Field Reports from the 2024 Amphibian Migration

The Peeper Parade Continues…

April 14 was primarily a peeper party, but spotted salamanders made a few (very popular) guest appearances. You can find a larger version of this and many more photos from this year’s Crossing Brigades on Flickr. (photo © Chloe March)

Light rain and temperatures in the mid-40s got the peeper party started on April 14, but other species were fewer and far-er between. Our guess is that we’re now at the slack tide of the season — that is, that the majority of early-season amphibians migrated in last week’s back-to-back-to-back Big Nights and weren’t quite ready to leave their breeding wetlands by the time Sunday rolled around. Temperatures also weren’t quite balmy enough to spur American toads, gray tree frogs, and other warm-weather amphibians to action in any great numbers. Still, 20 intrepid Crossing Brigadiers shepherded 698 amphibians to safety — and recorded 101 roadkills — at 8 crossing sites on Sunday night, bringing our season total to a very respectable 6,282 crossed critters. Read on for site-by-site details, listed alphabetically by town:

Keene

Jordan Road. A hopeful team of two patrolled Jordan Road for more than two hours, but only found 1 wood frog and 2 spring peepers, 3 live frogs in all. The good news is that there was no roadkill!

North Lincoln Street. Eight amphibian admirers spent two hours on patrol at North Lincoln Street, where they crossed 3 spotted salamanders, 1 Eastern newt (+1 dead), 2 wood frogs, and 239 spring peepers (+23 dead), for a total of 245 live amphibians (+24 dead). They also found one roadkilled garter snake. The vast majority of peepers were heading back to the woods, their courtship and egg-laying over for the year — and a sign that the season might be starting to wind down at this site — but there were still plenty of peepers screaming (we mean, singing…) in the wetland.

Nelson

Sarah Wilson does her best impersonation of a spotted salamander. We think it’s a pretty good likeness! Now if only we could get the salamanders to wear headlamps and reflective vests…
(photo © Sarah Wilson)

Granite Lake Road. One frog fan provided safe passage for 2 Eastern newts (+6 dead), 1 wood frog, and 10 spring peepers (+1 dead) — 13 live amphibians (+7 dead) in all — before heading over to lend a hand at Nelson Road, which was hopping.

Nelson Road. Three dedicated salamander shepherds patrolled two different sections of Nelson Road from 9 to 10:30 p.m., collectively crossing 13 spotted salamanders, 2 Eastern newts (+1 dead), 1 four-toed salamander, 2 red-backed salamanders, 12 wood frogs (+3 dead), and 288 spring peepers (+42 dead), for a total of 318 live amphibians (+46 dead). Just east of this crossing, another Brigadier was heading home for the night when she saw a Barred Owl fly low across the road with a wood frog in its mouth!

New Ipswich

Thayer Road. A terrific twosome crossed 1 wood frog, 4 pickerel frogs, 1 bullfrog, and 3 American toads, and found 5 dead frogs of unknown species, for a total of 9 live frogs (+5 dead) in 40 minutes.

Rindge

Old New Ipswich Road. A lone Rindge Ranger spent a half-hour on patrol, providing safe passage for 1 Eastern newt (+1 dead), 2 red-backed salamanders, 2 salamanders of unknown species, 2 wood frogs (+4 dead), 4 spring peepers (+4 dead), 1 bullfrog, and 1 American toad, 12 live amphibians (+10 dead) in all.

Sometimes peepers are so polite that they wait patiently on your knuckle to be tallied before proceeding to the wetland.
(photo © Taylor Jackson)

Westmoreland

Glebe Road. Two persevering peeper protectors crossed 11 spotted salamanders, 4 Eastern newts (+2 dead), 57 spring peepers (+6 dead), 1 bullfrog, and 2 American toads, for a total of 75 live amphibians (+8 dead) in an hour and a half.

Wilton

Whiting Hill Road. A terrific trio patrolled Carnival Hill for an hour and a half, providing safe passage for 1 spotted salamander, 18 spring peepers (+1 dead), 3 pickerel frogs, and 1 green frog, 23 live amphibians (+1 dead) in all.

Do you have amphibian tallies or photos to share from April 14? We’ll update this report and the Salamander Crossing Brigade album on Flickr as we receive counts and photos, so send ’em on in!

A Triple-Header!

If one salamander selfie just isn’t enough, you can find more photos from this year’s Crossing Brigades on Flickr. (photo © Sarah Wilson)

The migration continued on April 12 — under starry skies (!) — on ground still wet from rain earlier in the day. In most places, salamander movement was modest, but the peeper parade was undeterred by the lack of precipitation. For the third night in a row, our valiant volunteers took to the streets, with 42 Crossing Brigadiers providing safe passage for 553 live amphibians — and recording 127 roadkills — at 9 different sites. This brings our season total to 5,584 crossed critters and counting…

Read on for site-by-site details, listed alphabetically by town:

Francestown

Route 47. A dedicated duo provided safe passage for 22 spotted salamanders, 1 Eastern newt, 1 four-toed salamander, 10 wood frogs, and 29 spring peepers, for a total of 63 live amphibians in just one hour. Sadly, they also noted many roadkilled amphibians, “probably as many or more than we helped across, but we were too overwhelmed to count them as well.” This site could use more help on future migration nights.

