Tower Road

 

If we can discover the meaning in the trilling of a frog, 

perhaps we may understand why it is for us 

not merely noise 

but a song of poetry and emotion.

 

 – Adrian Forsyth

 

We headed out to see JH this evening. We had been invited to listen for and identify any frog calls at his place.

JH lives near a number of ponds and he hears the calls. He's caught frogs and toads out here. He sees (and identifies them regularly) so he has a list of creatures he expects we will hear. But there is always the question of which call belongs to which frog/toad. [And sometimes there is the question, "That's a frog call?"]

Arriving early, we enjoyed a little picnic before heading down the road and waiting for the frog calls to start.*

As expected (after a little bit of rain today) the Green Treefrogs started their bark/quack right at dusk. Before long they were joined by Blanchard's Cricket Frogs.

But where were the leopard frogs? Where were the American Bullfrogs? JH knows they are present on the property, but there were no calls from either.

Then we heard a distant trill. What was that? We walked back down the road, hoping to get close enough for a decent recording (never got a good one, but have a bad one).  "It's the Gulf Coast Toad," I said.**

JH kept walking and then called to us - he'd found a frog on the road. He took some wonderful photos before the frog headed towards the water.*** While about the size of a cricket frog, it looked like a Rio Grande Leopard Frog.****

We walked back to the car surrounded by the flashes of lightning bugs.

JH had hung a sheet and light as we finished up our monitoring of the last pond and we photographed insects attracted to the light before heading home, excited to find another area where we can listen to and see the hoppers.

Waiting for sundown.

Zelda and the boys (DH and JH) head toward the ponds. Note DH is ready for the insects we know will come to our lights.

A couple of ponds edge right up to the road. This is the first one. We monitored it last. Found only Blanchard's Cricket Frog's here (a 3 on the scale, full chorus).

Little bit of milkweed.

The Green Milkweed is setting seed pods. I'll be back to harvest soon.

Indian Blankets/Fire Wheels/Gaillardia

I know it's a bad photo, but it made me laugh. This thistle about to bloom looks a little like Zelda (with her Mohawk).

Horsemint from above.

Texas Prairie Parsley - JH says it is a favorite of some butterflies (Black Swallowtails) and bears watching.

More prairie parsley field and wildflowers in the meadow.

People wonder why we enjoy monitoring frogs. Look at the sky. Look at the water. It's hard not to love being out at the edge of a pond as the frogs begin to talk to one another.

We might have been out a little early, but that's okay.

Johnson Grass (I think my daddy called it Johnson Weed) is a menace, but even it can be lovely against the sky.

I was a little busy recording the frogs/toads, but managed to catch this lightning bug. At the end of the evening they were everywhere, but I was trying to conserve power (I could tell I had some calls to answer and phones were in the red).

My photo of the Rio Grande Leopard Frog. I post it only as a reminder that I will be getting a new cell - very soon.

Same frog, better cell camera. (JH)

JH (all rights reserved) also worked harder for the shots. At this point he was flat on the road.

These markings made us decide it was a RGLF. He was only about 1 3/4 inches long. It is no surprise that we brought no ruler (or bucket, net, or any other tool besides the phones. We were only here to listen and record.).

It pays to watch the road. American Millipede.

I'm always happy when the spiders are at the edge of the road, not across it (for me to find and flail to remove).

Two guys and a dog move back down the road.

The insects were fabulous.***** These are only a few. Grapevine Beetle (a polka dotted green June bug).

I am a sucker for delicate wings and antennae. (Ichneumon)

Two striped spittle bug

Looks like a green roach...and it is - Green Banana Cockroach. I could almost like roaches if they were all this pretty.

This is a tiny thing, but so lacy looking with its spots. Grape Leaffolder.

The same "wasp" as above, but I kinda liked the photo.

Virginia Creeper (yes, the vine is the host for this moth).

Why walk down a country road at night?

You tell me.

Dog tired.****** (Parpoozer)

 NOTES:

* I've been here during the day - one of those milkweed surveys, but this was the first time we had made it out to listen for the frogs.

** I am far from an expert. But I was so enchanted by the Gulf Coast Toad's lovely call, it has stayed in my mind. Checking with online sources confirmed the id.

*** This guy was a crazy-mad hopper (while not a scientific observation, it captures what this creature did).

**** These guys have such vivid markings. The bad photos are mine. The three good ones belong to JH - all rights reserved, folks!

*****All insects identified by JH. I am more than a little sad at that and would still be working on it this time next year. Thanks, J!

****** Zelda alerted almost the entire walk back to the car. She ran from side to side and was ready to head into the woods, old building, or high grass to meet the creatures out that night. DH kept her on a short leash. We may have to rethink her participation - or maybe put her on a different lead - for the next evening monitoring.

Final Comment:

We reached one pond and the frogs were silent. We waited. We waited. Finally, I clicked my tongue (much like I do to exchange greetings with the Green Kingfisher) and the cricket frogs began to call. It is always a thrill to hear their chorus, but stunning to find we can "converse."