McLane Creek Nature Trail pond is one of the best places in the Olympia area to
see Rough-skinned Newts. They are probably there in close to peak numbers about
now, though they'll be present in high numbers well into June.

I took John Stofflet there for a segment that was broadcast on Evening Magazine.

Kelly McAllister
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Olympia, Washington
Reply to: mcallkrm at dfw.wa.gov

On Thu, 10 Mar 2005, Guttman, Burt wrote:

> Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 09:42:12 -0800
> From: "Guttman, Burt" <GuttmanB at evergreen.edu>
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: [Tweeters] McLane Creek; birds and newts
>
> My grandson Benjy and I walked McLane Creek, southwest of Olympia, yesterday.
Red-winged Blackbirds singing and establishing territories; Mallards, Am Wigeon,
Wood Ducks, Hooded Merganser, and Ring-necked Ducks on the pond. Then we started
to see little brown newts, and by the end of our walk we had seen a dozen of them!
Using Leonard, Brown, Jones, McAllister, and Storm's Amphibians of Washington and
Oregon, I would call all of them the aquatic-phase adult form (male?) of the
Rough-skinned Newt. Kelly M.: Is it unusual to see so many of them? It sure
was unusual for me, and for Benjy. He was very excited by them. Also, one
Red-legged Frog. All in all, a great morning.
>
> Burt Guttman
> The Evergreen State College
> Olympia, WA 98505 guttmanb at evergreen.edu
> Home: 7334 Holmes Island Road S. E., Olympia, 98503
>
>