Great Butterfly Picture

This is a Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. There are lots of them flitting around our city. This lovely creature was visiting our garden and luckily I happened to have my camera with me. The light was good and the butterfly cooperative thus I wound up with about a half-dozen really nice closeup shots. The one you see here is one of my favorites.

There is something about the symmetry and grace of a butterfly.  When I watch them flutter along from flower to flower they seem to be on the edge of disaster, at any moment the wind will pick them up and dash them to the ground.  Of course that doesn't happen but it makes you pause as they flutter on their journey. 

In addition to the symmetry are their colors.  Note the iridescent blue and the touch of red on the hind wing.  The black "tiger stripes" and trailing wing.  Followed by the shape of the wing that mimics the tail of the Swallowtail Bird.

I have a other photo's, let me know if you want to see more.  Just leave a comment.

Interesting Day on the Western Slope

Looking closely at Joe I'm amazed to find the slim damsel of yesterday has turned so fat so fast. She is about to split a seam, burst a gut, pop a rivet... this girl has become half bulimic... the half that binges. I hope we don't get to the other half.

Apparently the change of waterfalls has renewed her success in the see, stalk, capture and consume arenas. I already mentioned the finch she ate on Monday. Based on the size of her waistline that wasn't her last meal.

Besides Joe's waistline I have other news. My Granddaughter was over today and in the front yard she found a snake skin that had probably been shed this very same day. It was the most intact snake skin I've seen. You could see the eyes and mouth as well as the tail. It looked to me like the skin split about in the middle and the snake pulled both ends out of the skin toward the middle split. Wish I had been there to watch.

It's hard to read in the picture but the snake skin measured 31 inches. There are areas of the skin that are scrunched together so I expect the actual snake was a few inches longer.

Coincidently, Ginger said she saw a snake in the front yard this morning that was predominately brown, possibly a garter snake or the cousin of same. The skin may have belonged to that traveler.

A Bullock's Oriole also visited us today. Three times actually. They are the most beautiful birds. They don't stay around long and my picture taking attempts have not resulted in any pictures worth loading to this blog. The picture shown is one I found on the Internet (I tried to email the owner but apparently bad contact info).

I even got to eat some ice cream today which is a rare treat for this 'ol guy.

There you have it. Joe is fat and I assume happy. The snake has renewed itself. The Oriole has awed us with his vivid colors and I got ice cream.

Life is good on the western slope of Colorado.

Memorial Day

A moment for the Armed Forces. The Veterans who put it on the line for each and every one of us in the USA as well as many citizens in foreign countries. These men and women are real hero's.

We haven't seen the green snake. I keep looking but so far that snake has escaped my sight.

The plethora of toadlet's has had a significant population reduction. Just a few days ago those little suckers were everywhere and now you have to hunt for them. We have been having cool and rainy weather so maybe they go deeper and hide out. Maybe they heard about the thrill ride through the pump and didn't make it out alive. No idea. Of course I'll keep watching and put what I see in the 'Ol Frog Blog.

Joe gave up birding from Joe's Station. She has moved to Humpty Dumpy Falls. I don't think she was able to blend in very well at Joe's Station. We rebuilt it last fall and may have changed it to the point where the prey she hunts can easily see her and avoid her.

At Humpty Dumpty Falls she lies next to the rocks and the birds haven't figured out she is there until it's too late. She is still slow and doesn't jump all that far. I said just this morning that a bird would have to land in her mouth for her to catch one. Wouldn't you know that's almost exactly what happened about 20 minutes later. This little finch came along and possibly thought Joe was a rock because it tried to land right on her nose. There was no hesitation on Joe's part and the little finch was history. Shortly after snatching her meal she retreated to her safe haven under the bridge.

