COURTESY OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Spotted Salamander

Park Ranger Paul Motts invites you to tour Cuyahoga Valley National Park in March. Look and listen to see and hear winter activities in the park and beyond.

Year of the Cuyahoga: Amphibians on the Move

Imagine witnessing hundreds of salamanders and frogs making their annual trek to their breeding pools. A frog chorus fills the air and can be heard more than a quarter mile away. This event typically unfolds during the first rainy night in early March, when temperatures are above 45 degrees F, nearly all the snow has melted, and the temporary forest (vernal) pools unfreeze. In Cuyahoga Valley National Park, there are two areas to experience the amphibians at their breeding pools. The first is along the Towpath Trail just south of the Beaver Marsh. Listen for the high whistle of the spring peeper sounding like sleigh bells in large choruses, and the unusual quack-like call of the wood frogs. The second location is by the two vernal pools at the base of the ravine near the east side of the Brandywine Creek, along the Brandywine Gorge Trail. See if you can spot Jefferson and spotted salamanders during the day. Please note that it is illegal to capture or disturb amphibians in the park.

News Flash! Spring peepers, wood frogs, western chorus frogs, Jefferson salamanders, and spotted salamanders have arrived at their breeding pools to lay their eggs and then return to their upland habitats. We expect more amphibians to migrate this week, March 8-14, 2009.

COURTESY NASA

The rings of Saturn tilted

Year of International Astronomy: Saturn Shines All Night Long

This is best month for observing Saturn. The planet is closest to the Earth on March 8, giving observers its brightest and best view. It rises in the east just after sunset, remaining visible throughout the night until it sets at sunrise. Looking through a telescope, its rings appear slightly tilted–two or three degrees. They gradually widen throughout the month.

COURTESY OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Chubby and long-billed Woodcock

Also this Month: Avian Observance

Male woodcocks have a chubby body and an exceptionally long bill. During the second half of the month, they perform sky dances at more than 300 feet in the air, approximately 20 minutes after sunset. It is best to observe this event looking towards the west so the dark birds appear silhouetted against the light sunset background. The two prime viewing locations are in the thicket meadows along the Buckeye Trail, south of Jaite Wayside, and along the Towpath Trail, where it intersects with the trail leading from Ira Trailhead.

Watch for returning waterfowl that stop at the Beaver Marsh on their northbound migrations. For the past three years, recorded observations list 12 different kinds of ducks, including hooded mergansers, ring-necks, green-wing teals, and buffleheads.