Walking the trails I photographed Red-winged Blackbirds, Song Sparrows, a bird nest, cattails, and my first snake of the year (Eastern Garter Snake). Near Forest Hill's South Woods (see map) I heard something I have been waiting for all spring, the laughing/quacking sounds of mating Wood Frogs.
Known both as Rana sylvatica and Lithobates sylvaticus, the Wood Frog is, with the Western Chorus Frog and the Spring Peeper, one of the earliest breeding frogs in mid-Michigan. I hear them calling every spring, but I have never had any success in photographing them during the mating season. Normally when I near a vernal pond full of Wood Frogs, they immediately stop calling and remain silent until I leave the area.
Today was different.
The frogs stopped calling as I neared the pond, but I could see them swimming around everywhere. After a couple minutes of standing still, several frogs began calling again. They continued calling even when I started to move around to get photographs. Shara walked up to the pond and the frogs continued calling even as we talked (and laughed) about the frogs. Several frogs even let us approach within a few feet as they were so intent on mating. I photographed several individual frogs swimming around the pond, but the best part was photographing a couple pairs of frogs in amplexus. Amplexus is the mating position of Wood Frogs (and many other species of frogs and toads). Male Wood Frogs will climb onto a female's back and clasp her with his forelegs, clinging tightly until she has released all of her eggs. Sometimes they get so excited or frantic that males will attempt to clasp onto other males. This results in a flurry of agitated croaking and swimming.
No agitation from me, only photographs. Enjoy!
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