I saw a dragonfly emerging from it's nymph stage. The nymph looks like some alien creature. It lives in the water. Some nymphs live in the water for years before maturing. When it has matured and the weather is warm enough it crawls out of the water and attaches itself to a plant or rock. Soon after the dragonfly emerges, spreads it's wings and dries. Then it is ready to go. I've see a lot of the "empty" nymph skeletons but this is the first time I've seen the dragonfly emerging. Very cool.

I'm off in search of a snake or maybe a nymph... have a great Memorial Day!

Don't forget what it's about OK...


In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

So Long Woody...

It would appear the Woohouse's Toads have left the pond area.  I haven't heard their calls for almost a week now nor have I seen them in the burrows they made.  With Joe moving back home I'm not surprised they have moved to another neighborhood.  Stick around here and Joe will probably have you over for dinner... and your the dinner!

I don't think I told you that the female Woodhouse's Toad made a burrow in the burm of the apple tree. You may recall, we put chicken wire and plastic mesh around the burm to keep the rabbit from digging.  Mrs. Toad dug her burrow with the entrance exactly the shape and size of the holes in the chicken wire.  Cool huh.

Of course the toadlets are still with us.  They are getting harder to spot as they disperse.  No doubt some have gone to meet their maker.  The pond is a dangerous place.  Regardless of the tenacity of the toadlet's some, if not most, just won't make it.

See ya next year Woody...

SNAKE!!!

Saturday morning. I meet up with Ginger out by the raised garden. We're talking about pruning a branch on the Granny Smith Apple Tree... I think it's dead, the branch not the tree. Ginger starts to say something and then stops. Then she quietly says, "snake," as she looks to the raised garden.

Did I ever tell you about the time I was aerating the lawn on a quiet Sunday morning. Oh this must have been 25 years ago... give or take. I had this gizmo that hooked up to the hose and with 2 spikes protruding from the bottom that worked like syringes. You drive the spikes into the ground with your foot, turn on the water, wait 15 seconds or so and move forward about a foot and start over.

It's a mindless activity. I was on my 3rd or 4th row when it happened. As I day dreamed about something, I stomped on the aerator to drive the spikes into the ground and turned on the water. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw this brown snake raise it's ugly head. Jolted from my reverie I tried to jump away. I fell, knocking the aerator over and landing in damp grass. I looked around. The brown man eater was nowhere to be seen.

I thought I had scared it away with my clumsy attempt at escape. Sure.

I resumed aerating. Ahead one foot. Stomp the device. Turn on the water. Wait. Turn off the water. Pull the aerator out of the ground and start over.

As I was progressing down the next row I'll be damned if that brown snake didn't rear it's ugly head again. Just like last time I see it out of the corner of my eye and reactively jump knowing deep inside that is the only way to save myself from this highly dangerous killer. Again I trip and fall to the ground. No sooner do I hit the ground I'm rolling to my feet. I'm not going to let this creature take my life without a fight!

That's when I note the aerator is still in the ground. Huh? That brown snake is just a bit of water squirting up through one of the previous aeration holes. Geez, what a dork I was. I start to laugh. I laugh harder and harder. I can't stand. I'm about to wet my pants. That's when I notice Ginger. She is standing at the window watching me. She must have been sad because she had tears running down her cheeks. If only someone would have had a video camera....

So with this story in mind, you might think that when Ginger softly said, "snake," I might have fallen all over myself. It didn't happen, but that would have made a really good story. I turned to look where she was looking. There, on top of a green plant lay the prettiest green snake. It was slender, about 30 inches long with clear eyes that were looking right at us.

I looked at the snake for about 10 seconds and then went to get my camera. By the time I returned with the camera the snake had moved on and we couldn't find it amongst all the green plants in the garden.

I will admit that if I were picking tomatoes and this guy snuck up on me I would probably jump, fall and look like a dork. I'll be keeping my eyes open... you can count on it.

Another creature to add to the menagerie.

Must Have Been Wild!

