Oliental Lily

This is the coming out of our "Oliental Lily's."  These are more of the seasonal blooms that take place in the spring.  I just wanted to share :)

Whoohoo!!

Bullitoad #2011-1

I've been watching the area in the pond where the eggs were laid.  As I stated in my previous post some did not hatch and I was thinking most were doomed.  It has been cold and rainy and that clearly has had an impact on the speed of the eggs maturing into toadpoles.

Every here and there I would see the wiggle of a tail on these little eighth-inch long creatures.  This was nothing like we saw in previous years.

While awaiting the outcome of these newly procreated (or is that procreants) toad minnows the algae has been growing like there is not tomorrow.  Maybe the algae didn't get the memo that the world was NOT going to end on Saturday, May 21.  Regardless of the reason the algae is way out of control and the pond is getting kind of green. 

I was counting on the pollywog's to emerge en masse and start eating the algae.  So I decided I needed to decide what I was going to do.  I figured I had two choices; 1. Let the pond go as is and hope the little creatures get with the program and start eating or 2. Administer the magic chemicals to the water and clear up the algae but possibly kill any toadlets that have hatched.

I'm here to tell you the toadlets won.  No chemicals... at least not yet.  I took my net and stirred up the water in the area where the eggs had been laid.  I was quite surprised to see lots of future toads swimming in the eddies I created. 

It was a warm day today so maybe we're past the "I'm too cold to move" stage and we can get on with growing up... and eating algae.

So that's the news from Red Tail Ridge today. 

More bullitoads as these guys get on with the program.

Think LIFE!  Yea!!!

Whoohoo!!!

Doad Taddy

That title doesn't say Toad Daddy... This is a good news bad news story.

Last week I wrote about procreation and becoming a toad daddy... lots of whoohoo's and yee-haw's.  It would appear, however, the first batch of eggs are not going to hatch.  The eggs are still there but I see no movement inside.  I inspected a few eggs up close on Saturday and believe there is no life there.  The eggs were limp and black with very little substance to them.

On a positive note, I have seen movement coming from the batch of eggs of the second pairing that closely resembles the flipping of a toadpole's tail.  So a lot of Whoo and a little Boo. 

This has been the coldest May since I've lived in Grand Junction and the temperature has a definite correlation to the length of time it takes between the laying of the eggs and hatching.  It also affects the growth of the pollywogs... warmer is faster.

In regard to the batch of "dead" eggs; I'm thinking there are but two possibilities that may have caused this apparent non-event.
1.  The first male frog has taken advantage of Obama Care on a trial basis and was sterilized because he is way too ugly and thus shouldn't mate, plus... he doesn't vote.
or
2.  The chemicals I used to knock down the algae are affecting the egg maturation.  The warnings on the AlgaeFix container stated it did not hurt plants or fish.  I realize toads and toad eggs are neither of these but I thought it safe to use.

One last thought to keep in mind.  In review of my comments in the past two years about the toad eggs and toadlets it appears to this Toad Daddy that I'm pretty dog-gone pessisimistic in consideration of the toughness of toad eggs and the resulting wogpoles.  Mama Nature has been at this a lot longer than I've been watching so I should leave her to do her business.  On the other hand... do you think she has heard of AlgaeFix?

Stay tuned for bullitoads (bulletins/toads).

Bhoohoo

Iris

The Iris is a glorious flower.

I am warm
from your touch:

Flower ~ Eye
Body ~ Body
Creature ~ God

We are all Warm.

by: Charles Paisley


Spring!  The awakening!  Feel it! Sing IT!  BE IT!!!

Whoohoo!!!

Columbine

This year is the first year we have planted the Colorado state flower.  Our first flower has made it's entrance and a beauty she is. 

Colorado state flower: The Columbine

Hopefully this is only the first of many dainty columbine flowers.  I guess I'm kind of goofy as there is something about the first flower that's new to us... it's just a little extra special. 

Whoohoo!!

