Welp we got what we went for. Mudminnows. And a lot of them. We hit some
of the ditches that drained the wet prairie remnants of western Lucas
county, and more than likely, were the start of the draining of the Great
Black Swamp as well.
The mudminnows were the only species we found in the ditches... Prolly the
only thing that can survive in them after a winter like we had. I'd imagine
these fish were the ones that managed to make it frozen near solid to the
substrate because there wasn't much water under the ice, and it had just
recently began to flow again. Amazing little fish. Well, not all of them
were little.... One of the fish had to go 5". It was enormous heeheehee.
It will be interesting to see how productive these ditches are once they're
open. When trapping for Bluespot salamanders (non hybridized :) out on the
prairie, the studies folks have caught grass pickerel, mudminnows and green
sunnies. I'd imaine they were making spawning runs out of the ditches from
the headwaters of the local streams. I can't wait to see what starts
showing up.
It's really a shame that all the habitat has to flow out by the end of May.
But I guess the alternative is the midwest's highest rates of Malaria,
Yellow and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever like they had back in the 50's :)
We also hit Swan Creek and the Maumee, but ice or water levels prevented any
good findings there. Now I'm *really* ready for the ice to be gone. :)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce Stallsmith" <fundulus_at_hotmail.com>
To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Friday, February 28, 2003 3:15 PM
Subject: Re: NANFA-- ahhhhh
> Funny you should send this, my wife just called and told me that the first
> daffodils are out today on the side of our house. It's 'bout 50 F in north
> 'bama.
>
> --Bruce Stallsmith
> Huntsville, AL, US of A
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