I've been checking No-Name Pond for toadlet's and to my surprise there are some there. The reason that is so amazing is the only way these little buggers can get there is to:

1. Go over 2 sets of falls to wind up in the Skimmer Pond.
2. Get sucked into the pipe that runs up to the Bio Falls and at the same time miss getting creamed by the pumps impeller.
3. Fly through the pipe that runs about 65 feet and be rudely discharged into the Bio Falls.
4. Escape the Bio Falls which has filter mats and rocks and then plunge of about 3 feet into a shallow depression.
5. Travel via fast moving water over rocks and take another plunge over more falls into No-Name Pond.
6. Now that they are in No-Name Pond, with the water moving fast, they have to fight to keep from experiencing the last plunge back to where they started which is the Bridge Pond.

Whew, these little guys are tough.

Joe!

I wanted to make a dramatic statement. You know, something that would jump out and grab your attention. Rivet you to the monitor. Tense your muscles. Hold your breath. And then, at just the right moment, I would spring it on you.  This is what you get though.....

JOE HAS RETURNED!

Oh she looks good. She has lost weight and appears to be ready to take on the world. She is obviously hungry as she has been hanging around Joe's Station all morning. I suspect it will take a few days for her to get into the swing of things. What few attempts at bird catching this morning were only half hearted and resulted in nothing but scaring the birds away.

I was up before the sun this morning (as usual). As the sun started to chase the darkness away I went to the kitchen to make coffee. I glanced out the window and spied her right away. Those 2 beady eyes above the water line. No doubts. I knew right away our heroine had returned.

You can't accuse my backyard of being boring. With the toads and then the toadlet's. The birds to include raptors of all sizes. Now the Queen of the pond, Ms. Bull Frog USA, JOE. Geez, what more could you ask for?

 Well, Ginger did say she saw a snake over by the skimmer this morning.....

   

          Welcome Home Joe!

Black Female ~ Green Male

Once again it is time for your humble Frog Blogger to fall on his already bloody sword.

On May 16, 2009 I was telling it wrong when I posted the toad pictured to the left stating that was the Mama Toad. It ain't so my friends. I am certain that the green hued toad is the male.

If you have been following this blog from the beginning you know the female is always larger than the male... in the frog/toad world anyway. When I saw the pictured toad he was pretty large to my spring time eyes thus I thought he was, in fact, a she.

Then I saw the black female pictured to right (can't say as I ever saw a black toad before). She was sunning herself on the rocks and as soon as I saw her I realized my mistake. She is truely a very large toad. Although not as large as Joe. I suspect this isn't her first year on this earth.

Note the sagging belly just in front of her hind leg. She must have been swollen with all those eggs that just hatched.

You would think that I would know better as this is the second year for the Frog Blog. I have no believeable excuses for getting it wrong. You just can't get any decent help now days

They are EVERYWHERE!!!

WOW!  These little toadlet's have already spread to Joe's pond and the skimmer pond.  Some have moved very close to No-Name Falls with not a care in the world about the turbulent water.  I knew it would probably happen... but so soon.  Hopefully they enjoyed the brief thrill of our own little water world as they careened over the falls.

I have searched above the bridge pond to see if any have survived the water pump and the filter mats.  I didn't see any toadlet's there.  I would like to assume that no one has ventured close enough to the skimmer to get sucked in.  Sure.

As I look at the black wiggly toadlet's going from point A to point B (or is it K) it's comforting to note there are still a large number of  'em stick'n close to their birth site and safe.  Some toads toadlets... you gotta love 'em.

Does it HURT to become a Toad?

It occurred to me, when reading about the metamorphisis these toadlets will go through to become actual toads, that growing pains were a real possibility. Everything changes! The little mouth becomes a head-wide orifice. Legs sprout out of its body. Even their innards change to accommodate the "adult" diet. It's like these guys were hatched about 6 weeks too early and have to complete their development in front the eyes of Toad Daddy's like me. For that I'm happy but all that changing is very hard to contemplate.

