frogs in ice melt

[asakiyume]

Wakanomori and I went walking with a friend at the Quabbin Reservoir, and we came to a little pool that was alive with frogs, swimming around in the melting water above the ice still covering the pool. Amazing! Aren't they cold blooded? But they didn't seem to mind the icewater--they swam powerful breaststrokes this way and that in the three inches of water above the ice.

Wakanomori took this video. You have to turn the sound up very high in order to hear them, probably. Unfortunately, no closeups of the athletic swimmers, but imagine them with long thin arms and legs and graceful webbed feet and hands, swimming here and there, and singing.

Watch on YouTube

Comments

[lilysea]

Oh, wow! ^_^

[asakiyume]

^_^

[sartorias]

Oh my that is so lovely.

[asakiyume]

It was a delight to encounter! We weren't expecting anything like that.

[summersgate]

Wonderful! A definite sign of spring!

[asakiyume]

They are mighty!

[amaebi]

How I miss spring peepers.

[asakiyume]

I believe these are different frogs as the song seems different, but yes, spring peepers are marvelous, and I would miss them too!

[wayfaringwordhack]

I still remember seeing our first batch of frog spawn on Farmer Boy's 5th birthday, which is the 3rd of March, when we built our pond. I thought that was crazy early considering winter was not over on the calendar or on the ground. :P

[asakiyume]

Frogs seems so vulnerable, but in some ways they must be very tough!

[wayfaringwordhack]

Yes, they are. I wish I could have a glimpse of what is going on back at our place to see how all the amphibians are getting on.

The other day, J took the kids down to practice their skateboarding on the stone jetty by the sea, and they found a very large freshwater puddle teeming with trash and tadpoles. J was a bit flabbergasted by the way the kids ignored their soccer ball and boards in favor of observing all that wiggly life. :P. They aren't my kiddos for nothing.

[asakiyume]

Oh wow, I would have been watching the wrigglers too!

(But also, how cool that they have skateboards and a dad to take them someplace to practice because I also would love that!)

[wayfaringwordhack]

They are indeed blessed kids. :D

[asakiyume]

PS Farmer Boy's birthday is the same day as my brother's birthday ^_^

[wayfaringwordhack]

HaPPY LAte Birthday, Friend's Brother :D

A new friend's birthday is on the same day. His son came out to spend the evening with us, after being at school all day, to which I have to say: Ah, getting older and no longer feeling like that day has to be special for you. :P

[asakiyume]

It can be relaxing not to have expectations that may not be met :P

[wayfaringwordhack]

Yes, yes, yes :D

[mallorys_camera]

The area where I live is old marshland. Much of it has been drained; some of it has not.

Last night, I actually heard a bull frog!!! I was so excited!!! I'd thought bull frogs had long vanished from these parts!!!

[asakiyume]

Hurray for more resilience in the world than we expect!

[sovay]

But they didn't seem to mind the icewater--they swam powerful breaststrokes this way and that in the three inches of water above the ice.

That's wonderful!

They sound good, too.

[asakiyume]

They sound good, too. --Definitely! Five stars, would hear this performance again.

[rachelmanija]

You can hear them quite well!

[asakiyume]

Oh good! I had to crank up my speakers.

[anna_wing]

How fabulous! Just a few weeks ago I was coming in to work, and there on the corridor wall was a little treefrog, firmly suctioned onto the glass.

[asakiyume]

Finding frogs in unexpected places is also fun! I always wonder, How did you get here? Like your little guy--how did he get to that corridor?

[anna_wing]

He was outside, and we have some outdoor terraces with planting, and a fishpond just below, so he could simply have walked up the wall.

[asakiyume]

Ah--that makes sense then!

[osprey_archer]

I love the chatter of the frogs! It really does sound like you could make out a conversation if you could just tune into the right frequency.

[asakiyume]

They sound like an assembly of kids waiting for a play to begin.

[osprey_archer]

Oh, yes! Or that moment when the orchestra starts tuning up - the instruments have that same almost talking to each other feel.