When Tropical Storm Andrea passed through the Carolinas last Friday, she was riding a wave of tropical moisture, a wave which seemed to break right over the Sandhills. The record-setting rainfall in a highly compressed timeframe sent creeks surging over their banks and ponds spilling over their dams, creating temporary ponds of every low place and bottom for miles around. Some of these little ponds were gone within hours, others a few days.
However, in a few instances, the topography and soil type will conspire to create a more persistent aqueous feature which might last for weeks. These ephemeral ponds are a boon for amphibians, who depend upon heavy spring rains to create brood ponds for the aquatic phase of the next generation's development. As luck would have it, Hunter and Jay and Dad happened upon one of these sites along a rural Moore county roadway just as Andrea was exiting the Sandhills last Friday night. Thanks to heroic efforts by the boys in a pouring rain, and some grueling post-production work by Jay, Hoot Owl Karma brings you this video of the Sandhills treefrog chorus in action.
Thanks, that was fantastic!!
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