Step 3 1/2 of Procreate ~ Toads

Just when you thought it safe to let the kids play outside we find 2 more toads who have heard about the procreate song and dance.  Thus this post is labeled: Step 3 1/2.  I'll not bore you with additional details mostly because I don't have any more information to give you.  I'll show you the picture's so you can rest assured these are new contributors and thus a little mix'n it up in the gene pool... or pond.

These toads clearly have different markings than the pair in the previous post.

Some of you may wonder just how is it I can recognize one pair of toads from another.  I have to confess I cheat... I look at their name tags :)

Whoohoo...

Step 3 of Procreate ~ Toads

Step one was the male wooing the female to the area he claimed in the pond.
Step two was the sweet talk and latching onto the female.
Step three is the actual laying and fertilizing of egg strings.

Once again I am posting pictures of step 3 for all you voyeurs out there and also for those that just don't know how big toads make little toads.  An added bonus is seeing a toad egg string.

With the male firmly attached to the female she starts to expel strings of eggs.  The males job is to fertilize them as they exit the female.  This is a pretty subtle thing and is done over the course of hours.  The pictures below were taken during the fourth hour of toad mating bliss.  Can you tell how excited they are?  I can't either! As I write this we are well into our fifth hour and things are looking just the same as it did during the fourth hour except they have moved.

She at least has her eyes open.  He, on the other hand, looks like the effort is beginning to take its toll.

The female is definitely in the drivers seat.  If she decides to dive she dives and he had best be holding his breath.  The male
letting go doesn't seem to be an option.

The difference between toad eggs and frog eggs is the toad eggs appear to be a string of eggs as seen in these pictures.  Frog eggs are more of a gelatinous mass.  Hopefully Leo the Leopard Frog will finally attract a mate and we will have something to compare.

While we wait for Leo to catch-up these toad eggs are already on their way to maturity.  It will be Monday or Tuesday when we will see the tiny polliwogs (tadpoles, toadpoles, toadlets) moving and hatching from their individual egg.  They will eat algae for the most part. Once the egg laying is complete the toads will have nothing more to do with the eggs or toadpoles.  We may, however, see this same couple back in a few weeks... hope they don't lose their name tags so I'll be able to ID them.

This is the first year we've had fish in the pond and it will be interesting to see if they munch on toadlets.  I've read where many creatures won't eat them because they taste bad but I have no idea if goldfish have read the same article.  Even if the goldfish eat toadlets there will be plenty that survive as they will go over the water falls and be distributed throughout the pond as they have done in past years.  Let not your heart be troubled... we aren't in charge, this is Ma Nature's deal.

I have covered much of the toad mating and toadlet growing in previous blog posts.  You can, of course, navigate to previous posts and if you do so you will then know all I know about toads and toadlets.

I'll update this very blog as the events materialize.  This is so exciting!!!!

Whoohoo!!

Precursor to Become a Toad Daddy!

For the past couple of years I've had the honor of becoming a "Toad Daddy." That is to say, the big toad creatures lay eggs, these become toadpoles (or something like that) and toadpoles become baby toads that magically disappear. We know not where they go but we certainly know where they came from.

Apparently all that "noise" that the Woodhouse's Toad makes is but sweet nothings to the ear of the female toad.

He hangs on tight and there is not a chance he will be leaving his post until the intense drive is satisfied and they have done their best to further the species.

No eggs have yet been deposited on the rocks.  Maybe he has to talk her into it.  What a way he must have to be able to screech and carry on for hour after hour during the night and then to start a new day, still alert and hold in his arms his true love of the hour.
Now some may look upon this couple and just arbitrarily name them ugly and icky (not necessarily in that order), but I submit for your careful consideration the tried and true statement, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," and he clearly be hold'n her.

Next week we will probably have the little black heads with tiny tails stick out and they will, hopefully, grow from toadlets to toads. 

Being a Toad Daddy isn't my mission in life but I'm still proud to support these screamers in their annual push to further toad kind.

