Fig 1 – Green bubbles (?) in a vernal pond 032619

Did a lunchtime walk with friends, Alan and Laurie, today and noticed all sorts of things happening.  Do any of you know what these photos are capturing? I found gooey green slimes in a vernal pond, Figure 1.

Scroll down for other images. Keep scrolling for my interpretations of these items.  Please give me any feedback you have.

Fig 2 – Orange stains on beds of clear water creeks

Then there are orange seeps in some of the creeks, Fig 2.

Fig 3 – Soft pointed spears rimming a soft yellow green pad.

Then there are the arrays of red spears protecting the pistachio green pillows on granitic gneiss adjacent to Lake Elkhorn, Figure 3.

Answers: see below:

1. Sure looks like frog eggs to me. Can you guess the species?
2. Insoluble ferric oxides from orange iron reducing bacteria.
3. Moss sending up sporophytes which will release pollen shortly.

Ned is the author of The Chesapeake Watershed, Saving the Places we Love, and The Big Melt.