NANFA-L-- A Quick Visit To A Creek On A Spring Day

Bruce Stallsmith (fundulus-in-hotmail.com)
Sun, 29 Jan 2006 19:17:34 -0500

Today was in the upper 60s F and sunny. I drove out to a site I haven't
collected-in-on Limestone Creek, Madison County, Alabama, just south of the
Tennessee line. Water has been high for the last week from heavy rains, and
I wanted to scout this site before I take a small class there tomorrow.
Water was up and flowing quickly, but most of the area was wadable-in-no
more than mid-thigh; so I can take my class out tomorrow. I also swung
around my heavy dipnet looking especially for black darters (for a
reproduction project of a graduate student) and flame chubs, the latter of
which have never been reported from this creek to my knowledge. In ten
minutes I had both, along a fairly calm bank. The male flame chub was
beginning to color up, with an underside of a vivid purply-orange, on the
way to being brilliant orange. One male black darter had the most vivid red
dorsal markings I've seen in the species. It's been a mild winter, and I
take the colors as a sign of incipient spring. At least I hope so!

--Bruce Stallsmith
Limestone Creek runs into the Tennessee
Huntsville, AL, US of A
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