Mike McGlathery
Hello everyone!
We’re entering the first week of April, and the massive ecological gears of spring are beginning to turn. Some early spring activity is already underway, but relative to the explosion of life to come, this is still the calm before the storm.
📸 To continue our celebration of vernal pools and the organisms that inhabit them, here’s a water mite (Infraorder Hydrachnidia) that Claire spotted on one of our vernal pool field sessions. These mites are tiny predators that belong to a diverse group of arthropods inhabiting the floors of vernal pools and other bodies of water.
EwA iNaturalist Record (© Claire O’Neill · Massachusetts · April 2022)
One species that takes a keen interest in the spring increase of arthropod activity is the Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe), which feeds largely on flying insects. These birds and their relations can be easy to spot by observing their habit of catching food on the wing and returning to a distinct perch, like the one shown in this picture by Jennifer.
EwA iNaturalist Record (© Jennifer Clifford · Medford, MA · Mar. 28, 2022)
Spring is coming slowly but surely, and that’s starting to become visible in the phenology of our local plants. While relatively few plants have flowered or leafed out as of yet, there is some distinct early spring activity, such as the flowering of this red maple (Acer rubrum) that Bill captured yesterday.
EwA iNaturalist Record (© Bill Macindewar · Medford, MA · Apr. 2, 2022)
📊 Thanks to everyone for your great biodiversity records this past week, totaling 239 observations of 146 distinct species. If you’re curious about the records from this week that have been validated by the iNat community so far, you can find them » here.
🏆 Running tally: To date, we have recorded 97,222 observations of 7,665 distinct species! Check out our EwA umbrella project, see the details per site/observer, and more » here.
📅 EwA Upcoming Public Events
Ewa Field Events » Check the EwA Spring Program [ Event details and registration » ] Don’t miss some great opportunities to follow the rhythm of the season in our local habitats and in the local wildlife! Space is limited for all our field events. Wildlife ethics is important to us and we seek to avoid putting the pressure on natural habitats which large gatherings unavoidably do. We are asking our audience to register-and-commit (or cancel when you know you can’t come) to avoid no-shows.
EwA Fieldwork (and Resources)
Spring schedule: We are picking up the monitoring pace, and moving from a monthly to every other week monitoring at all sites. Check EwA’s Volunteer Program Calendar 📅 to know when things happen. And if a session is of interest to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to get the rendezvous location.
📅 EwA Sites Map | 🌱 Site Protocols and Guides · Field Rosters · Field Notes » All here! | ℹ️ More about EwA’s Citizen Science Program » Here
❓ Do you have any questions? Don’t be shy. Just email me or reply to this thread.
That’s it for this week—until next time!
-Mike