The Daily Bucket–The Frog Goddess
Dozens of tadpoles are morphing into tiny frogs in my backyard ponds. This year, they are morphing busily in late August. In prior years, they usually morphed from tadpoles into frogs around Bastille Day, July 14.
I often remember the warm summer nights near the Papio Creek in Nebraska, sixty years ago, the frogs and toads morphed by the thousands and the ground seemed to come alive. This year in my back yard, I at least can see more than a dozen frogs during my round-trip through the Frog Mitigation Area
Seeing these tiny frogs leaping about, will cheer people up. I've pulled neighbors off the street to look at the frogs. I’ve also dragged the kid who does some weeding, his mom, the landscapers, the appliance repair workers, the house cleaners, and others to look at the tiny frogs.
“Oh, how cute! Muy linda, bueno.” are the universal responses. For a few minutes the adult onlookers are transported back to their childhood, perhaps to a creek side day when they watched the wee creatures.
After a while, they look up, smiling, a little surprised at the evocative moment. Some say they’ll bring by their grandson.
I live for those moments; spotting tiny frogs as they dart for hiding places, on their first week on dry land. Most of the frogs are much tinier than the first one pictured.
They live in a tiny fairy land, where a sprig of clover is a giant old growth survivor, and one must jump over a yawning abyss to move from cobble to cobble. But show a little patience, and you can feast on juicy gnats.
Part of the battle is looking at the pictures I’ve taken, wondering where the frog was. So for the next chapter of Stump the Bucketeers, see how many frogs you can spot in the blurry pictures to follow!
This frog is twice as big as the others so it is probably a year old, in contrast with the smaller frogs that are a week old. I assume larger frogs are females, and therefore Goddesses.
Now it’s your turn.
You’ve been reading The Daily Bucket,
a nature refuge.
We amicably discuss frogs, animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters, and life’s patterns.
Phenology is how we take earth’s pulse.
We discuss what we see in each Bucket.
We value all observations. Please comment about your own natural area, and include photos if possible. We love photos!
To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on Follow, and join to write a Bucket of your own observations.
SPOTLIGHT ON GREEN NEWS & VIEWS” IS POSTED EVERY SATURDAY AT 3:00 PM PACIFIC TIME ON THE DAILY KOS FRONT PAGE. IT'S A GREAT WAY TO CATCH UP ON DIARIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED. BE SURE TO RECOMMEND AND COMMENT IN THE DIARY.
Thanks for reading;
What have you noted in your area or travels? Any stealthy critters in your yard? Please post your observations and general location in your comments. I’ll check back by lunchtime.
/s/ Redwoodman
