'Hoppy' Amphibian Week! #phenology

According to the amphibian foundation, amphibian week began yesterday. The U.S. Park Service joins in the celebration. While working on this year's spring plantings yesterday, in the pots next to the stoop, the Better Half got a startle when she dug up a toad, which was relocated promptly to the leaf-covered flower garden nearby. Perhaps it was a sign to alert us to amphibian week.

The first week in May is a prime time for many of our local amphibians to breed, according to the calendar (above) from a habitat guide once part of Trout Unlimited's Driftless Area Restoration Effort, undertaken with a number of partners.

Photo by J. Harrington

The first week in May is also prime time for tom turkeys to strut and display and gobble and try to breed hens. This morning we watched one do his best with the two hens he was following through the field behind the house. From what we could see, they were having none of it, or him. Perhaps they wanted more privacy.

It must be close to summer. We practically can't get out of our neighborhood, due to construction on a handful of roads in the area. City, and state and/or county are all actively blocking passage and failing to do much to post actual detours. The signs either state "road construction ahead," usually well past an option to take an alternate route, or "road closed. use alternate route," without giving a hint of where  or what such an alternate route might be.

The Frog

By Hilaire Belloc

Be kind and tender to the Frog,

   And do not call him names,

As ‘Slimy skin,’ or ‘Polly-wog,’

   Or likewise ‘Ugly James,’

Or ‘Gape-a-grin,’ or ‘Toad-gone-wrong,’   

   Or ‘Billy Bandy-knees’:

The Frog is justly sensitive

   To epithets like these.

No animal will more repay

   A treatment kind and fair;

At least so lonely people say

Who keep a frog (and, by the way,   

They are extremely rare).

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