Hancock

Middle Road. One frog fan crossed 3 wood frogs in 40 minutes on Middle Road. All of the frogs were headed back to the woods, their breeding and courtship done for the year.

Harrisville

My, what beautiful spots you have!
(photo © Megan Jacobs)

Breed Road at Child’s Bog. A longtime Brigadier took a stroll down by the Bog, where she crossed 2 spotted salamanders, 1 two-lined salamander, 1 red-backed salamander, 1 wood frog, 1 spring peeper, 2 green frogs, 1 bullfrog, and 1 American toad, and counted 6 dead Eastern newts, for a total of 10 live amphibians (+6 dead) of 8 different species in just 30 minutes. Impressive diversity for such a short time on the road! Sadly, she also discovered 1 roadkilled painted turtle hatchling.

Hillsboro

Concord End and Flint Roads. Over the course of one hour at Concord End and Flint Roads, a dynamic duo crossed 1 spotted salamander, 4 Eastern newts (+1 dead), 1 two-lined salamander, 1 red-backed salamander, 4 wood frogs, 9 spring peepers, and 1 green frog, 21 live amphibians (+1 dead) in all.

Nelson

Granite Lake Road. A longtime Brigadier spent an hour and a half on patrol near the Nelson School, where she crossed 1 spotted salamander, 38 spring peepers (+21 dead), 1 pickerel frog, and 2 green frogs, and found 1 dead wood frog and 7 dead newts, for a total of 42 live amphibians (+29 dead). She was serenaded by wood frogs and spring peepers, and said that “the sky looked amazing with the crescent moon.”

Nelson Road. Four Brigadiers patrolled two different sections of Nelson Road for one hour, collectively crossing 2 spotted salamanders (+2 dead), 1 Eastern newt, 2 wood frogs, 84 spring peepers (+30 dead), and 1 green frog, and noting 1 dead pickerel frog, 90 live amphibians (+33 dead) in all. Sadly, the roadkill numbers do not tell the full story, as there was more carnage than could be counted along one particularly busy stretch of road. This site could use more help on future migration nights.

Peterborough

Summer Street almost went all night without a spottie, until this beauty strolled out around 9:30 p.m. (photo © Lindsay Carter)

Summer Street. The Summer Street crew — an impressive 20 Brigadiers strong! — spent more than two hours on the frog beat, crossing 1 spotted salamander, 28 wood frogs (+2 dead), 118 spring peepers (+14 dead), and 2 green frogs (+1 dead), and noting 1 unidentified roadkill, for a total of 149 live amphibians (+18 dead).

Westmoreland

Glebe Road. The Glebe Road crossing crew — 10 Brigadiers in all — provided safe passage for 3 spotted salamanders (+1 dead), 3 Eastern newts (+5 dead), 148 spring peepers (+31 dead), and 12 pickerel frogs, for a total of 166 live amphibians (+37 dead) in an hour and a half on patrol.

Winchester

Forest Lake Road. A terrific twosome spent one hour on the salamander beat at Forest Lake Road, where they crossed 1 Eastern newt (+3 dead), 1 four-toed salamander, and 7 spring peepers, 9 live amphibians (+3 dead) in all. They reported that the peeper’s song was strong that night!

Do you have amphibian tallies or photos to share from April 12? We’ll update this report and the Salamander Crossing Brigade album on Flickr as we receive counts and photos, so send ’em on in!

Big Night, Part II

What a charmer!
(photo © Brett Amy Thelen)

Wednesday’s migration continued into Thursday, though Thursday night’s rain didn’t really start to pick up until after 9:30 p.m. Spotted salamander movement was more modest than the night before, but four-toed salamanders, red-backed salamanders, and spring peepers made impressive showings — as did our Salamander Crossing Brigades! All told, 140 Crossing Brigadiers took to the streets on Thursday night, providing safe passage for 2,146 individual amphibians of 14 different species — and recording 316 roadkills — at 22 crossing sites throughout southwest New Hampshire, bringing our season total to 5,031 crossed critters. We also received reports from 5 additional sites in the Lakes Region, Seacoast, and Upper Valley.

Read on for site-by-site details from the Monadnock Region, listed alphabetically by town:

Concord

It’s an incontrovertible fact that salamanders make people smile. (photo © Chloe March)

Fisk Road. A dedicated solo Brigadier spent an impressive four hours on patrol, but only encountered 2 spotted salamanders (+1 dead) and 2 spring peepers, 4 live amphibians (+1 dead) in all. He reported that he kept tabs on one of those spotted salamanders for 1.5 hrs as it traveled just 150 feet along the road shoulder; eventually, he relocated the wandering salamander deeper into the woods at 11:38 p.m. and called it a night!

Dublin

Upper Jaffrey Road. A dynamic duo spent three hours on patrol near the Learned Road wetland, where they provided safe passage for 23 spotted salamanders, 3 red-backed salamanders, 11 wood frogs, and 13 spring peepers (+5 dead), exactly 50 live amphibians (+5 dead) in all.

Hancock

Route 137. A sweet mother-son team crossed 1 Eastern newt (+3 dead), 1 red-backed salamander (+2 dead), and 25 spring peepers (+22 dead), and recorded 1 dead spotted salamander and 1 dead wood frog, for a total of 27 live amphibians (+29 dead) in 40 minutes along Route 137. This site could use more help on future migration nights.

