April flew by and although the weather here in Northwestern Connecticut was not always great, there were some pretty cool things I found.
Discovery #1
While this discovery is rather expected each spring, I still love finding frog and salamander eggs.
Going to a nearby vernal pool is a great way to find some amphibian activity.
Frog eggs, like the ones pictured here, are circular while salamander eggs are usually clumped together in one jelly mass.
Discovery #2
This spring it seemed like billions of springtails were out, covering rocks and leaves in the forest. With just your naked eye, they just look like tiny jumping black flecks, but my macro-lens exposed their true shape, something I had not seen before!
The collembola species has many subspecies and can be found all over the world. They play a very important role in the ecosystem by spreading fungi spores and aiding in plant-fungi mycorrhizal symbiosis.
Discovery #3
A pair of Peregrine Falcons soaring off some cliffs while we were on a hike in New York. The pair were there for nearly an hour and a friend suggested that they might be in a mating display since they often chase each other while mating.
Discovery #4
On that same hike as the Peregrine Falcons, we also discovered a full deer skeleton! The area we were hiking in suffered from a huge wind storm and the deer appeared to be trapped under a fallen tree at the bottom of some very steep cliffs. Although it was tempting to take home the antlers, we took only pictures and left our discovery untouched so others can see!
Discovery #5
Beavers! Although we see beavers every year, Richard and I have seen more beaver activity around the area that we live in that usual. Beavers are incredible animals with even cooler adaptations, watch the video to learn more.
Those were my top 5 discoveries during the month of April. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for updates. Thanks for reading!
Keep Exploring,
Hannah
Wild and Growing
#wildandgrowing #beavers #skeletons #Connecticut #springtails #birdsofprey #peregrinefalcons #amphibians #frogeggs #getoutandexplore #gohike #explore #gohike #nature #photography #naturelover #youtube #blog #natureblog #outdooreducation #natureisourclassroom #forestschool #homeschooloutdoors #montessorioutdoors
