Spring is in the Air, As Well as in the Water

Wow, talk about some atypically weather in and around the Sandy Hook Bay region. Most of the area just put up with the wettest March on record, with over 10 inches of rain drenching lots of coastal communities. Now we just finished  a record-breaking "mini" heat wave during the first full week of April.

Last Wednesday, the official high temperature was 92 degrees F in nearby New York City, with hordes of lower to mid 90 degree temperatures all along the Jersey Shore. April 7th was by far the hottest day so early in the spring season for normally sweater weather places from Boston (90) down to Atlantic City (91). It was an unbelievable warm spell that gave New York City a 90 degree day for, possibly, the first time ever in a year before many cities out west, like Phoenix, Arizona or Santa Fe, New Mexico.

(An adult male Spring Peeper calling loudly for a mate)

The sultry, longer days of early April must have been most welcome to many of the frogs, salamanders, toads, turtles, and snakes of the Jersey Shore after a dark, cold, and snowy winter season. Usually, the first warm-weather critters to be seen along the Jersey Shore during early spring are frogs and turtles. Howbeit, not right along the coast. Spring, as a rule, arrives a little more slowly right along the shore, because the cold ocean waters warm up only gradually, and the tides and winds off the ocean bring in chilly water and air temperatures.

During March and April I more often than not head to the woods to seek special signs of spring. My signs of spring inland are wood frogs and a chorus of peepers. Yet, I don't find these signs with explicit directions or a map. I use my ears.

(An adult Wood Frog)

Loud peeps, snaps, trills, snores, and other odd sounds tell me that different frogs are around the area. Though these sounds might be strange to people, they are mating calls for amphibians.

Taking advantage of the fine weather I headed out to search the woods for unpolluted ponds and vernal pools with some degree of amphibian or reptile action. It didn't take long to come across the loud shrill sounds of mating Spring Peepers near a small creek.  Spring peepers are small frogs that are less than 1 ¼ inches long, but with big voices One peeper alone sounds like a high-pitched whistle. When many male peepers are calling together, the sound can resemble a loud siren that can be heard up to a mile away.

(A Painted Turtle)

Later on, I saw my first basking turtles of the season, a group of Painted Turtles on a log in a small pond just west of Atlantic Highlands.  The turtles were trying to warm up the bodies after a cold winters nap buried in the mud.

The real thrill, however, was finding a nearby vernal pool that was teeming with noisy wood frogs. The wood frog’s breeding call resembled the feeding chuckle of a duck.

I will have to admit that of all the frogs to be found near the Jersey Shore, the Wood Frog is my favorite.  Perhaps it is because they tend to be so rare and the earliest breeding frog. Though I really think it is because that cool dark mask on its face around their eyes.

The vernal pool had many wood frog eggs and one egg mass even hanging from a branch about two feet over the water.  That evening, I also heard the sound of Green frogs and saw a muddy Bullfrog who obviously just woke up, and swarming bullfrog tadpoles. I even observed a Water Snake slithering around looking for its first meal of the season.

(A muddy adult Bullfrog)

The urge to start the next generation of frogs, turtles, and snakes turns every freshwater pond and pool into a singles bar. The mating calls of frogs are among the first natural sounds of spring. These sounds and sights represent an essential and enduring feature of the local natural environment that reminds us of the vigor of life and the hope for a new generation.

Unfortunately, many human induced problems threaten the long-term survival of many amphibians and reptiles that live near the Jersey Shore.  By far, water pollution and habitat loss are the two biggest issues. Wetlands, ponds, and vernal pools are diminishing while sprawling development of roads and buildings continue. Polluted runoff from development then pours into the minority of freshwater places left. Of course, water quality if irrelevant if a frog or turtle gets run over by a speeding vehicle on its way to a breeding pool.

(An adult Water Snake)

Amphibians and reptiles are getting harder to find near the Jersey Shore. This begs the question, what are we doing to protect them? It is critical that we do something soon to fully protect our few remaining vernal pools, ponds, and freshwater wetlands that are an important part of the ecology and character of the Jersey Shore.