Harrisville

Hancock Road. A solo salamander shepherd spent an hour on patrol at Hancock Road, where she provided safe passage for 3 spotted salamanders (+2 dead), 2 wood frogs (+5 dead), 12 spring peepers (+2 dead), and 1 green frog, and recorded 2 dead red-backed salamanders, 1 dead pickerel frog, and 5 unknown roadkills, for a total of 18 live amphibians (+17 dead). This site could use more help on future migration nights.

Henniker

The youth delegation at River Road. (photo © Kara Reynolds)

Old West Hopkinton Road. A dynamic duo spent nearly two hours at Old West Hopkinton Road, where they crossed 2 spotted salamanders (+1 dead), 10 red-backed salamanders (+4 dead), 1 wood frog, 23 spring peepers (+7 dead), 1 pickerel frog, 1 green frog, and 1 American toad, and recorded 1 dead Eastern newt — 39 live amphibians (+13 dead) in all.

River Road. The River Road crossing crew — 10 Brigadiers strong! — spent nearly three hours on the salamander beat, crossing 10 spotted salamanders (+2 dead), 11 red-backed salamanders (+1 dead), 13 wood frogs (+1 dead), 62 spring peepers (+4 dead), 4 pickerel frogs, 2 green frogs, and 1 American toad, and recording 1 dead Eastern newt, for a total of 103 live amphibians (+9 dead). They would also like to note for the record that they saw a slug.

Hillsboro

Concord End and Flint Roads. In a little more than an hour of searching, a terrific twosome crossed an impressive 24 spotted salamanders, 1 red-backed salamander, 13 spring peepers (+1 dead), and 1 pickerel frog, 39 live amphibians (+1 dead) in all.

Keene

Big thanks to the KSC Eco-Reps for helping out with back-to-back migrations at the Keene crossings on April 10 and 11! The salamanders and frogs thank you too. (photo © Chloe March)

Arch Street. One longtime Brigadier spent two hours patrolling Arch Street from Archway Farm to the junction with Felt Road, where he provided safe passage for 10 wood frogs (+1 dead), 1o spring peepers (+2 dead), and 15 American toads (+3 dead), and noted 1 dead spotted salamander, for a total of 35 live amphibians (+7 dead).

Jordan Road. Jordan Road was closed to through-traffic again on Thursday night, with 11 dedicated Brigadiers on hand from 7:30 until 10:45 p.m. to ensure safe passage for the critters that had to dodge local traffic. Collectively, they crossed 30 spotted salamanders, 2 Jefferson complex salamanders, 2 two-lined salamanders, 24 red-backed salamanders (+2 dead), 3 wood frogs, 35 spring peepers (+2 dead), and 3 American toads, and recorded 1 dead Eastern newt — 99 live amphibians (+5 dead) in all.

North Lincoln Street. Big Night detours were also in place at North Lincoln Street on Thursday, where a hearty crew of approximately 40 volunteers and visitors came out to enjoy the magic of the migration. From 7:45 to 11:15 p.m., they counted 11 spotted salamanders, 11 Eastern newts (+ 18 dead, from before the road was closed for the night), 2 red-backed salamanders, 16 wood frogs, 485 spring peepers (+4 dead), and 4 bullfrogs, for a total of 529 amphibians (+22 dead).

Route 10. Two brave Brigadiers spent an hour on busy Route 10, near the Keene-Gilsum line, where they crossed 2 spotted salamanders (+3 dead), 2 four-toed salamanders, 5 wood frogs, 94 spring peepers, 3 pickerel frogs, 6 green frogs, and 1 bullfrog, for a total of 113 live amphibians (+3 dead). Their roadkill count is a significant underestimate, as there were “too many dead to get an accurate count” and they were focusing their efforts on helping the living. Heavy, fast-moving traffic makes this a very tough site.

Marlborough

You can never have too many pictures of spotted salamanders. (photo © Brett Amy Thelen)

Jaffrey Road. A family of frog fans crossed 4 wood frogs (+3 dead), 1 spring peeper, and 1 American toad, and recorded 1 unknown dead, for a total of 6 live amphibians (+4 dead) in 30 minutes of searching.

Nelson

Granite Lake Road. A night owl conducted a late-night patrol from 12:26 to 1:04 a.m. (!), crossing 5 spotted salamanders (+3 dead), 2 red-backed salamanders (+3 dead), and 48 spring peepers (+19 dead), and noting 2 dead wood frogs, 55 live amphibians (+27 dead) in all.

Nelson Road. A stalwart salamander superhero patrolled Nelson Road from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m., and a second Brigadier did a late-night sweep on her way home from another crossing site just before midnight. Together, they crossed 32 spotted salamanders (+6 dead), 7 wood frogs (+9 dead), 56 spring peepers (+13 dead), 4 pickerel frogs, and 2 green frogs (+1 dead), and noted 1 dead Eastern newt, for a total of 101 live amphibians (+30 dead). Also of note: the first-shift Brigadier saw an otter cross the road into an area full of wood frogs and reported, “They had been silent all night, but the otter’s presence made them very noisy and croaky!”

