The sun came out, but it would not, of course, dry up all the rain... at least, not for several days, particularly at today's venue: a potential new Avalonia Land Conservancy preserve I was exploring. This one was quite close to home and, before I'd destroyed a knee and had to stop running, it served as an amphibian touchstone, since the wetlands it contained harbored the first-to-call Spring Peepers. Beginning in early March, this was the spot on which I concentrated my attention and where I listened intently for those bell-ringing frogs. It was, however, a bit too chilly for batrachians in mid-afternoon—the Wood Frogs were also pretty quiet—and there were surprisingly few birds. But in the more upland stretches of the Mountain-Laurel-rich woods, I did spot some signs of life... worrisome signs of life. The trees were heavy with Gypsy Moth egg clusters, and in many places, there were last year's pupal cases, along with the remnants of the caterpillars that had laid waste to so many leaves. This year's eggs remain unhatched, but I suspect they're feeling initial stirrings and will soon emerge. If we're lucky, it'll stay cold and wet: conditions conducive to the emergence of a Gypsy-Moth-caterpillar-killing fungus. A lousy spring is our best friend and definitely worth hoping for.