Home for a Grey Tree Frog

Back in February of 2015 I wrote about trying to make inviting homes for Grey Tree Frogs by pounding 4-foot chunks of PVC pipe into the ground. The idea is that the frogs would climb up these vertical columns and then descend into the dark, moist space within -- protected from most predators. I checked these "homes" for more than a year and only rarely found them inhabited by anything but spiders.

It turns out that I was too cerebral in my approach to creating habitats. The perfect Grey Tree Frog home turns out to be . . . a partially filled plastic watering can. Yep, a Grey Tree Frog can climb in and out with ease, cool off in the water, find the occasional insect, and even shelter in the hollow spout or handle.

Who could ask for anything more? The little fella has been living in and around his spacious home for most of the summer. He has sometimes even made the trip inside the cabin as my wife refilled the watering can preparatory to tending to her deck plants.

Breakfast at the Pond Cafe -- Sushi or Frog Legs?

A barred owl awaiting his breakfast. Click to embiggen.

During the past year a barred owl has taken up residence near our cabin and has discovered that the goldfish and frogs in my pond make perfect snacks.

My first close encounter with this owl came last November. I was walking up from the beach and I passed next to a large oak tree with a hollow core. Perched within the hollow, this owl was almost nose to nose with me. We both stared in wonder for several long seconds. Then I started fumbling for my phone, hoping to snap a close-up photo. By the time I was armed and ready, the owl had flapped up onto a nearby branch. The photo I took was a little more distant, but still recognizably owlish.

My first snapshot of the barred owl

Then in early spring Sue saw it swoop down over the pond and snatch a frog from the water which it gleefully devoured right before her eyes.

The dead frog is just visible on the ground beneath the owl's beak

Finally, this week the barred owl remained perched on a persimmon branch for a good, long time while waiting for breakfast to be served. I was able to set up my 4" telescope and take the picture with which I opened this blog. But you can't watch an owl from a distance of fifteen feet without also having the owl watch you.

Who?

The owl's patience was eventually rewarded with another breakfast of frog legs.

BioInventory at Bull Shoals White River State Park -- 7/15/2015

This week the usual BioInventory group gathered at the park, but we came upon some rather unusual flora and fauna. The most surprising to me were two small frogs. The first we saw was this little Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus utricularius):

Several things surprised me about this little fellow. First off, I was surprised by how small he was. I see lots of Southern Leopard Frogs by my pond, but so far the froglets have evaded my observation. This small frog also surprised me by being so brown and so far from any breeding pool. (I know of no ponds near our location along the bike path at BSWRSP.) Yet here he was, with sharply pointed snout, his pattern of leopard spots, and his prominent lateral folds. Very odd  indeed.

The second frog we saw was a young Spring Peeper (Hyla crucifer). I have been trying all year to find a Spring Peeper and have stood right in the middle of a deafening Peeper chorus without being able to catch sight of one. Yet one of our sharp-eyed master naturalists was able to see one hopping along the forest floor at 10 o'clock on a sunny summer morning. Remarkable!

With the wet spring and summer we have had, the wildflowers were still quite plentiful. The prettiest of them all was the Rose Pink (Sabatia angularis). This flower is growing in profusion along many roadsides. At the park we saw a particularly flourishing patch in a strip of land that is bush-hogged and deforested for a high-voltage power line. Oddly there was a profusion of wildflowers along the eastern edge of this strip and a profusion of Lespedeza along the other edge.

Much tinier, but almost as pretty were two different varieties of St. John's Wort. First we saw Reclining St. Andrew's Cross (Hypericum stragulum).

And then somewhat later we saw multiple specimens of False-Spotted St. John's Wort (Hypericum pseudomaculatum -- or perhaps it was Spotted St. John's Wort, Hypericum punctatum).

Equally colorful was a Red Velvet Jumping Spider (perhaps Phidippus apacheanus) that I happened to notice on the stem of one flower.

