I'm off to look for fish eggs this afternoon. Those little leaping smelts actually lay their eggs in gravely sand during a high tide right between the low and high tide lines. The egg survival is greatly assisted by having overhanging trees and shrubs that prevent the eggs from cooking in hot summer sun. This turns out, unfortunately, to be a relatively rare situation since we humans like to chop down the green stuff growing along the waterfront, especially along the pricey "low bank waterfront" land. Who knew there were fish eggs so far from the water?!

Diane Sanford, a local biologist and Stream Keeper, organized a training session so we've learned how to participate in the proper scientific protocols for recording the presence of smelt and sand lance (needle fish) eggs. You might see us from time to time in Roberts Creek or Chaster beaches with our sifting buckets, measuring tapes and dishpans trying to find some of the little rascals.