New Ipswich

Jefferson complex salamanders are pretty great, too.
(photo © Brett Amy Thelen)

Thayer Road. A solo Brigadier made a quick pass along Thayer Road, where she crossed 1 spring peeper and 2 American toads, for a total of 3 live frogs in just 15 minutes. She said, “Boy are the wood frogs screaming now!”

Peterborough

Summer Street. The Summer Street crew — an impressive 24 Brigadiers strong! — provided safe passage for 6 spotted salamanders (+1 dead), 1 Eastern newt, 27 wood frogs, 80 spring peepers, and 1 American toad, for a total of 115 live amphibians (+1 dead) in two hours.

Sullivan

Valley Road. One valiant volunteer spent an impressive four hours on patrol along Valley Road, crossing 10 spotted salamanders (+3 dead), 6 red-backed salamanders (+2 dead), 15 wood frogs (+10 dead), 59 spring peepers (+20 dead), and 2 American toads, 92 live amphibians (+35 dead) in all.

Swanzey

Swanzey Lake Road. In one hour, two Brigadiers provided safe passage for 9 spotted salamanders (+1 dead), 3 four-toed salamanders, 1 two-lined salamander (+1 dead), and 15 spring peepers, and recorded 2 unknown roadkills, for a total of 28 live amphibians (+4 dead).

Westmoreland

A most unusual spot pattern — or should we say lack-of-spots pattern? — encountered at Glebe Road on April 11.
(photo © Stephen Lowe)

Glebe Road. The Glebe Road crossing crew — 16 Brigadiers strong! — crossed 37 spotted salamanders (+2 dead), 4 Eastern newts (+9 dead), 1 four-toed salamander, 8 red-backed salamanders, 169 spring peepers (+42 dead), 3 pickerel frogs, 4 green frogs, 8 bullfrogs, and 4 American toads, for a grand total of 238 live amphibians (+53 dead) in just under three hours. Special thanks to Stephen and Carter Lowe, who went back the next morning to do a roadside cleanup, so the salamanders won’t have to tiptoe past beer cans on their way out of the wetland in another week or two!

River Road. The season’s first report from River Road was an impressive one: two busy Brigadiers spent nearly three hours on patrol, crossing 59 spotted salamanders, 1 Eastern newt, 12 red-backed salamanders, 2 unidentified salamanders, 2 wood frogs, 50 spring peepers, 3 pickerel frogs, 1 green frog, 5 bullfrogs, 5 American toads, and 1 unknown frog, 141 live amphibians in all.

Wilton

Whiting Hill Road. A dedicated quartet spent three hours on patrol at Carnival Hill, where they provided safe passage for 20 spotted salamanders (+1 dead), 1 four-toed salamander, 4 red-backed salamanders (+1 dead), 106 spring peepers (+24 dead), 6 pickerel frogs, and 10 green frogs (+1 dead), and recorded 1 unknown live amphibian (+1 unknown dead), 148 live amphibians (+28 dead) in all.

Winchester

Wait a second! You’re not bullfrogs. You’re very tiny, extremely adorable, juvenile four-toed salamanders, found hanging with the big kids at Forest Lake Road on April 11. (photo © Beckley Wooster)

Forest Lake Road. The Winchester crossing crew — a robust 13 Brigadiers strong! — crossed 11 spotted salamanders, 3 Eastern newts (+7 dead), 42 four-toed salamanders (+1 dead), 1 two-lined salamander, 7 red-backed salamanders, 88 spring peepers (+10 dead), 1 pickerel frog, and 10 American toads, and noted 1 unknown roadkill, for a total of 163 live amphibians (+19 dead) in just an hour and a half.

Further Afield…

Many thanks to the folks from Barrington, Center Harbor, Strafford, Tamworth, and Hartford, VT for investigating additional sites — and crossing hundreds of additional critters — outside the Monadnock Region!

Do you have amphibian tallies or photos to share from April 11? We’ll update this report and the Salamander Crossing Brigade album on Flickr as we receive counts and photos, so send ’em on in!

Big Night, Part I

Our Crossing Brigades provided safe passage for 495 spotted salamanders — including this one — on the Big Night of April 10. You can see more photos from this year’s Crossing Brigades on Flickr. (photo © Brett Amy Thelen)

It barely rained on April 10, but after several very warm days, a short burst of evening rain followed by a light mist was all it took to spur salamanders to action! At a number of sites, it was our first true Big Night of the year. Collectively, 52 Crossing Brigadiers were kept very busy on Wednesday night, providing safe passage for 1,470 individual amphibians of 11 different species — and recording 267 roadkills — at 14 crossing sites. Read on for site-by-site details, listed alphabetically by town:

Chesterfield

Old Swanzey Road. A solo salamander savior interrupted her evening commute to cross 9 spotted salamanders (+8 dead), 3 red-backed salamanders (+3 dead), 1 wood frog, 3 spring peepers (+1 dead), and 1 American toad, for a total of 17 live amphibians (+12 dead) in just 30 minutes on Old Swanzey Road.

