Michigan Results 2012!

Spring has arrived and it is past due that I finish up my Michigan 2012 record keeping tasks. All of my records have been entered and tallied for a few months, but I had to update and fix some bugs in the database (Thanks Carl!). I am three to fourth months ahead my curve compared to last years results. With spring approaching, and new entries starting to come in, here is how 2011 turned out for me.

Let us see how I did with my goals for 2012:

1. Wood turtles from new river systems.

I made a much stronger effort to get to some new river systems in 2012. Having my own kayak definitely helped, but I still got off to a very slow start and didn't paddle until August. I spent many hours on the water from then on though and found woods in three new rivers. Check! I also struck out numerous times this year, for more than years past. I explored the edge of their range and distributional gaps in records more than previously and view this as a part of doing business.

2. Rifle River wood turtle.

Never made it out to the Rifle this year. I planned on it a few times, but skipped it for weather. It will be on the list again this year. If anyone does hear or have recent confirmed Rifle River Michigan wood turtle sightings, I would love to hear about them.

3. Fox snakes from new counties, specifically Macomb.

Epic fail. I worked hard at finding a Macomb Co fox snake. I hiked through patches of the remaining habitat on wonderful days in April, May, June, July and August and struck out. I have found another area close by I want to check out this year and hopefully this luck will turn.

4. SE Michigan Spotted turtle

Epic success! I found Clemmys in 2 new SE Michigan counties last year. It was a banner year for them. I never saw great numbers, but was able to find one or two at a bunch of new locations for myself. This will continue to be a huge area of focus for 2013.

5. MI spotted salamander.

Embarrassingly, I failed yet again. Hoping to turn this around in 2013...

6. MI newt.

Still no newts.

7. Lay more tin. More tin.

While not nearly enough, I did put some more boards out in a possible massassauga field close to home.

8. MI Box turtle.

A lone DOR boxie along a SW section of highway sadly cleared this goal for me. Now to turn up a live one.

9. Herp the UP (a western fox, wood turtle, or mink frog would make this even more sweet.)

I got as far north as Mackinac Island, which I guess technically falls into Mackinac County, part of the UP. For my purposes, I am not counting this though.

10. Record a respectable 150+ records for 2012.

and the final goal... I logged 193 records in 2012, coming oh so close to breaking the 200 record mark! This was huge for me. I discuss total numbers a few years back in this post about the 2010 field season, and set my 2011 goal at 200. I herped real hard that year and only logged 145, so I had lowered my standards to a reachable 150. Looks like that 200 mark is reachable after all.

Which brings us to 2013... I am going to try and limit a few goals in an effort to not spread myself thin. I am also hoping to spend some time out of state during prime time - May and June. Taking this into account my goals are (in no particular order):

1. Rifle River Woody

2. Macomb County foxy

3. Michigan spotted salamander

4. New wood turtle rivers

5. Log 175 herps for 2012

So many others missing the list, but I am trying to focus here. Honorable mentions include green snakes, hoggies, box turtles, the UP, Belle Isle  etc. So much to do, so little time. 

A quick look at my Michigan 2012 map.

And my total Michigan map - 644 records so far. Still lots of ground to cover out there. 

What are your goals for 2013?

Happy Herping!

BH

Michigan Results 2011

I have finally wrapped up Michigan for 2011 as well.  I had mentally thought this was a banner year, but was surprised to see myself fall short in a few categories.  Here were my goals for this year, as well as my Ohio results.

Michigan Goals 2011


1. Oakland County massasaugas at new locals.

Check. I added one new Oakland County local, but struck out at many more.

2. SE Michigan spotted turtle

Epic fail. Luckily, there is always next year...

3. Wood turtle from a new river system

Check.  It looks like I paddled 5 times last year.  3 of them were new rivers, all of which I found at least one turtle.  One trip I paddled a couple new sections of a previous river, but a few counties over.  We scored one turtle.  The last day, I once again paddled the Rifle River.  This river historically had wood turtles, but it is unclear if they are still present.  This was once again a failure.

4. MI spotted salamander.

Laughably, epic fail.
5. MI newt (?!??!)

Laughably, epic fail. This is actually humorous.
6. 200 + record year
(reaching 300 or 400 is possible in Ohio, but I expect it to be difficult in MI due to the much shorter field season and much lower diversity.  I just don't see the same numbers of animals as I did in Ohio)

Epic fail.  Sadly.  I worked hard this year and I thought for sure I would hit 200.  I ended up around the 145 mark!  Makes me wonder how I ever saw 300-400 a year in Ohio.  Looking back, I recorded 0 herps in March due to being in Hawaii.  This hurt.  It also looks like I didn't herp once in August.  Ouch.  I had just returned from Arizona in July to a newly purchased home.  Molly probably would have killed me, but I should have gotten out once or twice...

7. Lay tin.  Check.  I purchased and put out a few car hoods.  None of which have produced a year later. I need to get more aggressive on this front.

8. MI box turtle.  Epic fail.  I never got over to where they are a bit more common, but I keep hoping to stumble across one in the SE.

All in all, not a terrible year.  The wood turtling definitely kept things honorable.

So for 2012.  The goals I have been working on.

