What's in a Name?

I've been thinking it's time to give our frog a name. It doesn't feel right just calling this interesting creature "the frog" when we can do better. The problem here is I don't know if our frog is a girl or boy. Now I've pondered this for some time. A name is very important. Once given a name the frogs personality will be forever changed... at least in our eyes.

Think about it. If I named the frog "Greenie" as soon as you hear the name you get an image in your mind what the green guy looks like. Now if I named it "Jaws" you would get a picture in your mind right away but it would be different than the "Greenie" image. So this is an important exercise.

I'm thinking the name should be asexual. That is to say, a name that might fit a male as well as a female.

I've decided to name him or her as the case may be, Joe E. Brown. Joe for short of course. Joe E. Brown was a comedian of long ago. He was born in 1892. Joined the circus at the tender age of 10. Got into vaudeville and then started making movies in the late 1920's for Warner Brothers. I remember him from when I was a kid. He had the biggest mouth of anyone I've ever seen, even to this day. Of course the mouth is why I'm burdening the frog, Joe, with Joe E. Browns moniker.

A big mouth is what Joe needs in order to take down one of those mourning doves. I'll tell you about Joe's valiant effort to get the dove in my next post.

One Giant Leap for Frogkind

Saturday morning, August 16, 2008, about 8:30.

The frog soap opera (most dramatic series this summer) continues.

As usual I was up before the sun. After reading the local paper I opened the shades and let my eyes wander the back yard. The frog was already on station at the lower waterfall. I thought about the old saying in frog land, "The early frog gets the bird!" You can take that anyway you want so long as your smile'n

The birds had not made their appearance and weren't expected until the sun arrived on it's trip from New York to San Francisco and points west. I went out to add seed to the bird feeder as the little guys get really pissy if I don't feed them on time.

The sun finally made it's appearance and I was watching the circus of birds that had also arrived. They just love this seed we get and have told all their friends so it's just a great big bird feast most mornings. I would estimate we get over 200 birds on any given day stopping by the feeder. Of course I may be counting some of them twice or even thrice as they all seem to look alike to me. Well, that's not entirely true, I can tell the mourning doves from the robin red breasts, it just the individuals I have trouble delineating. As usual I digress, excuse me please.

Ginger got up and made coffee and I was again watching out the window for some hapless bird to venture too close to what is now our frog. I saw a small bird hop toward the waters edge. The frog was already turned in the birds direction but too far away to make it breakfast. The bird started drinking. It would take a sip of water and then look around nervously. Take another sip and look around again. The frog didn't move. Wow, I thought, doesn't this guy see that bird! The bird flew away. Opportunity knocked on the green guys door but he didn't answer.

I told Ginger the frog doesn't seem too aggressive this morning. She joined me at the window. "Where is he," she asked. "He's all the way over to the right. Next to the rocks," I replied. "I don't see him," she said squinting and leaning toward the window. "Oh, maybe if you looked on the left side instead of the right you would have better luck," I said not knowing my left from my right.

Just about the time Ginger spotted the frog a mourning dove was coming in for a landing. They sometimes jump off the roof of the house and make a turn over the waterfall on the way to the feeder. This one was on that flight path. As the bird flew over the waterfall at an elevation of about 2 to 3 feet the frog made a leap into the air. Straight up like it was an ground to air missile. Fully extended with mouth open. I thought this guy should represent us in the Olympics either in the long jump or diving competition.

The mourning dove veered from it's glide path just in time to save it's life. A very valiant effort by our frog. Another awesome episode in the pond opera. I imagine what it would have been like if they had connected. It only takes a second or two for the episode to take place but the intense drama continues.

One giant leap for frog-kind.

Mayhem Moment

This is a true story. It happened on the evening of August 12, 2008. Watching this opened my eyes as big as sewer lids.

The noisy Woodhouse Toads that were visiting this spring have moved on. Where they go I don't know. Where they came from I don't know either. I live in the desert and find it pretty amazing that there are frogs here at all yet alone at my place. They weren't here, then they were here and now they are not here.

We do have, however, what I think is an American Bullfrog. He is a pretty big boy or maybe a big girl. I don't know. I have read where the female American Bullfrog gets bigger than the male and see'n as we have a pretty good sized frog in our pond it just makes sense our frog is a she and not a he. Of course it doesn't really make any difference.

We also have a plethora of birds in our yard. This is primarily our fault as we have bird houses and a bird feeder. At this time of year the new birdies are out of the nest and learning to be self sufficient but still hanging around mommy and daddy birdies.

As my wife Ginger and I were eating dinner Tuesday evening we each took our usual seats. Ginger faces the window and I face the TV. The window faces the back yard and has a pretty nice view of the pond and Bookcliff Mountains... that's why Ginger gets that seat. We were eating and Ginger mentioned the frog was hanging out at the last waterfall. This is somewhat unusual but not unheard of. Usually the frog makes an appearance around dusk and can often be seen early in the morning. The last couple of days the frog has been hanging around the waterfall fairly consistently.

Why? We found out today as we were eating dinner. S/he was hungry.

Ginger said the frog just went under the water. I leaned toward the window to see what I could see. The frog then surfaced and was moving toward a bird getting a drink from the waterfall. BAM!! Just like that this frog launched itself through the air, about 2, 2 1/2 feet, catching the small bird in it's mouth and quickly returning to the pond. The bird was swallowed in less than 15 seconds from "launch."

Ginger and I both saw it. It was amazing to watch and didn't alter the flavor of the very tasty meatballs we were having for dinner but it did get me to thinking about having fried chicken pretty soon. I got out the binoculars to see if the frog was having any problems swallowing the bird but by the time I got them focused on the frog (only about 30 seconds as we keep them handy) the bird was down the hatch.

You would think a bird in the belly (is worth two in the bush... ha!) would last a few days but no. This glutton was back at it the next morning laying in wait for another unsuspecting bird.

I have to say I didn't know frogs ate birds. I checked it out on the Internet and the American Bullfrog is known to eat small birds (and anything else it can fit in it's mouth) and while I wouldn't have believed it before Tuesday night, I'm a believer now.

As a result of our witnessing natural mayhem in our mini nature preserve I am now drawn to the drama. This morning I was watching the frog laying in wait. A bird approaches. The frog submerges. The bird hops closer to the water. A ripple on the surface of the water. The bird hops closer. The frog surfaces. The bird stops... looks around. The frog moves closer. The bird flies away. Whew! I realize I have been holding my breath.

Soon a mourning dove lit on a flat stone near the pond. It started preening. The frog submerged (could this frog actually eat a bird the size of a mourning dove? Apparently s/he thinks s/he can). The surface of the pond rippled. The frog surfaced about 3 feet from the dove. The dove stopped preening and stared at the pond. The frog moved slowly forward.. only the eyes that sit atop it's head showing. The dove took a few steps toward the water. You could almost see the frog tense. Another dove lands nearby. The first dove stops and looks at the other dove. The second dove moves toward the water. The first dove stands still. The second dove moves to the water about 2 feet behind the frog. The first dove begins preening again. The frog starts to turn around toward the second dove. The second dove lowers it's head to get a drink of water. The frog is almost facing the dove. The dove stops lowering it's head... looks around. The dove flies away taking the first dove with it. The frog gives the bird to the birds (well, maybe I'm read'n a bit much into this).

Oh the drama. It makes you tired. I can't stop watching.