Watch where you step- Herps on the move

So it is official. Spring is here! Birds are singing and the herps are moving again. Just a little ways south of Guelph some fellow herp enthusiasts and I found a good spot of vernal pools. On our way there we stopped in a farmers field and listened to American Woodcocks doing their aerial mating dance.

As we arrive at the vernal pools, I start scanning the waters edge and yes just there out of the corner of my light is a blue spotted salamander. Further searching I find spotted salamanders that look like someone painted bright yellow on them. These first few finds were in water deeper than my boots and swam out of reach fairly quickly.  Moving on around the edge our group had surrounded a spring peeper calling photogenically from a branch.

Spring peeper

Look at those sticky toe pads

 Further around the pool in a shallower section we discovered many more spotted salamanders in the water and along the edge of the pool in moist debris.

Two very cute salamanders found in the water

In every good picture there will always be something in the way be it a leaf, stick or other debris. This would be so much nicer without the debris on his head.

 This green frog was chillin' out nearby the edge of the pool where I was looking for salamanders.

Green frog

 A few small Eastern Newts were seen on the edge where it was really shallow as well.

 This blue spotted salamander was quite large and is suspected to be a laterale-jeffersonianum hybrid.

 Needless to say the group of us all took a lot of pictures.

Chris grabbing a picture of the blue spotted salamander

 As we were herping we heard multiple screech owls calling nearby. As we approached the closest calls we saw one fly away but to our surprise and luck it had been a pair and one stuck around for long enough to get pictures of.

Screech owl

 Many blue spotted salamanders were seen on land as well including these three that were close to each other (but not this close).

Blue spotted salamanders

 This four toed salamander was seen on the edge of the path. It was very tiny so my 18-200mm lens wasn't do ideal for taking pictures of him. Still working on getting a macro lens.

Four-toed salamander