One thing about the warm winter rain is that the pond ice melted and frost came back out which allowed the owl living in my wood duck box to add a little variety to its Christmas dinner as it caught a frog that normally would be burrowed down deep for the winter.
Frog Legs Dinner
When I was near my pond today, I heard a lot of splashing as the frogs that were sunning themselves on the bank jumped back into the water when I got too close to them.
Jumping Frogs
When I went down to my pond this morning (and scared a duck that I didn’t see until too late), I noticed a a half dozen little green tree frog sunning themselves on the grass leaves. And they must have just recently changed from a tadpole as their tails hadn’t been fully reabsorbed yet.
Young Tree Frog
With the cooler temperatures and less humidity, I can finally have the windows open again and I heard the bluebird singing today besides the noisy wrens and the frogs add to the nature sounds when evening approaches.
Hearing the Frogs
The temperatures took a tumble and now the spring peepers are silent and with the forecast staying chilly, not sure when they will resume their chorus songs.
Spring Peeper not Peeping
Seventy must be the magical number as once the temperature hit 70 today, the spring peepers began their spring chorus and although a tiny frog, their sound carries a long ways.
Spring Peeper Peeping
With the change of the weather and the temperature barely reaching 60 degrees and the low in the 40s, I think these tree frogs are discussing whether it is time to start thinking about hibernation (or catching a ride south for the winter).
Frog Discussion
When I lifted the cover for the propane tank, I spotted a tree frog hiding under the lid and I always wonder if it could be an offspring of the tree frog that spent the winter in my house five years ago. At least the one inside my house didn’t do the mating call before I turned it loose outside in the spring as the tree frogs were rather noisy the prior evening.
Tree Frog Friend
The rain yesterday and the 50 degree temperature today thawed out some other frogs and they added their voices down at the pond making it sound more and more like spring.
More Frog Sounds
Waking up and not finding a new layer of snow was a welcome relief and having some sunshine for part of the day was an extra bonus. Although traces of snow can be found, a few hardy spring peepers welcomed the forty degree day by raising their chirping voices down at the pond for the first time this spring.
Spring Peeper Peeps Spring
