First Frog Calls
The final day of March began cool and overcast, but by late afternoon the clouds had dissipated. When I set out for a walk at the St Olaf Natural Lands, the sky was clear, the sun bright, and the temperature slightly optimistic, crossing the 50 degree mark.
At the catchment pond at the corner of campus, a single Chorus Frog called from the cattail debris. The first frog call of the year. Of course it's impossible to spot the amphibian singer. And, of course, it stops calling the moment I try. Last spring I had studied the Minnesota frog and toad calls with the hope of applying for a survey route around Northfield, only to find that all the routes were filled. Nevertheless, I benefited from the effort. The call of each species is distinct and easily differentiated with a little practice, making it possible to identify which frogs and toads are present in a wetland just by listening. And the best time to listen is at night. Even though some of the singing carries over to the daylight hours, the real performance, the grand amphibian opera, takes place beneath the stars.
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