Last nights full moon high tide should have been great incentive for alewives to run into Muscongus Brook. Unfortunately is was only good.
My inspection this morning did reveal ~ 3-400 new dark alewives crowding
up in only the lowest few pools of the brook. Many fish were still in the pools
below the average high tide line, attracting lots of birds. These fish
apparently came in as the tide was falling in the early morning hours. In fact I
found a hundred or so that became trapped (strained out) and died in the falling tide
between a jumble of rocks. My fear is these alewife were held back from running
during the rising tide by elver fishermen. I wasn't there however.
I collected the dead alewives (2, 5 gallon buckets +) and gave them to
a lobster fisherman, of which I have been trying to keep him from taking the lives ones.
These somewhat cooler days may inspire more run attempts this weekend. I still haven't seen any mass of alewife as far as the old mill. A few have been seen above the southern RT 32 culvert. Perhaps this afternoon the ladder will be in action as these new recruits push the others further upstream.
1 comment:
This is frustrating to me. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for David who puts everything into this restoration effort.
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