As I watch the toadlets I see that some don't seem to be growing while others have grown twice their size of a day ago. They are still very small but their "heads" are bigger and their tails about the same size as it was. 

Their swimming skills have improved too. They have spread out to occupy the entire bridge pond with the exception of the area just below No Name Falls. A bit too turbulent I think. Some are busy going from place to place while others seem content to just rest on a rock and soak in the sunshine. In the mean time I found Mrs. Toad out of her shallow den and scrunched down in the rocks. I think that is to warm herself and expect she will return to her den when the day heats up.

A bit of "Name that Toad" news. I found that the Woodhouse's Toad is also called the Rocky Mountain Toad. I thought that appropriate since I live in the Rocky Mountains. I also found that toads out-number frogs in this arid clime. I suppose that's not so suprising as the toads live mostly out of the water.

A Toadlet is a Tadpole by Another Name.

First it was tadpole. Then I remembered the term pollywog (polliwog). Now I see a term new to me. "Toadlet" was used to describe these small, look nothing like mom or dad, toads. Cute huh?

I was out observing this new batch of toadlet's yesterday (Saturday afternoon). I swear they have already grown from what they were just this morning. They are mostly hang'n near where they hatched but there are a few brave ones that have ventured a few yards from "home." Watching them swim around reminds me of a bunch of sperm in search of the prize... the egg. Their little tails swish back and forth really fast; they have a large head and a tail.... nothing in-between.

Just what do these creatures eat?   Will I be knee deep in toads next month?  So many question for this novice Toad Daddy. I don't know where my responsibilities begin in their cycle of life.  I don't have all the answers but did find a few.

As a tadpole matures, it will metamorphosize by gradually growing limbs and then outwardly absorbing its tail by apoptosis (go ahead, look it up.. I did). Lungs develop around the time of leg development, and tadpoles late in development will often be found near the surface of the water, where they breathe air. During the final stages of external metamorphosis, the tadpole's mouth changes from a small, enclosed mouth at the front of the head to a large mouth the same width as the head. The intestines shorten to make way for the new diet. Most tadpoles are herbivorous, subsisting on algae and plants. Some species are omnivorous, eating detritus and, when available, smaller tadpoles. Not to worry about Toad Daddy's toadlet's since siblings are normally safe from cannibalistic predation because all their brothers and sisters are the same age and, therefore, about the same size.

I'm thinking the biggest threat for these toadlet's is getting out of the bridge pond and into faster moving water.  That threat is immediately followed by the pump at the bottom of the skimmer.  It moves 7000 gallons of water per hour and would suck these little guys up and never even slow down.  There isn't much I can do about either one of these dangers so I guess I'll just observe and report as things progress. 

Being a Toad Daddy appears to be a lot easier than being a People Daddy.

Just Call Me TOAD DADDY!

I had prepared myself to write in this very blog about how, sometimes, toad eggs don't grow and develop into tadpoles. It could be caused by pollutants in the water. Possibly a male who has had a vasectomy or a female who drinks and smokes.  Mother Nature is amazing but also sometimes quite finicky.

Of course I'm talking about the toad eggs that were discovered on Monday. Just 5 days ago! This morning there are hundreds of little pollywog's swimming around the rocks where the eggs were once draped.

The idea that eggs laid less than a week ago could grow into something that is alive is truly a miracle of life. 

These little guys are black in color and about a quarter of an inch long.  In the picture to the left you can see two pollywog's near the surface next to the rock in the top-left part of the picture.  If you look closely you can see others but those two are the easiest to see.  Try double clicking the picture for a better view.

The picture below is not very good but you can see a few more of "my babies."

I had read that the average time from fertilization to hatching of Woodhouse's Toad eggs was 36 hours.  This of course was dependent on the temperature.  Colder takes longer and warmer goes faster.  If you take toad eggs from a warm environment and put them in a fridge the development will essentially stop.  When the eggs are returned to the warm environment development begins again right where is left off.

