a treat finding egg masses...but we found something extra special. In the fish bowl for examination by our field trippers are three types of eggs. Spotted salamanders lay two types of masses. One is a very cloudy white in the back of the bowl (above photograph), and occurs in about twenty percent of egg masses -- and no one knows why! In front of that are the large black circles of eggs which are also Spotted salamander eggs -- the other eighty percent which aren't cloudy . Up to the right in the photograph above are smaller black spots which are Wood frog egg masses.  Very cool to see and compare the eggs.

Photograph taken by Sandy Barry

Two Spotted salamanders

Very cool Spotted salamander photograph taken
by Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team volunteer Cindy Dunn