Tonight was a night of surprises and wonder. The photo shows the meadow -- up until tonight this year a big disappointment in terms of calling frogs. To date I've heard a solitary western chorus frog give a couple of half-hearted calls a couple of times and that's it. In previous years this was an excellent location frequently with multiple species, but it seems to generally be much drier this year... until tonight! On my way out to my most distant post I looked in at the meadow to see it before dark and was astonished to find that the river was actually running through it. I'd never seen anything like this here. Surprise #1. Surprise #2 -- when I came back through to listen for frogs after sunset, I heard four species here, one of which should have been done calling last month at the latest -- the western chorus frogs, and there were at least two competing for attention here. This has me thinking that although it's a bit late, things have been so dry in this area of the preserve that at least a couple of them are behaving opportunistically. Good luck guys! Surprise #3 -- 7 species tonight (thanks in part to the western chorus frogs calling out of season).
In addition to the western chorus frogs, there were American toads out there somewhere, a plains leopard frog not too far away, and an eastern gray tree frog calling from a tree somewhere nearby. All are audible in the recording below. But before I sign off, the wonder: the lightening bugs were amazing tonight. I really wanted to capture the beauty of the spectacle but didn't have anything to do it justice. It was a show just for me and God.
This is the back of a strip mall in Charleston Illinois where I'd stopped to drop off a donation to the local Goodwill Store. I missed its closing by about 2 minutes, but while I was standing there pondering what to do next, what should I hear but a Cope's Gray Tree Frog calling from near the dumpster. I investigated a bit (but felt awkward prowling around the back of a Chinese restaurant just outside their screen door) a found a barrel about 2/3 full of rain water. I didn't find the frog but have no doubt he was calling from somewhere right near there. I have to take my hat off to him -- he chose a spot with great acoustics even if not very picturesque. The recording is from the same spot as where the picture was taken. He only calls a couple of times in this brief recording but was going strong earlier.
