Yep. Males guarding the nests they have prepared. They could be waiting for a suitable female to spawn with, or they could have already spawned and are guarding and fanning the eggs or guarding fry.
If you have a mask and snorkel, you can carefully slip into the water and observe up close. Just move slow and approach the nests slow. The BG may flee temporarily but will return promptly. Be prepared to get a nip or two from particularly aggressive males, trying to run you off.
Once you are there and hold still for a while, they will get used to you. Just pick a single nest to concentrate on, park your face about a foot or two from the nest, and lay there motionless. The male will dart away but will be back within a few seconds. If he does not come back, back off a little farther and he will. Then you can slowly advance as he gets braver with you.
I was snorkeling with a dive buddy at his vacation home in Cape Cod a couple weeks ago at one of the local glacier created ponds. We saw numerous Pumpkinseed on the nest, one with eggs in the bottom of the nest, and possibly another with fry. I could not tell if the one with fry belonged to the PS nearby or a LMB nearby. The fry were as small as knats. Aslo found a few LMB on the nests and one male LMB guarding a nest full of slightly larger fry. Were hundreds if not thousands.
Cool stuff. Get you a mask and snorkel and get right in there with them. Move carefully so as to not muck up the water. No need for fins cause all the action will be in water you can stand up in.
Last edited by snrub; 07/10/15 06:48 PM.
