NO MORE PARTIES (I said it, but I guess I didn't mean it - you would have to know my friends)

Come come! Come Out!
From bogs old frogs command the dark

and look...the stars

~ Kikaku, Japanese Haiku

It is winter-ish* and a few of us have been listening for winter-breeding frogs. Down in Leander there is a location where the Strecker's Chorus Frog are calling while the Spotted Chorus Frog has been heard near Temple.** And they aren't calling to direct attention to the "stars." The males are calling to the females. It's courting conversation. It's more like "come over here baby!" [I know - not an appropriate pick-up line, but the frogs don't know that.]

This spot is usually dry. When the field floods the birds come out to eat whatever the water attracts (and forces out of the ground). If it is winter, the Spotted Chorus frogs wake up. This view explains why we will NOT see the frogs from the roadway. It also explains why we will be able to take audio recordings. It's a pretty quiet spot. The folks living nearby almost rolled their eyes - wait, they did roll their eyes - when I started talking about the frogs calling.

So, a few folks were interested in taking a short road trip up the highway in the hopes of hearing the Spotted Chorus Frog. There is always the hope we would SEE one too. But the frogs are calling from private property. We might have to be satisfied with recording the call (which is very distinctive - a fast call that sounds like one is running a fingernail across the small teeth of a comb). Anyway, I was the hostess as I am the one who knew where to find the frogs in question.

I know, I know - I said I wouldn't be responsible for any more events/activities after some of my past wayward attempts. But these folks are pretty easy - no sign-up and minimal organizational details required. They will show up or not. We will hear the frogs or not. If we open our eyes we will definitely see birds as we will be in the middle of a couple of "hot spots." One way or another it would work out - and it did.***

There was an attempt at gaining physical access to the property. I stopped at a nearby house and got the name and number of the person responsible for the land. Three phone calls later I got the "reluctant" refusal**** so we would stand at the fence and be satisfied with audio recordings.***** To prepare I visited the area a number of times during the last couple of days - to know if and when the frogs might be counted on to start their calls (so some of the photos may come from an earlier drive. The sky will tell - early morning shots are grey and dark. In later shots there is sunshine.).

KM and BD recording and checking out the field.

HY grabbed some amazing photos. He's promised to share.

In any event the group gathered and we headed down the road (as I made the last attempt at permission to cross the fence). The frogs were located and recorded in two spots (we also think we might have heard some calls of the Southern Leopard Frog later, but they didn't call long enough for us to record). 

Then it was on to the birds. We saw a Bald Eagle, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, the Vermilion Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrikes, American Kestrels, Northern Mockingbirds, Eastern Phoebes, Eastern Bluebirds, Wilson's Snipe, meadowlarks, hawks, cormorants, White-faced Ibis, Greater Yellowlegs, and ducks (lots and lots of ducks). Here you go:

I saw this Red-tailed Hawk on the first trip of the day. We saw another later.

Greater Yellowlegs filled the flooded field. I was reassured by KM that this species did not eat frogs. 

The shrikes were out in numbers.

The Canada Goose is called the rat of the bird world. I do like to hear and see them, but they are on the increase here.

The first of a few American Kestrels.

The Bald Eagle would appear early and again as we were preparing to leave...quite an accommodating bird.

I never get a decent "in flight" shot of anything, but this is the eagle.

Here is another.

Ring-billed Gull

DUCK BREAK: Yes, there were ducks. I took a few photos. The ducks are still mostly too far away for me to get good photos. I am often frustrated in the field when trying to identify them. But as the winter rolls along, I start to be lured into an appreciation of some of them.

Cinnamon Teal

Gadwall

Northern Shovelers

Here we have American Widgeons and a couple of Hooded Mergansers. The male merganser dove as I took the shot.  I think one of these ducks in the foreground is a juvenile and the other a female. I dunno. 

There is the adult male with that obvious white "hood." The wild-feathered wild-eyed bird  is the juvenile.

This might be a clearer shot of the male merganser.

There were other ducks - pintails, Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked Ducks, and likely a few more. [I have to stop including ducks or they might make me identify and count them on the Christmas Bird Count next year. And I do not do ducks.]

More birds and stuff:

White-faced Ibis

If you catch the sunlight just right their whole body glows an iridescent green...gorgeous.

Greater Yellowlegs

The Ibis is in the shadows, but it almost looks like these Wilson Snipe are showing off their improbably long beaks to  another bird with an impressive one.

Wilson's Snipe

This Killdeer popped up a the last minute.

Once the sun came out the turtles were warming up.

Another shot of the Greater Yellowlegs from where the frogs were calling. 

We saw 15 to 20 Canada Geese along our route. 

The Bald Eagle returned. 

One of our company was hoping to see the eagles. I really thought it was too late in the day. I'm glad I was wrong.

Most of the birds left the pond when the eagle arrived. This GBH moved up to a perch in one the trees surrounding that pond.

I didn't adjust any of the photos here. My computer is full and I don't have time. The Vermilion was high on a utility line as the sun was going down. I took a few "silhouette" shots before it turned and looked into the sun.

NOTES:

* We haven't had much of a winter this year.

** Yeah, it was me. I discovered them calling a couple of years ago while birdwatching and there are 3 or 4 spots where we look for them. This year I started hearing them in one area and quickly notified the Amphibian Watch folks I've been volunteering with the last three years.

***And I love these people - I trained with all of them at one time or another. They have taught and continue to teach me so much. And they make me laugh. What would be a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon?

****There are some "famous" examples of rare species impacting land use in our general area. Property owners and such are VERY reluctant to even whisper about an unusual species or let someone on their property to look (or listen).

*****I'm used to driving up and down these roads and being satisfied with recordings and photos made from the car.

Final Note: As we were about ready to leave (154 photos of the Vermilion Flycatcher) a car pulled up. It was a fellow just getting started in birdwatching. I showed him my camera, talked to him a bit, encouraged him to try a couple of "nature nerd" apps, and handed him my card. If he is serious (and writes for info) I can send him information about getting in touch with the local Audubon. 

People are starving for the wild.

I get fed regularly.

There is still enough to share - for now.