Purgatory Chasm: Sutton, MA (4/14)

On Saturday my parents spent the day exploring several places in the Worcester area. First we visited Purgatory Chasm to check up on the vernal pools. Purgatory is a great place to find Spotted Salamanders migrating to their mating pools on rainy nights in early spring. We checked a few of the pools where we've found eggs before but this year (at least so far) they were empty. Maybe this cold snap that we've been experiencing has delayed the mating season.

There were a good deal of Wood Frogs out though. When we got to the park it was still pretty early and the pools were absolutely quiet. But when it got warm enough, the chorus of croaking frogs really took off.

The other nice sighting of the day was a Pine Warbler, my first warbler of the year.

Birds: American Goldfinch, Pine Warbler, Blue Jay, Eastern Phoebe, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-throated Sparrow, Broad-wing Hawk, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Double-crested Cormorant