I guess the water temperature in the pond was much cooler than what was needed for a 36 hour hatching time.

This next picture is Mama Toad resting where she has made a small burrow in the mulch surrounding a plant about 10 yards from the pond.  A perfect example of toads liking dry environments versus frogs liking wet.

You can bet this Toad Daddy will be watching these little guys.  Having never been a Toad Daddy before I have no idea what to expect. 

So break out the champagne and a toast to:  Pollywog'n doodle all the day. Yea!

What Came First? The Duck or the Egg?

What Came First?  The chicken or the egg?  The duck or the egg? Same question just different creatures.  Here is a news flash:  I have the answer to this age old question!  I ran it by my wife just to make sure I wasn't way out in left field someplace.  Hearing my obvious and simple answer made her eyes roll and prompted "THE LOOK."  That's the moment when I knew I had it right although I'm not sure if it's THE LOOK or the eye roll that cinched it. 

Let me tell you how this obvious answer came to life, so to speak, in my education starved mind. 

I glanced out the window this morning, looking to the back yard.  Immediately I knew something was going on because there were waves in the bridge pond.  Coming out from under the bridge was Mama Mallard and Daddy Duck.  "GINGER," I hollered, "the ducks are back."  Ginger interrupted her preparations for going to the gym and came over to the window where I was standing.  "They just walked out of the pond on the west side," I said.  The ducks waddled slowly over to the skimmer pond (lowest pond) and hopped in.  "This is a first," I said.  We had never seen them in this pond before (us being the seasoned duck observers that we are).

They swam around for a couple of minutes.  Mama Mallard must have given Daddy Duck some signal, maybe a wink or a duck smile, because he lowered his head and started swimming faster.  She was swimming in a circle and he was cutting her off.  Finally he mounted her and grabbed the top of her head in his duck billed mouth.  No escaping this lover boy now.  It was Sex in the City.  As erotic and steamy as it ever is with a pair of ducks.  It didn't take long and he had done his thing and released her head and plopped from her back into the water.  He quaked, then quacked and flapped his wings and she just flapped her wings.  I guess it worked out nicely for both of them.

So have you figured out the answer to the question?  It was the duck or more precisely the drake and in the case of chickens it's the rooster.  It's almost always the male.  Age old question answered!

Now if only they will bring their brood of ducklings by for a visit.

Polliwog and Tadpole Days Coming Soon!

Tadpole seems to be the more popular name but is synonymous with polliwog. But I don't have any tadpoles in my pond. Yet!

I was scouting around the pond this evening hoping to spy one of the Woodhouse's Toads. I didn't spy any toads but I did come across what I believe are toad eggs.

In the photo to the left there are a number of "strings" criss-crossing the rocks. The color is mostly brown which, amazingly, is the same color of the toads I've seen. There are thousands of eggs. For every inch of egg string there are probably a dozen eggs. In this batch there is easily 25 feet of egg string.

I guess all that noisy screeching and carrying on got some toads all hot and bothered resulting in the egg strings.

Of course I will keep an eye on things and report on events as they arise.

This picture on the right is pretty much the same as the one above but just zoomed in a bit. If you look closely you can see that the egg strings are kinked. I believe that is caused by the way the female toad stores the eggs inside her body. As many as there are she must pack them in there pretty tight.

Wow, this is a new thing for the frog blog. Can you imagine how many of these little polliwogs will be cruising around the pond? I realize that not many will actually survive to adulthood but for me this is almost better than watching Joe stalk her lunch.

Mother Nature will never cease to amaze this 'Ol Phart.

Is this a Frog or a Toad... what's the diff?

I got to wondering about the difference between a frog and a toad. Besides being four letter words (and one even begins with an "F") there is a bit more needed for enlightenment.

