Frog Chorus

Theories pass. The frog remains. Jean Rostand
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Theories pass. The frog remains.

~ Jean Rostand

Theories pass. The frog remains.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jeanrostan380168.html?src=t_frog

Theories pass. The frog remains. Jean Rostand
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/frog.html

One would think that DH and I would tire of our frog adventures. But I do not see how we will ever tire of seeing and hearing these (and other) creatures in our dwindling wild areas. It somehow always seems fresh and new.*

The short of it? We saw and/or heard Green Tree Frogs, Gulf Coast Toads, Blanchard's Cricket Frogs, Rio Grande Leopard Frogs, American Bullfrog, and the Upland Chorus Frog.**

I love the sunsets at Berry Springs.

Here's the long of it:

We arrived early and heard the frogs before we left the parking lot. At times of the year Blanchard's Cricket Frogs will call throughout the day. We have heard them in the morning and early afternoon at other locations. And they almost drown out the others with their click, click, click-click-click. But tonight they were joined almost immediately by the bark of the Green Tree Frog.

For such a lovely and delicate creature, Green Tree Frogs surprise with their harsh bark. I quickly turned on my audio recorder as I had "missed" recording a call of this frog or that by delaying (and fumble-fingers). As the tree frog called the Gulf Coast Toad joined the choir.***

Rio Grande Leopard Frog calls punctuated the drone of night calling insects and the other amphibians. But the call of the American Bullfrog was missing (for me). Others heard one, but I did not.

DH and I walked the northeast bank and headed across the boardwalk to a bridge that crosses the westernmost section of pond. We are usually able to get clear recordings of frogs from that vantage point. We found cricket frogs and leopard frogs quickly and made our recordings before heading back to the main group.

Vines cover one half of "our" bridge.

But the "group" was not at the usual observation point - only KM was there, recording.

Where was everyone?

They were all along the creek looking at "mammals" swimming at the far side of the stream. What were they? Everyone had an idea - river otters, nutria, beavers.... But no one had binoculars and no one could see them clearly.****

I wandered over to the spot where the group was watching the "mammals." HY and I stayed behind as the others went back to frog hunting. We talked about the possible identity of the creatures and then spied an American Bullfrog. We aren't sure why, perhaps our lights were attracting insects, but the frog swam towards us - from about 20 feet away to about 4 feet away. We were able to see him clearly as he swam from spot to spot.***** Our attempt to capture him physically was hampered by his last perch on twigs in the stream. But the photos are enough.

Do you see the American Bullfrog clinging to the forked twigs in the center? He is almost half out of the water.

We saw the Gulf Coast Toad with the air sac in his throat ballooned out - a resonance chamber that amplifies the sound of the call.****** It was just another first of the evening - the first time I remember seeing this, as much as I felt I knew this toad. And toads called from all around the pond area.

We finished the official watch by finding a scorpion at the pavilion (smaller by half than the one we saw at Devine Lake Park earlier in the month).

Scorpion glowing under the ultraviolet light.

But wait - KM knew of one more spot in the park that sometimes contains more and varied creatures. This spot is really a low spot. No rain - nothing happening. So some of us headed over for one more try at hoppers. One cricket frog called and three hunters - KM, DH, and HY heard what they believe to be was the call of the Upland Chorus Frog. It only called once (a call described as similar to the sound made when rubbing one's thumb across the teeth of a comb).

Our last few minutes were spent "checking the books" and the "checking the Internet" to see if these frogs are even found in this county.

We left cautiously optimistic and with another item on the list for monitoring in this park.

OTHER STUFF:

As we met in the parking lot four Scissor-tailed Flycatchers flew loops above us - doing what their name describes - catching insects flying above. We saw Great Blue Heron and Yellow-Crowned Night Heron. We heard a Barred Owl calling in the woods.

Between these small trees, in the corner of water were the two Yellow-crowned Night Heron.

One of the wonderful things about these projects is all the bonuses - spending time with learned colleagues who help us broaden our understanding of the outdoors and the many plants and creatures we run across.
 

NOTES:

*And stay tuned. We are not hunting eggs on Easter Sunday. We will be hunting milkweed (but there is no telling what else we might find).

**Yeah, I had never heard of the Upland Chorus Frog before either. And I did not "hear" it this time either. But DH and others did hear it. And that knowledge that the frog is in this park will inform our next trip.

***Have I heard a Gulf Coast Toad call? I am sure I had heard the call, but never connected it to the toad. These are the "frogs" of my youth. Yeah, we knew they were toads, but we called them "frogs" anyway. They were everywhere in my neighborhood (of course, I grew up on the gulf coast). They were so plentiful at home that we often saw their flattened bodies on the street - victims of modern society. These are also those whose juveniles were hopping all over the banks of the Frio in October, 2016.

****I have researched the possibilities. Beavers are known to be in this stream. I am betting there will be binoculars available next month.

*****I now regret I did not try a video as he swam. This was another first for me. I have never seen a bullfrog swim like that. He was a lovely frog.

****** http://infinitespider.com/frogs-make-sound-hear/

Gaillardia - Fire Wheel bloomed around the parking area.

We found a bag worm hanging from a twig as we were following a call into a stretch of brush.

I saw the Water Willow blooming at the edge of the pond.

Only after I came home did I spy the exuviae, the abandoned skin shed by a dragonfly nymph (another thing I learned at an earlier Amphibian Watch this year).