More Frogs Than We Could Count

Humans are amphibians...

half spirit and half animal...

as spirits they belong to the eternal world,

but as animals they inhabit time.

~ C. S. Lewis

We haven't been to an official Amphibian Watch in a couple of months* so we were excited to get out to Berry Springs Park and see what the warm wet weather would bring.

Fire-wheels, Indian blanket, Gaillardia  pulchella**

These were the first bloomers in the grass bordering the upper parking area.

The Blanchard's Cricket Frogs were clicking their calls as we  walked up to the group of fellow watchers (many from our class of master naturalists). One frog would start and would be joined by frog after frog until a chorus of clicking filled the evening air.

A large heron flew over at dusk. The pond often hosts a Yellow-crowned Night-heron, but it was too dark for me to confirm it was the bird we know.

I counted four bats overhead - feeding and drinking. A couple of water snakes went swimming by - one on the pond and one on the creek.

Bullfrogs' deep throaty calls came - one close to where we were standing and then others around the pond.

A little later the Rio Grand Leopard Frogs began their "brrrrmp" and chattering back and forth.

More than a few times it seemed the frogs were competing for attention 

These remind me of mayflies, but are smaller than I thought they would be. They were attracted to the cell phone I was using to record frog songs.

DH and I headed around the pond to a bridge that is a perfect spot to monitor the back of the pond. We listened and recorded the cricket frogs, some 5 leopard frogs, and one bullfrog.

No frogs were caught, but there were photos and recordings and those are sufficient for reporting.

Then, just before we left the area, we all used our flashlights in an attempt to observe the cricket frogs as they clicked their monotonous tune. Instead we were treated to a frog embrace or amplexus.***


NOTES:

* Travel and commitments have prevented our participation.

** https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=GAPU

*** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amplexus
[Oops! Correction: It wasn't amplexus. It was "foot flagging" as each male demonstrated his maleness by extending his leg and flashing his foot over and over. How does one say, "Quien es mas macho?" in cricket frog clicks? With a foot, leg extended.]


Final Notes:

We have learned that some of the group saw river otters too. Maybe we will see them at a future monitoring.

It is hard to share the chaotic excitement of these amphibian watch events. Here is a little "run down" of what is happening - sometimes all at once:

-New volunteers show up and get some general directions.
-Scientific readings are taken (water temperature, air temperature, humidity ....
-Bats appear so the bat detector is taken out.
-Nets are handed out. People spread out around the park.
-People are talking and sharing observations/sightings of all kinds of creatures - not just frogs.
-Time is coordinated for periods of "silence" when calls can be identified and recorded.
-Observations are documented.