The Basics:

• The skin of a toad is warty or bumpy where a frog's skin is relatively smooth.
• Frogs tend to live in water and toads tend to live on land.
• The toads skin feels dry compared to a frogs skin that feels moist.
• Frogs move around by hopping with strong back legs and the toad just walks.
• A frogs back has two ridges, one down each side. The toads back is much smoother without the pronounced ridges (this relates to why frogs jump and toads walk).
• When a frog lays eggs they look like a lump of cloudy jelly. When the toad lays eggs they are long and stringy and often wrapped around water plants.
• Amazingly one toad, the Nectophyrnoides from the order Anura, bears live young while all the other frogs and toads are still doing the antiquated but time proven method of reproduction, laying eggs.

Also:

• People don't get warts from frogs or toads. I think that was thought up by people afraid of the frog in Little Johnny's pocket.
• If you find a toad in the water their skin will NOT feel dry.
• Toads don't walk upright like people they just don't jump like frogs and frogs don't walk like toads. If you walk like a toad you walk funny and are weird. You should not stand in one place very long or a dog will come along and pee on your leg.
• Have you ever heard of people eating toad legs? Nope, me either. Reason is the frog, especially the bullfrog, has a lot of muscle in their legs so they can jump. Since toads walk they don't have that much meat on them thar gams. Frog legs taste's like chicken... article here.

This is a picture of a Woodhouse's Toad. Note the bumpy skin and fairly smooth back. Regardless of what the frog and toad education articles say, in my ever so humble opinion, this toad's skin would not feel dry at the moment.

Have you noticed a chain of eggs in the background? Me neither.

If you want to see a picture of a frog you have to just look around the frog blog as they are all over the place.


There is a host of other differences but when I start reading the technicalities I start to feel sleepy and somewhat stupid as I don't understand a lot of the terminology. Probably should have paid more attention in biology class.

Mama Mallard and Consort

I eased my body from my recliner and headed for the kitchen. Coffee, I think, was my mission. As I passed the window looking out back I noticed waves in Joe's pond. Nope, it wasn't Joe it was Mama Mallard and her Consort, Daddy Duck.


I guess the Mallard couple liked it here after visiting a few days ago. They seemed to enjoy the quiet and this time paddled around two of the ponds. They even stuck their heads underwater in search of a snack. They would also duck their heads under the water and raise them quickly making water flow over their backs. The Mallard family was here for about an hour this morning and then flew off.



About an hour later Mrs. Mallard returned sans Daddy Duck. She landed in the pond and paddled to Humpty Dumpty Falls. She stood in the falls for 45 minutes doing nothing but a couple of scratches and a stretch. I had the feeling she was waiting for the allusive other half. He was a no-show and she finally took off headed in the direction of the Colorado River which is just a short distance to the north.

The Woodhouse's Toads are still with us and making their screeching sounds both day and night. They won't be around for all that long and hearing them kinda grows on you. Now if I don't hear them I wonder what's wrong. Is this man never happy?

Stay tuned if your interested in the differences between a frog and a toad. I'm working on that. If I get really inspired I may tell y'all 'bout my automatic pond filler! Yep, I knew you would be excited.

Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum... I smell the blood of a Woodhouse Toad!

It was August 14, 2008 when I first mentioned the Woodhouse Toads in this very Frog Blog.  August 14 was my first post in the Frog Blog and I said at that time, "The noisy Woodhouse Toads that were visiting this spring have moved on."  Well, they're back and I'm having a deja-vu event as I write this.  It's about 10:45 PM and they started "singing" about an hour ago.  So far there are only a couple but there will be more. 

If this year is going to be a repeat of last year then I believe the racket these Woodhouse guys may well attract not only mates but also predators.  Predators like Joe.... maybe. 

It's still too early for Joe to make an appearance.  It was August last year before she became an item.  I expect she will be up and about earlier this year because the winter was so mild, just not this early.  I still keep watching for her though and will be disappointed if she doesn't return....