Concord

This spotted salamander was carried across Fisk Road by Crossing Brigadiers in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024, as confirmed by pictures of its one-of-a-kind spot pattern! Click on the image to open a larger view. (photos © Andy Chapman)

Fisk Road. A longtime Crossing Brigadier spent an hour and a half on solo patrol, crossing 16 spotted salamanders (+2 dead), 1 red-backed salamander, 1 wood frog (+1 dead), and 3 spring peepers (+3 dead), 21 live amphibians (+ 6 dead) in all. He’s been keeping his own spotted salamander spot pattern records for this site, and one of the spotties on April 10 was a four-time repeat visitor!

Hancock

Middle Road. An intrepid solo Brigadier spent an hour and a half on the frog beat at Middle Road, where he provided safe passage for 7 spotted salamanders, 50 wood frogs (+3 dead), and 12 spring peepers (+4 dead), for a total of 69 live amphibians (+7 dead).

Henniker

Old West Hopkinton Road. On her way home from the River Road crossing, one valiant volunteer stumbled upon this new-to-us crossing site, where she moved 6 spotted salamanders to safety (+2 dead) in just 15 minutes.

River Road. A terrific trio crossed 6 spotted salamanders (+2 dead), 1 Jefferson complex salamander, 1 Eastern newt (+1 dead), 7 red-backed salamanders, 6 wood frogs, 51 spring peepers (+12 dead), and 1 American toad, for a total of 73 live amphibians (+15 dead) in two hours.

Keene

Three cheers for the KSC Eco-Reps, who provided safe passage for hundreds of spring peepers — including this one — at North Lincoln Street on the Big Night of April 10! (photo © Chloe March)

Jordan Road. Two bustling Brigadiers spent more than three hours on patrol at Jordan Road, where they crossed a whopping 58 spotted salamanders (+2 dead), 7 Jefferson complex salamanders (+1 dead), 9 red-backed salamanders (+4 dead), 4 wood frogs (+1 dead), and 14 spring peepers (+7 dead) — 92 live amphibians (+15 dead) in all. Big thanks to the courteous drivers who slowed down as they approached the crossing site, and especially to the half-dozen or so who stopped when they saw salamanders in their headlights and patiently waited for our Brigadiers to fetch the sallies before continuing on!

North Lincoln Street. Five fearless Brigadiers patrolled North Lincoln Street for nearly three hours, providing safe passage for 5 spotted salamanders (+1 dead), 3 Eastern newts (+4 dead), 2 red-backed salamanders, 2 wood frogs, and 373 spring peepers (+ a dismaying 75 dead), and noting 2 unknown dead, for a total of 385 live amphibians (+82 dead). Had we known it would be this busy, we would certainly have closed the road. Shout out to the KSC Eco-Reps for saving many lives!

Nelson

Nelson Road. A dynamic duo spent 45 minutes on patrol at Nelson Road in the early part of the evening, and a third Brigadier did a late-night sweep on her way home from another crossing. Collectively, they crossed 5 spotted salamanders, 1 red-backed salamander, 4 wood frogs (+2 dead), and 17 spring peepers, for a total of 27 live amphibians. Sadly, scores of dead were discovered — but left uncounted — on the late-night run, after temperatures had warmed a bit with an incoming front.

New Boston

The New Boston crossing crew shines a light on one of their newfound friends. (photo © Amy Unger)

Old Coach Road. The New Boston crew — 8 Brigadiers strong — spent three hours on patrol, providing safe passage for 34 spotted salamanders (+5 dead), 3 four-toed salamanders, 15 wood frogs, and 1 American toad, 53 live amphibians (+5 dead) in all.

New Ipswich

Thayer Road. On his way home from work very late at night, one dedicated Brigadier stopped to moved 4 spotted salamanders (+ noted 1 unknown roadkill) across Thayer Road in just 10 minutes.

Peterborough

Summer Street. Over the course of two hours, a terrific trio crossed 20 spotted salamanders (+4 dead), 18 wood frogs (+8 dead), 87 spring peepers (+1 dead), and 1 ambitious American toad, 126 live amphibians (+13 dead) in all.

Westmoreland

It’s not truly spring until the Glebe Road crossing crew is ferrying salamanders by the bucketful. (photo © Stephen Lowe)

Glebe Road. It was an Epic Night at Glebe Road, where 19 busy Brigadiers crossed a jaw-dropping 302 spotted salamanders (+ a disheartening 18 dead), 19 Eastern newts (+11 dead), 1 four-toed salamander, 16 red-backed salamanders, 86 spring peepers (+39 dead), 6 pickerel frogs (+2 dead), 3 green frogs, and 10 bullfrogs, for a grand total of 443 live amphibians (+70 dead) in just under three hours. They noted that these numbers do not fully represent the magnitude of the migration, as there were “way too many spotteds to count” in the early part of the evening.

Wilton

Salamander smiles were in full force at Forest Lake Road on April 10! (photo © Jenny Wooster)

Whiting Hill Road. A dedicated solo Brigadier spent an hour and a half on patrol at Carnival Hill, where she provided safe passage for 1 spotted salamander, 10 spring peepers (+2 dead), and 1 pickerel frog, 12 live amphibians (+2 dead) in all.

Winchester

Forest Lake Road. Four salamander superheroes crossed 22 spotted salamanders (+1 dead), 3 Eastern newts (+10 dead), 39 four-toed salamanders (+5 dead), 3 red-backed salamanders (+1 dead), 1 wood frog, 66 spring peepers (+18 dead), 1 pickerel frog, 1 green frog, and 6 American toads, for a total of 142 live amphibians (+35 dead) in just over two hours.

