Tadpole rescue 2010

There is a seasonal pond just east of Weston Cemetery that I mention occasionally. On Monday morning it dried up, leaving a lot of dead fish and still-living tadpoles. Judging from the tracks in the mud, it also left some happy raccoons. This story replays every year, and for some reason I cannot just let things be, but I have to try to rescue some of them.

This year it was a painful rescue. There were some tiny dead catfish in the mix, and about four times my fingers encountered their sharp little spines. Several hours later my fingers still hurt.

There was a good assortment of different sizes. I think most or all of them were frog tadpoles, and a few had begun to sprout tiny back legs. The toad tadpoles seem to have done well this year. I have several tiny toads in my lawn (I prefer them to my bunny, which is still here and getting bigger) and I try not to run them over when I mow. Anyway, I put my rescued polliwogs  into the creek in Brookside Park. They may all  just get washed down to the river and eaten. I hope a few will live to froghood.

Below is the pond several weeks ago when life was much better for the inhabitants.

This year a water plant was doing very well, so I decided to figure out what it is. I am pretty sure it is water plantain, or Alisma subcordatum. It has tiny little nondescript flowers.