The evening temperature was finally more seasonal and the frogs were singing up a chorus down by the pond. Even the tree frogs were adding their voices to the nature’s concert. I don’t if my tree frog was one of the performers or not, since I didn’t put a tracking device on him when I released him either.
Frog Performance
After I released my frog back into the wilds after spending several months during the winter inside my house, I figured I wouldn’t see him anymore. But I discovered he has been hanging around his old home that I left on the porch but he probably was upset with me since I hadn’t kept his home moist. And I let his ‘pond’ dry out so once I filled his pie pan with water, he was in it that night and the next night too.
Pie Pan Pond
Many people are scrambling to finish their taxes today, even though they had three extra days to file them. The April 15 filing date was pushed later because the 15th and Emancipation Day landed on the weekend which extended the filing date.
My tree frog, ‘Mr. Linty’, was ’emancipated’ although I am not sure my unexpected and unusual house pet was real thrilled with his re-entry to the outdoors since now he won’t have flies delivered to his indoor home which made it easy for him to catch his dinner. His indoor apartment, lined with moss even had a swimming pond. The last check this evening found him on the outside porch wall just above the lip of his container so he hasn’t wandered too far yet.
Linty’s Emancipation
Two little hepatica blossoms emerged but they were closed in the late afternoon when the clouds rolled in. The spring peepers were making their cheerful singing and a frog jumped into the pond, but I haven’t seen any tree frogs yet. Although maybe tomorrow it will be warm enough to release my house guest tree frog back to the great outdoors.
Floating Frog
While the robins may signal the return of spring, a very small amphibian announce spring in a loud chorus. More hints that spring is here was heard the last couple of days with the ‘Spring peepers’ high-pitched call coming from the pond.
The Peep from Spring Peeper
After I had no cats left in the house, I said I wasn’t having another pet in the house and that lasted until a squatter sneaked into my house. Apparently when I brought the flower pot late in the fall, in an attempt to save the last blooming plant, I also transported something else. And when the plant died and I quit watering it, the resident in the pot had to come out looking for water. So one day, I discovered a gray tree frog on my floor (covered in lint as he must have ventured under the dryer) and it was below zero so I couldn’t release him outside.
And although today would be warm enough, I don’t know if he would be able to find a place to burrow in with the ground frozen so I guess my pet gets to stay a little longer. So it was a good thing that I learned how to catch flies alive when I was a kid for my science experiments (like painting their wings different colors and releasing them to see were they went – although my mom wasn’t too appreciative of my experiment), but at least I have food for my unwanted pet.
Froggy Friday
Several frogs in my pond had a nice solution to the warm summer day by floating in the water.
Just Floating
Yesterday I heard the first frogs of spring, but they are not the deep sounding bull frogs or other larger species. Instead they are tiny little frogs, although they produce a loud noise, they are often less than an one inch long so they are very hard to find unless you see the water ripping as they make their music. On a warm night, the chorus of Spring Peeper carries on the air, as they emerge to feed and sing. They are among the first frogs in the regions to call in the spring and as their name suggests, their high-pitched call similar to that of a young chicken.
Spotting the Spring Peeper
Although most of the snow has melted, the pond still has some ice on it and when I scared the geese when cleaning the birdhouse, they walked across the ice to the other side of the pond. So I haven’t heard any frogs croaking yet, as the areas where there is open water, it feels rather icy yet.
No Croaking Yet
As Yukon Cornelius said in Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, “It isn’t a fit night out for man or beast.” And I think any critter outside last night in the two inches of rain on a chilly night would agree, even water loving critters like frogs.
Trying to Stay Dry