Do you have amphibian tallies or photos to share from April 10? We’ll update this report and the Salamander Crossing Brigade album on Flickr as we receive counts and photos, so send ’em on in!

The Migration Continues (in Some Places…)

Scores of wood frogs continued their march toward spring on March 28, and our Crossing Brigadiers were there to help them on their way. You can see more photos from this year’s Crossing Brigades on Flickr. (photo © Brett Amy Thelen)

March has been quite the weather whirlwind! At higher-elevation and north-facing sites, there was still enough snow on the ground on the evening of March 28 to keep amphibians nestled in their burrows for at least a little while longer. However, two nights of rain and warmer temperatures set the stage for migration at low-elevation and south-facing sites, and our Crossing Brigades answered the call. Collectively, 34 Crossing Brigadiers took to the streets on Thursday night, providing safe passage for 449 individual amphibians — and recording 20 roadkills — at 8 crossing sites throughout southwest New Hampshire. This brings our season total to a respectable 1,415 crossed critters, and there’s still much more migration to come!

Read on for site-by-site details, listed alphabetically by town:

Hancock

Route 137. A hopeful family of frog fans spent a half-hour on patrol at Route 137, but with snowy ground and temperatures in the 30s, there were no amphibians to be found.

Keene

Chapman Road. An enthusiastic solo Brigadier scoped out this new-to-us crossing site, providing safe passage for 4 wood frogs in one hour.

Spotted salamanders made their first appearances of the year in Keene and Swanzey on Thursday — including 64 spotties in a little more than an hour at Swanzey Lake Road! (photo © Taylor Jackson)

Jordan Road. The Harris Center once again worked with the City of Keene to close Jordan Road to through-traffic on March 28, specifically for the protection of migrating amphibians. Although this site was still a little snowy after the weekend winter storm, the Jordan Road crossing crew — 6 dedicated Brigadiers strong — provided safe passage for 1 spotted salamander, 9 Jefferson complex salamanders, 10 wood frogs, and 1 spring peeper, for a total of 21 live amphibians between 7:30 and 10 p.m. Remarkably, they did not encounter any roadkill!

North Lincoln Street. We also worked with the City to close the North Lincoln Street crossing site to vehicles, where 20 smiling volunteers counted 3 spotted salamanders (the first of the season!), 4 Eastern newts (+4 dead, from before the road was closed for the night), 36 wood frogs, and 255 spring peepers (+3 dead), and recorded 1 unknown roadkill, for a total of 298 live amphibians (+8 dead) between 7:30 and 11 p.m. They were serenaded by the season’s first peeper chorus.

New Ipswich

Thayer Road. A family of longtime Crossing Brigadiers spent an hour on patrol at Thayer Road, where they crossed 13 wood frogs (+1 dead) and 3 spring peepers, and recorded one unknown roadkill, 16 live frogs (+2 dead) in all. They reported that, when they left for the night, “the frogs were still on the slow move, onesie-twosie.”

Swanzey

Salamander smiles at Whiting Hill Road! 
(photo © LaNeia Thomas)

Matthews Road. In just 15 minutes on patrol, a terrific trio crossed 5 spotted salamanders (+3 dead) and 1 wood frog, for a total of 6 live amphibians (+3 dead).

Swanzey Lake Road. A dedicated duo provided safe passage for a whopping 64 spotted salamanders (+1 dead), 1 wood frog, 6 spring peepers, and 1 pickerel frog, for a total of 72 live amphibians (+1 dead) in just over an hour.

Wilton

Whiting Hill Road. A sweet mother-daughter team spent more than two hours on patrol at Whiting Hill Road, where they crossed 6 spotted salamanders, 23 spring peepers (+5 dead), 2 green frogs, and 1 American toad, 32 live amphibians (+5 dead) in all.

Do you have amphibian tallies or photos to share from March 28? We’ll update this report and the Salamander Crossing Brigade album on Flickr as we receive counts and photos, so send ’em on in!

Frogs Afoot…

It’s a frog’s world. We just live in it.
(photo © Taylor Jackson)

Hundreds of frogs — and a few dozen salamanders — continued their march toward spring in warm evening rains on March 6. Collectively, 100 Crossing Brigadiers took to the streets that night as well, providing safe passage for 760 individual amphibians — and recording 193 roadkills — at 17 crossing sites throughout southwest New Hampshire. Although it’s not a record, this is still exceptionally early for an amphibian migration in our neck of the woods. It’s also just the beginning. There’s much more migration yet to come…

Read on for site-by-site details, listed alphabetically by town:

Concord

Fisk Road. The dedicated Fisk Road crew — 7 Brigadiers strong — spent nearly four hours on patrol, crossing 1 spotted salamander, 1 red-backed salamander, 15 wood frogs (+16 dead), and 20 spring peepers (+19 dead), 37 live amphibians (+ a dismaying 35 dead) in all.

Hancock

March 6 is exceptionally early for green frogs to be out and about in Hancock, NH, but here we are.
(photo © Phil Brown)

Middle Road. A terrific team of 9 Brigadiers spent two hours on patrol at Middle Road, where they crossed 1 red-backed salamander, 8 wood frogs (+2 dead), and 15 spring peepers, for a total of 24 live amphibians (+2 dead).