And let us not forget that Leo the Leopard Frog is still faithfully singing his song both day and night in hopes of following in the footsteps of the Woodies.

Stay tuned.

Whoohoo!!

Procreate... Sing IT!

It's that time of year again when the frogs and toads want to procreate.  There is no getting around this procreation business as it's one of the most basic of Mother Nature's Laws. 

I got to thinking that my fan out there might just enjoy a listen to the sounds of spring for those lucky enough to have toads and frogs this time of year. 

Click the arrow below to hear what Leo the Leopard Frog sounds like as he advertises his presence and credentials for a mate.







Click the arrow below to hear what the Woodhouse's Toads sound like as they advertise for a mate and stake out territory in the pond.








For most, this "noise" is just irritating and intrusive but for a true amphibian lover this is music to their ears.  I lay awake at night listening to the frogs and toads sing their songs of spring... their songs of love.  Why you may ask...

Of course your awake at night... Could you sleep with all this racket going on... I mean... really!

Whoohoo!

Truant Fish

This morning we had 5 fish in the Bridge Pond.  This afternoon we only had 4 fish in the Bridge Pond.  The largest and most orange fish escaped!  Escaped over Humpty Dumpty Falls... escaped from the school!

Earlier in the day I saw they were swimming just like they had when mating earlier (story here).  They were swimming in shallow areas and skootching across rocks.  I guess this truant fish just kinda skootched onto Humpty Dumpty Falls and was washed over into Joe's Pond and then washed into the skimmer pond.  Wish I could have seen that happening.

For those of you who are not aware of what pond is what or where the water falls, you can see that information by clicking on this magic word... POOFIT.

With the vagabond fish doing solo laps in the skimmer pond I felt it was my responsibility to "rescue" the creature and return her to the Bridge Pond and her compatriots. 

So just how does one go about capturing a fish in a 2000 gallon water filled hole you might ask.  I certainly did and no one had a very good answer.  "Get a net," said one lady.  "Leave it be," said a gent.  "Drain the pond and I'll grab her," said an interloper that looked strangely like a blue heron.  Catching fish by committee wasn't going to work... everyone had an idea but no one had ever actually done it before... it was all just theory.

My first idea (theory?) was to use a very large flower pot... one of those big plastic things about 2 feet high and 18 inches across the top... it even has holes in the bottom.  I found the fish was not interested in just swimming into the pot.  So I attached a long stick to the pot using screws thinking I might hold it on the bottom of the pond and when the fish swam over the pot just lift it with the fish trapped inside.  That turned out to be a pretty dopey idea. 

I decided the lady was right and I needed a net... a big net.  As odd as this may sound, I wasn't in the mood for shopping and decided to just let the creature hang out in the skimmer pond until I got around to purchasing an appropriate capture device.

I went into the house and took a nap.  You see, today is our 28th wedding anniversary and I needed my strength for tonight... We were going out (yep, it's true).  I was expected to stay awake after dinner and also drive home!  I would need a lot of rest during the day to pull that off.  So I took a nap.

I got my 40 winks and untold Z's.  When I awoke I was wondering how the truant was doing in it's new world.  I looked in the Skimmer Pond and saw water, algae, pipes, a pump, rocks and bubbles but no fish.  I considered for about a nano-second if the fish could have gone up the waterfall... not a chance.  That left the skimmer or the large flower pot that was floating in the pond.  Not a chance it was in the pot so I took the lid off the skimmer. 

Pinned to the bottom of the skimmer by the water flow was this orange fish about 8 inches long.  Whoohoo!  I no longer needed to figure out how I was going to capture the truant fish... it had trapped itself.  I took a bucket and filled it with water, removed the skimmer and just dumped the fish into the bucket.  In a mere minute the fish was found, transferred and replaced in the Bridge Pond.

I just love it when a plan comes together... OK, so it wasn't in the plan but it could have been!

Whoohoo!!