2025 Maine Big Night Total Tally

2025 Maine Big Night Total Tally

Traffic Tally:  80 vehicles

Species Live: 

Spring Peepers - 138

American Bullfrogs - 6

Green Frogs - 4

Pickerel Frogs - 12 

Wood Frogs - 1

American Toads - 21

Eastern Newts - 8

Red Efts (Juvenile Eastern Newt) - 0

Spotted Salamanders - 17

Northern Two-lined Salamanders - 0

Red-backed Salamanders - 1

Species Dead:  

Spring Peepers - 17

Green Frogs - 1

Pickerel Frogs - 1

American Toads - 2

Spotted Salamanders - 2

Species Injured:

Spring Peepers - 1

NOTES: 1 live gravid crayfish helped across the road; 1 year old painted turtle dead in the road

Blueberry plant on stump

I was wandering around the yard looking at my stump gardens when I found a surprise. A small blueberry plant is growing from the top of the stump in the center stump garden!

Somebody must have dropped a blueberry or two in there at some point.

Check out the blueberry flowers on it!

Flowers at Center Point Preserve

 This is my favorite season at Center Point Preserve as I find some of my favorite flowers in bloom over the next few weeks.

I was on the lookout for Painted Trillium as they are just coming into bloom. They are close to the ground and I was looking for flashes of white in the woods. I wasn't disappointed as there were small groupings... 

and some Trillium singlets visible on the west side of the trail where the ground is often damp.

I practically jumped for joy upon finding my first grouping of Fringed Polygala, aka Bird-on-the-Wing. They really are attention grabbers!

Here is a close-up of one. They really do look like birds or butterflies flying. I found these flowers in groups on both sides of the trail.

Another flower in great abundance was the Starflower.

I love Wood Anemone as well. They are in the buttercup family.

I also saw lots of Sessile Bellwort plants which are characterized by the drooping of the top of the stem.

I wasn't surprised to find wild strawberry plants in abundance. They are in flower now, and will bear tiny strawberries in awhile.

I didn't come across many, but I was pleasantly surprised to find this wild blueberry plant right next to the trail.

There were Violets everywhere. The are incredibly prolific and provide so much color along the trail.

Clumpings of Bluets were in many sunny, poor soil areas. From what I have observed here in Maine, the bluets range from light blue in color to white.

And, I wouldn't want to leave out such a cheery flower as the Dandelion. Their nectar is a great source of food for bees and ants. The Dandelions were mostly found along the sides and in the center of the trail.

2025 Maine Big Night #8

 Maine Big Night #8. Paul was the only member of our team on the road assisting amphibians tonight. 

LH1Bowd (This year's participants are me, Paul, and Caroline)

May 3 - Start time: 8:20pm.     End Time: 9:20pm

Certified Volunteers - 1

Uncertified Volunteers - 0

Starting Temp: 56F.      Ending Temp:  56F

Precipitation: Light Rain

The road is wet

Traffic Tally:  18 vehicles

Species Live: 5 Spring Peepers, 2 American Bullfrog, 8 American Toads, 1 Pickerel Frog, 4 Green Frogs, 1 Red-backed Salamander

Species Dead: 1 Spring Peeper, 1 Green Frog

Species Injured:0

NOTE: 1 dead year old Painted Turtle

"Millicent the Magnificent" Magnolia

"Millicent the Magnificent" Magnolia is in her full blooming glory! And, the floral fragrance is divine...

And, it is not just me who enjoys "Millicent the Magnificent", the robins usually nest amidst her branches as well.