Route 137. One longtime Brigadier searched Route 137 for nearly an hour, providing safe passage for 12 wood frogs (+5 dead), 6 spring peepers (+12 dead), and 1 green frog, and recording 1 dead red-backed salamander — 19 live amphibians (+18 dead) in all.

Henniker

River Road. The Henniker crew — an impressive 13 Brigadiers strong! — spent a total of three hours on patrol, in two shifts. Collectively, they crossed 1 Jefferson complex salamander, 5 wood frogs, 14 spring peepers (+2 dead), 1 gray tree frog, and 1 American toad. Sadly, they also noted 1 dead spotted salamander and 1 dead amphibian of undetermined species. Their grand total for the night: 22 live amphibians (+4 dead).

Keene

Eastern Avenue. Though she didn’t stop to count, one Crossing Brigadier drove slowly through Eastern Avenue on her way home from another crossing site, and reported some terribly sad wood frog carnage. This site could use more help on future migration nights, though it is not family-friendly.

Special thanks to this year’s Salamander Crossing Brigade interns, Taylor Jackson (left) and Veronia Kroha (right), who have already spent several late nights on the amphibian beat in Keene. You can learn more about them here.
(photo © Brett Amy Thelen)

Jordan Road. For the first time this season, the Harris Center worked with the City of Keene to close Jordan Road to through-traffic specifically for the protection of migrating amphibians, an exciting conservation measure years in the making. Between 6 and 10 p.m., the Jordan Road crossing crew — 9 Brigadiers strong — provided safe passage for 24 Jefferson complex salamanders, 2 red-backed salamanders, 25 wood frogs (+3 dead), and 8 spring peepers (+1 dead), 59 live amphibians (+4 dead) in all. The strong showing of Jefferson complex salamanders was especially exciting, as they’re a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in New Hampshire.

North Lincoln Street. The Harris Center also worked with the City to close the North Lincoln Street crossing site to vehicles, where 36 enthusiastic volunteers counted 17 Eastern newts (+36 dead, from before the road was closed for the night), 1 red-backed salamander, 97 wood frogs, and 274 spring peepers (+5 dead, just outside the barricades), for a total of 389 live amphibians (+41 dead) between 6:30 and 10 p.m. Frogs were still streaming out of the woods when the last Brigadiers left for the night, so many more probably crossed in the overnight hours behind the safety of the road closure barricades. The annual North Lincoln Street peeper party has officially begun!

Lyndeborough

Cemetery and Putnam Hill Roads. Two frog fans explored this new-to-us crossing site, providing safe passage for 1 red-backed salamander, 2 wood frogs, and 7 spring peepers (+4 dead) and noting 1 dead unidentified frog, for a total of 10 live amphibians (+5 dead) in just under two hours.

Nelson

Who knew rainy nights could be so much fun?
(We knew. The frogs knew, too.)
(photo © Jen Boisvert)

Granite Lake Road and Nelson Road. Our Site Coordinators scanned both of these locations, but there were no amphibians to be found. It seems that the frogs and salamanders of Nelson are still waiting for the ground to thaw.

New Boston

Middle Branch and Tucker Mill Roads. A dynamic duo explored this new-to-us crossing, where they provided safe passage for 6 red-backed salamanders, 20 wood frogs (+12 dead), and 6 spring peepers, 32 live amphibians (+12 dead) in all.

Old Coach Road. Three enthusiastic Brigadiers (pictured, right) spent 40 minutes on Old Coach Road, crossing 7 spring peepers (+6 dead) and recording 6 dead wood frogs, for a total of 7 live frogs (+12 dead).

New Ipswich

Thayer Road. A family of frog fans spent two hours on patrol at Thayer Road, where they crossed 23 wood frogs (+16 dead), 21 spring peepers (+4 dead), 1 pickerel frog, and 1 American toad, 46 live amphibians (+20 dead) in all. Congratulations to David for timing his birthday to coincide with New Ipswich’s first migration of the year, and to young Sawyer for his first full hour on the amphibian beat! This site could use more help on future migration nights.

Peterborough

Summer Street. A dedicated duo searched Summer Street for two hours, crossing 15 wood frogs (+1 dead) and 23 spring peepers (+6 dead), 38 live frogs (+7 dead) in all. A special shout-out to the salamander lover working dispatch for the Peterborough Police Department, and to Officer Martin for spending some time on patrol with our volunteers!

Rindge

Spring peepers: coming soon to a wetland near you, with a little help from the Crossing Brigades…
(photo © Brett Amy Thelen)

Perry Road. A new Brigadier spent nearly two hours patrolling Perry Road, crossing 9 wood frogs (+3 dead) and 19 spring peepers (+8 dead), for a total of 28 live frogs (+11 dead). In her report, she added, “Rindge Police stopped by to check on me! The officer had a good laugh when I explained what I was doing…[and then] asked if I needed anything, offering to get me hand warmers from his car.” We’re grateful that our local police departments are so supportive of the Salamander Brigades!

