Scuds, Fry, and Marigolds

My dry notes from yesterday.

March 4th.
Temperature 39 degrees F.
Valley in the Drifless Region by a large spring.
Head of the spring.
Amphipod Scuds were emerging from the sandy area among the grasses and vegetation.

Fry: Just hatched brown trout found in the stream in several spots.
Egg sacs?

Trout spotted in various areas.

Evening saw and heard Mourning Doves.
Question: Do they migrate as I never here them during the winter in this area.

Now for how I write things.

I took off hiking with Charlie with the goal of going to the Big Spring in the valley. It is a rather long hike and I had to follow the snowmobile trail in part to get there. I should have brought my Yak Traks. The gravel road was mushy, the snowmobile trail was packed ice and the side of the trail is still nearly knee deep in places.
I made my way over 3 or 4 stream crossings as the creek meanders back and forth across the valley.
I found the remains of a doe that had been stripped by coyotes, birds, and probably 'possum.
At one of the crossings I stopped to just watch the water for a bit.

What I saw was pretty amazing.

From above, while standing, it looked like some tiny tadpoles trying to swim upstream.
So I got down on my knees [ouch] and got close with my little pocket camera and waited. I took a series of shots hoping to catch the little buggers and this is what showed up.
Not a tadpole. I think frogs may live in quieter ponds, but hey, I am just learning.

A Baby Trout! I found out later that the proper name is an Alevin which is still eating off the egg, then it becomes a Fry. I think this is a Fry. Trout Lifecycle.
Who knew I'd even get excited over this? See those little bubble like things? I think they are eggs waiting to hatch!

Charlie and I followed the tracks of the 4 wheelers. The snow where I usually find Skunk Cabbage was still over knee deep.
I finally made it to the Big Spring.

The spring flows out of this hillside and joins the creek. The water flows even in the coldest parts of winter and covers these mossy rocks with frost.

Below is the view from the wall looking towards the valley. This is where it gets exciting. This is where I've never really sat and 'looked' before.

Below the arrow points to the Marsh marigolds that are just coming up through the water.

Then at my feet....

I catch some sense of movement. Again I have to find a way to get down close to the water. These little bugs are flipping and moving in bits and pieces with the slow flow of the spring. Those are granules of sand below them.

It isn't until I get home and look closely at the photos that I see the ones buried in the sand or...are they coming out of the sand?

I know so little!
I discover that they are Amphiopod Scuds and there are quite a few varieties of them.  These guys are notable because the jerk and swim sideways!
They roll up like a rolly polly and then spring open. Very fun to watch!
They eat everything dead vegetation, plant matter, and dead critters that are found in the stream.

They seem pretty insignificant except that they are only found in fresh clean water!
That makes sense. No one visits this place except me I think. The cattle left this land 15 years ago.

So.
The instructors want us to have a 'notebook' to present at class. So I am going to use a larger notebook and print the photos of the interesting critters I've found so far and glue them in my notebook. I am not going to try and draw these!

They would become Stick Figures!

I think I better print up some photos to glue in my journal!
Yes?