January 17 - 20
Sunday the 17th the pavement was wet at dusk, the evening showery, temperatures borderline. Sue helped Anne's crew of five, catching nine frogs early and 13 a bit later as it became wetter. A total of 13 males and 9 females getting a ride down to the wetland. Sue releases frogs at a little gap in the blackberry canes that line the berm tracing the north side of the pond, about 200 feet toward the river from Marina Way. From that vantage point she's been hearing a great horned owl hooting from the trees along the river. Last year a barred owl was calling from the same area. Might the eagle owl have evicted or killed the barred? That same spot, away from the traffic noise, is also where we go to be immersed in the winter chorus frog symphony. The treefrog leaders are warming up now, and a few nights hence all the males will join in, and the cloud ceilinged hall will be ablaze with song.
Light rain and and a warm night (49) made for a long, productive night for Jane's crew of on the 18th. The last release of frogs was at 11:00 PM. 58 frogs were caught going down to the pond, with 3 females headed back to the forest, the first of this year's migration to return to their ferny home. I happened by on my bike, coming from dinner at a local watering hole, and just in time to have birthday cake in the rain at the back of Jane's car. Happy Birthday to frogger Nancy Jane Cushing!
Happy amplexus at the door. The Fosters have a pond! (photo: Laura O Foster)
January 19th the temps slipped to borderline 45 in a light rain, with 21 frogs caught, 15 males and 6 females over the course of 5 hours. One female was headed back to the forest. The 20th was drier, with similar temps (45/43), light rain, with 2 frogs caught headed to the wetland and 2 escorted back to the forest in 3 hours of walking the pavement.