Thanx for sharing this, Bill. After this winter, it's good to know spring is on the way when you hear these guys "peeping".
Nice shots!
John-
another barren night
- Thread starter whippoorbill
- Start date
Thanx for sharing this, Bill. After this winter, it's good to know spring is on the way when you hear these guys "peeping".
Nice shots!
John-
Thanks, John. With the entire area turning into one humongous swamp, this might be the mother of all frog years. 
B & I,
This'll link you to the field recorder I'm using.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/432017-REG/Fostex_FR2_LE_FR_2_LE_2_Channel.html
When I was shopping around for a decent recorder, this is the one other recording enthusiasts seemed to praise the most (at a moderate price range). I also use a pair of (sadly discontinued) Audio-Technica omni-directional microphones (AT-3032). These definitely give (or gave) the most bang for the buck. If I ever decide to replace the mics, it appears I'll have to spend considerably more to achieve the same quality results.
Whip'd
B & I,
This'll link you to the field recorder I'm using.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/432017-REG/Fostex_FR2_LE_FR_2_LE_2_Channel.html
When I was shopping around for a decent recorder, this is the one other recording enthusiasts seemed to praise the most (at a moderate price range). I also use a pair of (sadly discontinued) Audio-Technica omni-directional microphones (AT-3032). These definitely give (or gave) the most bang for the buck. If I ever decide to replace the mics, it appears I'll have to spend considerably more to achieve the same quality results.
Whip'd
Whip, you've done it again. #1 looks like he's having the time of his life. Submerged leopard is playing the camo-game to perfection. And 'night trail' -- simply beautiful.
Glo
Glo
thank you, glo. "night trail" fails to capture what i was sensing. the photo is a hand-held time exposure of about 30 seconds, taken as i was walking up a railroad grade toward a pond full of peepers and leopard frogs. the sound of the frogs as i approached was surreal, another whipped-up amphibious dream; each step offered a doppler shift of sound that spanned from a distant din to slowly nearing pandemonium. i was surrounded by pitch black, but faraway lights in front of me, rising from a sand plant, lifted into dense clouds. the rails were reflecting this light, as well; twin beams leading the way into the dark.
frogs rock.
frogs rock.
Thanks, John. With the entire area turning into one humongous swamp, this might be the mother of all frog years.
B & I,
This'll link you to the field recorder I'm using.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/432017-REG/Fostex_FR2_LE_FR_2_LE_2_Channel.html
When I was shopping around for a decent recorder, this is the one other recording enthusiasts seemed to praise the most (at a moderate price range). I also use a pair of (sadly discontinued) Audio-Technica omni-directional microphones (AT-3032). These definitely give (or gave) the most bang for the buck. If I ever decide to replace the mics, it appears I'll have to spend considerably more to achieve the same quality results.
Whip'd
Yikes! That's pricey! I have a sony minidisc recorder with a small sony microphone that I'm trying to repair. I purchased it on ebay and only used it once. I was impressed with the sound quality. Unfortunately the AA battery leaked and the inside connections are corroded. If I can clean it up I plan on doing many field recordings. I'd love to make some slideshows of my photography coupled with the recordings!
Revisted a favorite bog of ours tonight in Belleplain State Forest -- the water level was totally insane. So was the singing. Peepers, chorus frogs, spadefoot toads, and one lonely leopard frog crooned. The spadefoots were a first for Alfalfa and me. The night, magical.
Thanks, Guy. Yeah, the boys were out pretty late last night.
So hard to focus on the frogs with the camera in the dark (even while wearing a headlamp). The what-would-have-been best of the photos had to be discarded. But it's all so fun and relaxing... even if the images don't turn out so great.
Alfie, I'm going to try to slip out and down your way after dinner late this afternoon. 5:00-5:30-ish? That'll time it for shooting the flooded area in daylight into hopefully recording the spadefoot toads at dusk. (Been trying to call you; no answer at home or on cell!)
Bill
So hard to focus on the frogs with the camera in the dark (even while wearing a headlamp). The what-would-have-been best of the photos had to be discarded. But it's all so fun and relaxing... even if the images don't turn out so great.
Alfie, I'm going to try to slip out and down your way after dinner late this afternoon. 5:00-5:30-ish? That'll time it for shooting the flooded area in daylight into hopefully recording the spadefoot toads at dusk. (Been trying to call you; no answer at home or on cell!)
Bill
Looks like y'all had a great night of it, Whip. The shot of Al reminds me of one of those vintage woodcuts in which the intrepid pioneer strides forth to do battle with the wild night. Love the way you caught the frogs in action, and their expressions, which suggest personality. For sheer delight, I keep coming back to the chorus (?) frogs in grass stems and the peepers (?) in leaves, but then there's Big Eyes--I have to admit he's irresistible!
