River’s Calendar Field Methods
For Recording Phenology Observations
Draft – your feedback is welcome
For more information contact Jerry Schoen jschoen@cns.umass.edu
413-545-5532. WRRC, Blaisdell House, UMass Amherst MA 01003.
This and related guidance documents, including data entry tips, can be
found on our River’s Calendar site, on the Getting Started page.
To record your observations in our online database, please use the
River’s Calendar project on the iNaturalist web site:
http://www.inaturalist.org/projects/the-river-s-calendar.
Background.
The River’s Calendar project focuses primarily on EPTs:
Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies) and Trichoptera
(caddis flies). While we encourage every effort to identify observed
specimens to the finest taxonomic level possible (e.g. species), we
welcome any observations that at least get to the order level – if you
only know that it’s a mayfly, stonefly, or caddis fly, let us know, too!
This guidance incorporates two levels of effort:
 Level 1 is what one might observe and record while fishing.
 Level 2 involves a bit more effort – even putting the fly rod down
for a few minutes, an hour, or an evening, to concentrate on
collecting insects.
Instructions specific to level 2 are written in italics.
Before heading out - equipment checklist
Some of these are optional.
 Pencil – to record observations and/or to fill out paper slips that
go into collection vials.
 Data sheet or paper notebook for writing observations.
Alternatively, a dictation feature on a camera or phone can be
used to record notes by voice.
 Camera or cell phone. A unit with a macro feature is preferred,
for better closeups. Check batteries. Check date/time setting for
accuracy.
 GPS unit or location aware cell phone helps, but is not required.
 Thermometer.
 Net for collecting insects. If doing level 2 collecting, we
recommend a net with 6-8” or wider opening, such as one of the
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larger aquarium nets. A smaller aquarium type net (3-4”
opening) that fits in your vest works fine for level 1 collecting.
Vials with alcohol (ethyl is preferred) if preserving specimens.
Paper slips to insert into vials. If you know where you are going,
you might want to fill these out before you leave home: date,
river / site, your name, and place them in the vials. But
remember to change these if you change your expected
destination.
Empty vial or similar small container (ideally with holes/screen
top) if collecting live insects. Two reasons for this: A) to
photograph later, at home (more on photography tips in another
document); B) if male mayfly duns can be kept alive long
enough to molt into spinners (1-3 days?), they are then easier to
ID to species level. More on that in the ID tips document.
Cooler (with ice) if preserving live specimens in hot weather.
Upon arrival at stream
 Record river, site name, your name, date, time arrived.
 Record weather, water conditions, etc. as listed on data sheet.
 Take, record air temperature. Hold thermometer in shade (or
hang from a branch etc. in shade), wait at least 60 seconds or
until reading stabilizes.
 Then take water temperature. Submerge for at least 30 seconds.
Observe temperature immediately on retrieval from water – it
can change quickly when exposed to air.
 If you are on stream for several hours, it can help to take stream
& air temperature 2 or 3 times.
 Look for aquatic insects in the air, particularly any that are near
streamside foliage. Take a close look at the foliage, to see if
there are any individual specimens you can either pick off or
collect with the net: using a decent-sized net (6-8” or so across.
In a pinch, your hat or your landing net may do), sweep the
streamside foliage.
 Look for, collect specimens floating in calm waters near shore.
 Inspect, photograph or preserve specimens of interest.
 If you are only observing while fishing, try to catch some
specimens for closer inspection, photography or to preserve for
later scrutiny. An ID made of an insect on the wing is highly
unreliable for all but a very few species.
 See associated document on photographing specimens, but one
suggestion: try to get at least 2 specimens of each species;
preserve one in alcohol before it flies off, then try to photograph
the live one before it flies off. Good luck with that.
 Record insect, fish activity. See below.
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Documenting insect, fish activity:
Several things to look for:
 Insects active in air.
 Mating activity
 Insects hatching.
Insects dead on water.
 Insects in streamside foliage.
Exuvia (shedded exoskeletons) floating, on rocks or streamside
foliage. It wouldn’t hurt to collect some of these. They can
sometimes be compared with adult specimens to help with IDs.
For insect specimens observed, record the following:
 Latin or common name, to the best of your ability, even just a
descriptor like “yellow mayfly”. The minimum ID we are looking
for is to taxonomic order: e.g. Ephemeroptera (mayfly),
Plecoptera (stonefly) or Trichoptera (caddis fly). Recording this
information while on stream is most important if it is not
accompanied by a photo or specimen. Identifications can be
confirmed and often upgraded later, by closer inspection of the
photo or specimen.
 For mayflies: document dun/spinner (subimago/imago) stage.
 Size of species observed. Millimeters is preferred unit. See the
handy-dandy conversion chart, below.
 Activity (e.g. from above: dead, mating, flying, hatching, etc.)
 Abundance - e.g. sparse, moderate, heavy.
 Try to note characters that will be useful in identification:
approximate size, color, clear or opaque wings, lines or blotchy
pattern of wings, how many tails. However, be careful – tails
are easily detached. Sometimes you see one or two tails on a
specimen that started out with 3, before being so rudely
interrupted.
Fish activity:
Indicate whether: no rises; sparse, moderate, or heavy rising activity.
Optional: document other activity of interest: flowering/leafing plants
wildlife observations, fish caught or not, other anglers, river photos,
etc.
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Instructions on collecting specimens:
Proper labeling: This can be done back at car or perhaps at home,
but only if there’s no danger of mixing up specimens/vials. It must be
done before embarking on another fishing/sampling trip, to avoid
confusion.
Write in pencil. Alcohol or water can render ink illegible.
List date, location, your name (remember, these may later be
combined with collections from other anglers). It’s not important at
this time to try to record IDs for the specimens in the bottle.
Write on paper slips inserted in vials, or on labels on outside of vials.
If collecting live specimens: depending on how long you are out, and
on how hot the day is, you may arrive home with cooked specimens.
Try to keep them cool – a trip to the car & cooler, or a jury-rigged
pocket size Koolit packet may extend their lives for a few hours. Which
is a pretty good slice of life for these ephemeral creatures, when you
think about it.
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Hook size – millimeter – inch comparison
Adapted from Fly Fishing Entomology.com
http://www.flyfishingentomology.com/Adult%20Mayfly%20Identification.htm
When we consider hook #, we refer to the traditional Mustad dry fly
hook.
Hook #
28
26
24
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
mm
2
3
4
5
6
7
9
11
12
13
15
18
25
31
37
Inches
1/8
1/4
3/8
1/2
5/8
3/4
1
1 1/4
1 1/2
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