New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Toads at full trill and lilacs in full bloom.

Thursday 05/29/2008

There is just so much going on this time of year that it is hard to keep track of every thing.

First, with Tuesday's temperatures soaring well into the 80's it put the American toads down back in the meadow at full trill all afternoon and into the evening. Plus over the weekend I heard my first tree frog. He was in the pine trees across the road from my house. By Tuesday he, or they, had migrated across the road to the pine trees in back of my house and so they are well on their way to the meadow down back. I'm sure that is where I will hear them next. The spring peepers are still peeping, but are overshadowed by the toads now.

I've had a couple of busy and exciting weeks. Last Wednesday I was voted in as the Merrimack County NH Fish and Game Commissioner by the Executive Council garnering 4 of the 5 votes. Tuesday I stopped at the Secretary of State's Office to complete the paperwork and was duly sworn in.

Also last week I stopped by the Cocheco Fish ladder in Dover on my way over to fish for stripers at the Henry Law Parkway. The Fish and Game crews was there tending to the river herring in the ladder and Governor Shaheen was there to observe the operation. Mike Dionne gave a tally of 2,600 herring for the day putting the total count for the year in the 32,000 range.

Today I was in Manchester for a press event for NWF with small business owners giving speeches about growing Green Jobs right here in the Granite State. As luck would have it the F&G brood stock Atlantic salmon stocking truck arrived a bit after the event ended and released a couple dozen huge Atlantic salmon right at Arms Park taking advantage of the press covering the previous event. No doubt this was the first time salmon adults were released in this stretch of the Merrimack River. What a beautiful sight it was to see them flipping out of the net into the clear cool waters. This stretch of the Merrimack has about the only good access to fishermen below the Amoskeag Dam.

We are in a mini drought condition right now with less than a half of an inch of rain in May compared to a normal of close to 3 inches. Although things are still plenty green with most leaves completely out on all the trees around here. Although the smaller brooks sure look pretty low to me and the lack of rain has likely kept a lot of the frogs in check for their normal spring breeding activity.