Finally, after we returned home and I was taking a nature walk out by my pond, I snapped one more photo that I will include as a tribute to my good friend Norm Lavers. This snapshot shows a pair of mating robber flies. I'm not learned enough to identify the species from this tangle of body parts!

Baked Toad Eggs and Other Observations

This has been a wet spring, and unlike last year when I never heard Spring Peepers at my pond, this year they have been a reliable presence for the past month. Frustratingly, I have not yet been able to photograph one. I have stood right among them, listening to their deafening calls, but I just couldn't SEE them! I did, however, capture some Spring Peeper tadpoles from an ephemeral pool. They are now in a pickle jar on the deck, developing nicely.

Here are two photos of very young Spring Peeper tadpoles:

As it happens, we have had a little streak of dry weather and the ephemeral pools are drying up. This is what happens when frogs and toads don't have access to hydrology reports and good long-term weather forecasts:

Baked Frogs Eggs

Baked Toad Eggs

Frogs and toads are not, however, easily daunted by adversity. It is a pleasure to watch them merrily continue their courting and frolicking:

Even Frogs Tried to Get Out of the Rain

Winter kept its chilly grip on Arkansas well into March. First there was February, which was bone cold and icy. And then just as the first days of March gave promise of spring, a final winter storm slashed down from the Arctic on March 5th to dump six inches of sloppy snow.

March 5th Snowfall - (taken with Fire HD6)

That was followed by about a week of steady, soaking showers.

Even Frogs Tried to Stay Out of the Rain

But none of that is really bad news. The late snowfall left the ground saturated and filled the ephemeral pools in which Spring Peepers and Wood Frogs prefer to breed. The rain got all the waterfalls running and brought the lake level back to normal. And now warm weather has brought out the Southern Leopard Frogs.

These photos were all taken at about 100x from a distance of 40 feet

So far I've heard Spring Peepers, Southern Leopard Frogs, and Dwarf American Toads at my pond--all of them more active during the daylight hours than after dark (perhaps because it cools off quickly after dark and these are ectothermic critters).

I'm not seeing spring flowers yet except for daffodils and crocuses, but a few butterflies and bees are beginning to beat the air and life is good.

Taken with Fire HD6 and macro lens

Taken with Fire HD6

Mourning Cloak  - Fire HD6 an macro lens

Update 3/17/2015: It stayed warm last night--64 degrees at 8pm and still in the mid-50s by dawn. As a result the frogs were partying hard all night. Here are a couple of close-ups of Dwarf American Toads.

Preparing for My FrogWatch Season

It is a warm day in February and it seemed like just the right time to clean up around the pond. I scooped some leaves from the bottom and raked around the edges. Then I decided to add four "treefrog houses." I had read that treefrogs willingly take up residence inside chunks of 1 1/2" PVC pipe that has been pounded into the ground. This makes a certain amount of sense. The rainwater that trickles inside the pipe will keep the habitat moist and dark, just as the frogs like it.

Then I decided to improve on the natural treefrog abodes in my two Bradford Pear trees. As you can see, I used some bark to more completely enclose the space between a natural V in the tree trunks. By watering those areas down from time to time I hope to make them inviting enough for the gray treefrogs in the area.


I don't expect to hear or see any frogs for another month, but I did get to enjoy one herping delight as I was working outside. The faucet which turns on the outside hose is actually below ground in a hole that I cover with styrofoam so that the pipe doesn't freeze. When I got down into the damp, muddy enclosure to turn on the faucet for the first time this spring, I was quite delighted to see a spotted salamander. I didn't want to risk hurting him by catching him so I can't post a picture. But here is link to a photo by Kory Roberts that shows the handsome critter.

Though I may not get to hear any frogs after dark tonight, I'm looking forward with equal eagerness to seeing Jupiter at opposition through my 8" scope. One of the pleasures of living way out in the boonies is that we have a true dark sky location. Here is a link to a web page that shows the sad story of light pollution in North America.