Glo
Glo
We returned to the flooded area visited last night at Belleplain, prepared to wade a road leading to a frog hotspot located near a gravel pit. Unless one has visited here before, it's hard to be impressed by the amount of water this place has taken. A dry road (Alfie wades this in the photos below) under normal conditions winds its way past a few small ponds. The entire area is now a bog full of screaming peepers, Fowler's and spadefoot toads and leopard frogs. The peeper quantity tends to give one a headache.
The decibel level tripled after dark. We set up recording gear and returned to the water for a few photos.
This fellow below decided to bail ...
Remarkable spring.
The decibel level tripled after dark. We set up recording gear and returned to the water for a few photos.
This fellow below decided to bail ...
Remarkable spring.
Peeper toes,
Alfie goes,
and a spadefoot's nose.
Off for Wharton Saturday evening -- hoping for some early wonking. Probably too soon ...
Alfie goes,
and a spadefoot's nose.
Off for Wharton Saturday evening -- hoping for some early wonking. Probably too soon ...
Lots of listening and looking the past two nights -- Friendship bogs Saturday, and a small pond and surroundings down my way (near Millvillle) this evening. Reporting:
Whippoorbill heard his first whippoorwill.
Mercury (rare) and Venus (splendid) are dancing at sunset.
Friendship is still wonk-free.
Two wonkers wonked down this way tonight (or one wonked twice).
Wonks sent Whip spinning like a ballerina.
Non-wonkers were the subject of a few photos ...
My over-amphibious apologies. But, after all, 'tis the season to be boggy.
Whippoorbill heard his first whippoorwill.
Mercury (rare) and Venus (splendid) are dancing at sunset.
Friendship is still wonk-free.
Two wonkers wonked down this way tonight (or one wonked twice).
Wonks sent Whip spinning like a ballerina.
Non-wonkers were the subject of a few photos ...
My over-amphibious apologies. But, after all, 'tis the season to be boggy.
Bill
I have checked to see what that yeller frog is and it doesn't look to be a green frog.the scary thing is it looks similar to pics i have seen of the barking treefrog but this frog sin't supposed to be in jersey.it's northern limit is in delaware.there was a colony in cape may county in the 60's but it supposedly has disappeared.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/frogs.pdf
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Hyla+gratiosa
How bout some input from Dragon or NJsnakeman or another herper?what be the yeller frog above this reply? the only possible native species i would say is a yeller phase green frog.was it really yeller or is the light playing with me?would be awesome if you found a barker.you need to start catching your own frogs so you can ID them.You may make a noteworthy find someday.Was he exhibiting any dog like behaviors? barking?begging? rolling in feces?
Alfie
I have checked to see what that yeller frog is and it doesn't look to be a green frog.the scary thing is it looks similar to pics i have seen of the barking treefrog but this frog sin't supposed to be in jersey.it's northern limit is in delaware.there was a colony in cape may county in the 60's but it supposedly has disappeared.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/frogs.pdf
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Hyla+gratiosa
How bout some input from Dragon or NJsnakeman or another herper?what be the yeller frog above this reply? the only possible native species i would say is a yeller phase green frog.was it really yeller or is the light playing with me?would be awesome if you found a barker.you need to start catching your own frogs so you can ID them.You may make a noteworthy find someday.Was he exhibiting any dog like behaviors? barking?begging? rolling in feces?
Alfie
I think you've got it, Alfie. The frog, soon after I snapped it, hopped out of the bog and up to a nearby fire hydrant, lifted a leg, and went!
i pulled out my lang elliot book of frogs and toads.there is a pic in there of a yellowish green frog with little black spots on his back.i was kind of hoping for hyla retrieverus but we may have a common gree frog here.green frogs are bigger then barkers.was this frog bigger then your average leopard frog?
Alfie
Alfie
I think you've raised a good question, Al. Perhaps, as Whip has suggested, the flash made a difference.
I remember the color as less intense, closer to a yellowish-tan. The eyes did not look bright blue. I saw only his face, but he seemed larger than a leopard.
And, having read a bit in Elliott, I'm thinking that his prominent parotid glands suggest that he is a toad. Another interesting observation from Elliott is that Fowler's will hybridize with both American and Southern toads; note their tannish color, although none of them really match.
If we can convince ourselves that he's a hybrid, do we get to give him a name?
Glo
I can't imagine whip not being able to identify a toad and toads aren't really any bigger then leopards but if it did have large parotid glands then it must have been a toad.a very bad picture for identification.a back shot would've been better then a face shot but Whip is always looking for indivisual expression.I am tired of telling him the frogs are not really smiling it's just the way their mouths are shaped.
Alfie
Alfie