Mac in hand

At twilight, I led a small but ardent contingent of vernal pool aficionados to the Babcock Ridge wetlands, and though the ponds were quiet in the chill, I had high hopes of finding something interesting. I knew we'd spot Fairy Shrimp, since I'd seen them here a few days earlier, and sure enough, i was able to reel, well, net, them in for viewing. But as I went wading into the deeper-than-I'd-expected water—good thing I was in chest-high waders—I scanned the leaf litter carefully for one particular species. I'd started the walk by showing off a Spotted Salamander I'd found at my vernal pool during the monsoon last weekend, and while that was impressive enough, no one in the trio accompanying me had ever seen one of these magnificent animals in the wild. When I saw a spotted tail about three feet down, I said a quick prayer and then gently eased my net under the amphibian. A quick turn of the wrist and success! Sometimes wishes come true.