Sunday, June 23, 2013,

I took an early morning hike through Avalon Preserve Friday. It was the first day of summer and truly beautiful. ‘Glorious’ as my friend Sue would say. As soon as I entered through the gate, Catbirds were serenading me. Always a good start to any day. After climbing the stone steps to where the Frog Pond is – that’s what I call it, I don’t know that it has an official name – I found myself being serenaded by an entirely different set of critters.

The banjo twang of the Northern Green Frog my not be as intricate or downright pretty as the melodies of the Gray Catbird, but to me it is no less welcome. When I was growing up, frogs (and toads) were everywhere. Their calls, especially at night, were a natural part of the landscape. The choruses of several species of frogs near any body of fresh water was a given from early spring throughout the entire summer.  But we live in a different world today. Amphibians have been in crisis for over two decades. They have been disappearing worldwide at an alarming rate. Those choruses that have provided the background soundtrack on this planet for over 370 million years are being silenced all too rapidly. These songs were already ancient when the first dinosaurs started showing up, let alone Catbirds. I miss those songs; I miss their sheer abundance. I think the whole planet is a lesser place without them. So when I tell you that I appreciate the song of our local frogs, from the deep bass of Bullfrogs to the high soprano calls of Spring Peepers and all those in between, please note that this is one occasion when I’m not being a wiseguy.

These pics are of two different Northern Green Frogs. As you can see, Green Frog coloration can vary quite a bit even amongst the same population. I took the first shot just after six AM. (I told you I was out early). The second shot was taken just before eight after I had strolled through Avalon’s fields. As always, I was out looking for pics to take. I took well over 500 hundred photographs that morning, capturing shots of several bees, birds, flowers, rabbits, and turtles, but these two pics were my favorites of the day. They were also the most difficult. I really had to stealth both of these guys. Judging their approximate location by their calls is one thing, but actually finding them and getting close enough to grab a shot is another. When I was young, I was very good at finding and catching anything from frogs, snakes, or turtles. It was what we did when we weren’t playing baseball. To be honest, I was much better at catching critters than I was fly balls. It’s nice to know I still have some skills left. I still don’t suggest putting me in center field. JK