Sullivan

Valley Road. A longtime Brigadier spent 25 minutes on patrol, crossing 2 wood frogs. The best is yet to come for Valley Road…

Swanzey

Swanzey Lake Road. A marvelous mother-daughter team found the first trickle of migration at Swanzey Lake Road, providing safe passage for 3 wood frogs (+6 dead) and 1 spring peeper, for a total of 4 live frogs (+6 dead) in 40 minutes of searching.

Westmoreland

Our Salamander Crossing Brigade volunteers have collectively provided safe passage for 286 wood frogs — including this one — in 2024, and it’s not even April yet. Mind = blown.
(photo © Brett Amy Thelen)

Glebe Road. The Glebe Road crossing crew — 9 Brigadiers strong — spent two hours on patrol, crossing 1 Eastern newt (+7 dead), 17 spring peepers (+1 dead), and 1 frog of undetermined species, for a total of 19 live amphibians (+8 dead). This site is well-known for its spotted salamanders, which can migrate here by the hundreds on a classic Big Night. In other words, the best is yet to come for Glebe Road!

Wilton

Whiting Hill Road. In two hours, a fantastic foursome crossed 2 spotted salamanders (+1 dead), 2 wood frogs, 7 spring peepers (+2 dead), and 1 green frog at Carnival Hill, for a total of 12 live amphibians (+3 dead).

Winchester

Forest Lake Road. In half an hour on patrol, a terrific trio crossed 10 four-toed salamanders (+4 dead), 2 red-backed salamanders, and 1 spring peeper (+1 dead), 13 live amphibians (+5 dead) in all.

Do you have amphibian tallies or photos to share from March 6? We’ll update this report and the Salamander Crossing Brigade album on Flickr as we receive counts and photos, so send ’em on in!

A February Migration (!!!)

Salamander Crossing Brigade intern Veronica Kroha with one of the first wood frogs of 2024. You can see more photos from this year’s Crossing Brigades on Flickr.
(photo © Taylor Jackson)

On February 28, the Monadnock Region experienced our second-earliest amphibian migration in 18 years of keeping track. (The earliest was on February 25, 2017; interestingly, winter returned in full force in March of that year, and our next migration didn’t occur until April 6.)

Although it was a relatively Small Night, it was notable for its diversity and near-record timing. Collectively, 33 Crossing Brigade volunteers moved 142 individual amphibians of 7 different species to safety at 9 crossing sites throughout the Monadnock Region. (Volunteers also checked two additional sites, where they did not find any amphibians afoot.) Spring peepers, wood frogs, Jefferson complex salamanders, Eastern newts, red-backed salamanders, four-toed salamanders, and bullfrogs all made their first appearances of the year. No spotties yet, but if this warming trend continues, they could be next!

Read on for site-by-site details, listed alphabetically by town:

Henniker

River Road. One intrepid Crossing Brigadier spent a half-hour on patrol at River Road, where the ground is still well-frozen. Sadly, he only discovered 1 dead spring peeper.

Keene

Jordan Road. A fantastic foursome spent an hour and a half searching for salamanders on Jordan Road, where they crossed 1 Jefferson complex salamander and 4 wood frogs (+5 dead), and found 2 dead spring peepers — 5 live amphibians (+7 dead) in all.

A wood frog contemplates climate change at North Lincoln Street in Keene on February 28, 2024.
(photo © Brett Amy Thelen)

North Lincoln Street. As part of a longstanding partnership, the Harris Center worked with the City of Keene to close the North Lincoln Street crossing site to vehicles for Wednesday’s migration — an exciting conservation measure resulting from years of Big Night data collection at this site. In just over three hours, 22 enthusiastic volunteers counted 5 Eastern newts (+5 that had been killed before the road was closed), 26 wood frogs, 85 spring peepers, and 2 bullfrogs, for a total of 118 live amphibians (+5 dead).

Peterborough

Summer Street. This crossing site is still too frozen for any significant amphibian movement, but a terrific twosome did document Summer Street’s first wood frog of the year during a 10-minute drive-through survey.

Sullivan

Valley Road. A single salamander saver spent 20 minutes on patrol on Valley Road, but no amphibians were to be found. Better luck next time!

Seven different species were out and about on the evening of February 28, including red-backed (pictured) and four-toed salamanders at Forest Lake Road in Winchester.
(photo © Beckley Wooster)

Swanzey

Eaton Road, Matthews Road, and Swanzey Lake Road. Brief surveys of these three sites by two individual Brigadiers yielded 1 wood frog at Eaton Road, 3 wood frogs at Matthews Road, and 1 earthworm on Swanzey Lake Road, 4 frogs in all.

Westmoreland

Glebe Road. Two frog fans provided safe passage for 4 spring peepers in an hour of searching at Glebe Road.

Wilton

Whiting Hill Road. During a short scouting mission, a solo Brigadier crossed 4 wood frogs and 1 spring peeper in just 15 minutes, 5 frogs in all.

Winchester

Forest Lake Road. A dynamic duo spent 45 minutes on patrol at Forest Lake Road, where they crossed 3 four-toed salamanders (+1 dead), 1 red-backed salamander, and 1 wood frog, for a total of 5 live amphibians (+1 dead).

Do you have amphibian tallies or photos to share from February 28? We’ll update this report and the Salamander Crossing Brigade album on Flickr as we receive counts and photos, so send ’em on in!