Berry Springs Preserve Herps of Texas report, 25Mar2023
In spite of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there was a small group outing to Berry Springs Park and Preserve again this month.
Three amphibian species were observed in the main ponds, sloughs, and ditch in the pecan orchard (Rio Grande Leopard Frog at CI = 2, Blanchard's Cricket Frog at CI = 3, and Gulf Coast Toad at CI = 1). Amy got a recording of the latter, and I heard it, but I didn't get a recording.
According to the USGS gauge station at Berry Creek at Airport Road near Georgetown, TX (https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/08105095/#parameterCode=00065&period=P7D), there had been 1.25 inches of rain since the last monitoring event, but only 0.16 inches in the last four days. The ponds and sloughs were full, and water was running over the main dam.
The monitoring period was 19:45 - 21:00.
There were about 60 Redhead on the main ponds, we saw two Yellow-crowned Night Herons, a Great Egret, and bats flying over the ponds at sunset, and heard a Barred Owl after sunset. Numerous large, chubby tadpoles were also seen in the ponds and sloughs - hopefully, they'll all turn into Rio Grande Leopard Frogs and not American Bullfrogs.
Participants were Kathy, Christie, Carolyn, and Amy.
Environmental conditions at the main ponds at sunset:
Air temperature = 61.0 deg F
Water temperature = 67.9 deg F
Sky = no/few clouds
Water level = average
Relative humidity = 41 %