1.  Wood turtles from new river systems.
2.  Rifle River wood turtle.
3.  Fox snakes from new counties, specifically Macomb.
4.  SE Michigan Spotted turtle
5.  MI spotted salamander.
6.  MI newt.
7.  Lay more tin.  More tin.
8.  MI Box turtle.
9.  Herp the UP (a western fox, wood turtle, or mink frog would make this even more sweet.)
10. Record a respectable 150+ records for 2012.

2012 is more than half over and I have been working hard on a bunch of these.  Sadly, I have a ways to go.

BH

Ohio 2011 Goals - The results are in!

I made a post two winters ago now discussing goals I had set for myself for 2011 in Ohio and Michigan.  Well I am finally slogging through my data, admittedly during the wrong time of the year, and had finished up the Ohio portion. 

For Ohio 2011.

1. Herp with Carl and Brian a couple solid days this spring.  Check!

2. 50 records. Epic Fail! Although 30+ records was better than my last 2 years combined.

3. Get one of the last remaining animals I have yet to see that occur in Ohio. The ones I have left to see are short-headed garter snake (tried in 2006, 2010), Copperbellied watersnake (tried in 2007), Ouachita Map turtle (tried in 2006) and southern leopard frog. Epic Fail!  I didn't actually try for anything of these, but maybe some day...

My Michigan data for 2011 is wrapping up pretty nicely though.  It was a very good year in the field for me in Michigan and on a couple travels. I hope to be done with it soon.  My Michigan and Ohio 2012 data are looking pretty miserable.  The weather and work has made this season fairly difficult.  I still have August and September to try and salvage some of the paddling stuff, I just need people to paddle with...  Maybe I shouldn't be wasting time in the summer on field notes?

Who wants to come up and paddle Michigan?

BH

Winter Tasks: 2

2. Keeping records

Record keeping is important for a many reasons.  First of all, your memory is only going to get worse, and it is easy to forget old outtings.  Second, there is much to learn from your previous work, which can greatly help you in your future searches.  Third, your data is important and should be made available to people who can use it.

I really should be better about keeping more acurate data (temperature, moon, wind, etc) but I find if I focus on too much, I just don't do it.  I record date, time, GPS location, and try to photograph every animal I see.  If it was found on the road, I will put AOR or DOR in (active on road, dead on road) in my data.  When pertinent I will also record any interesting or notable comments about the find.  I also try to include people who were present for the find as well.

Most of this data sits around all year, and then I try to get it all entered in the winter.  Just tonight I finshed my data for 2010.  It wasn't my best year, but it was memorable as they all are.  Mainly, I was super busy, and just didn't get in the field as much as years past.  This year was a good year for trips though, and I logged entries in 4 other states as well as Costa Rica.

When keeping data, try to stay simple. If you make it too complicated, you just want do it.  This is different for everyone, but try and find what works for you.

When traveling out of state, I utilize www.naherp.com.

Everyone should check it out.  I have links posted to it on my blog as well as my website. It is an online entry form, and you can upload pictures.  It is easy to view your entries on maps and search the entries of others.  The site has been up since 2006, and was started by a dedicated group of herpers to try and decreased the rift between academic and amateur herpetologists.  So far, there are 1284 users and 61900 entries from all across North America.  Data is visible only to the state and county level, and you can limit this more if you wish.  Researchers may search the database for data, and you can vote on whether you agree to release your data for certain projects.  The site is simple, easy to use and very convenient.  I recommend it highly.

I have logged 138 entries on the NAFHA site.  36 of these were logged in 2010.  A fairly slow year for my out of state outings.  I did log herps from FL, AZ, and PA on the site, but I didn't take as big of trips this year compared to 2009 (Texas, AZ, CA).  Hopefully, 2011 will be a banner year.  I am going to be in the relative herp poor Hawaii the whole month of March, but am already planning big out of state trips in May and July of this year. 

For my "home" states, I use a database logging system programed by friend and fellow herper Carl Brune.  It might not be as user friendly, and takes a little tech savy to get running, but I love it.  It is much easier to search and query your data compared to the NAFHA/NAHERP site.

I have been keeping Ohio data since 2004, and Michigan data since 2008.  The best feature is the maps that can be generated...

Ohio 2004, my first real herping season.  154 records (I plotted only townships I saw at least one animal, as opposed to plotting a dot for each specific animal)

2005 121 records
2006 398 records
2007 250 records
2008 140 records
2009 12 records
2010 18 records (total of 1096)

My map for all through 2010.

Pretty cool stuff.  You should see the map with dots for each animal...

Michigan
2008 52 records
2009 145 records
2010 110 records

2008

Through 2010 (308 records)

This process also helps you set some goals.  My MI goals for the year...

1. Oakland County massasaugas at new locals
2. SE Michigan spotted turtle
3. Wood turtle from a new river system
4. MI spotted salamander
5. MI newt (?!??!)
6. 200 + record year
     (reaching 300 or 400 is possible in Ohio, but I expect to be difficult in MI due to the much shorter field season and much lower diversity.  I just don't see the same numbers of animals I did in Ohio)
7. Lay tin.
8. MI box turtle

For Ohio.

1. Herp with Carl and Brian a couple solid days this spring.
2. 50 records
3. Get one of the last remaining animals I have yet to see that occur in Ohio. The ones I have left to see are short-headed garter snake (tried in 2006, 2010), Copperbellied watersnake (tried in 2007), Ouachita Map turtle (tried in 2006) and southern leopard frog.

So, how do you keep records and what are your goals for the field season?

BH