These two small pools were constructed in an attempt to
encourage toad production at Blue Jay Barrens.
The pool in the foreground is in its eighth year and the one behind was
constructed five years ago. Utilization
of the pools by breeding Eastern Toads has increased each year. Thousands of small toads have morphed from
these pools to inhabit the surrounding area.
The temporary pools lose their water by midsummer and remain dry for
several months. Aquatic predators that
would feast on the small tadpoles do not become established. Click HERE for more on pool construction.
A multitude of other wildlife species regularly visit these
pools. Indentations in the pool bottom
are made by Whitetail Deer that come to drink.
Heavy rains don’t cause the pool water to become cloudy with
sediment, so what makes the water occasionally look like this. Even when the weather has been rain free for
several days, the water can suddenly take on the appearance of creamed
coffee. In an effort to discover what
was happening, I installed a motion activated wildlife camera set to observe
both pools.
I discovered that deer visits were the cause of the muddy
water.
This compilation video shows the deer in action. I don’t know how to explain their behavior. This doesn’t happen every day, but it’s not
uncommon to see it occur several times each month.
Other than developing a coating of silt on the egg strings,
the toad eggs are relatively unaffected by the erratic deer activity.
The eggs have hatched and toadpoles are developing normally. I’m expecting another successful influx of young toads into the local population.