Not Yet A Bayou Cat

   Bat, the cat, is trying so hard to become a "regular" cat that he is overlooking the fact that he should be trying to become a "Bayou Cat".  Bayou cats have duties.  They should understand that to be "cared for" also requires "caring for".  Turnaround is fair play.  If you want to eat and have a cozy home then you have to work for it.  That is a rule if you wish to stay at the Little Bayou House.  There are no freeloaders.  We each have our jobs and that is all there is to it.

  By trying to become a regular cat, he thinks "if something moves", it is a target.  Butterflies, bees, moths, shrews, frogs and lizards are all on his spectrum of edible things.  The cat is not hungry.  Trust me.  He eats enough to feed a horse.  Still, he tries to catch any squirming thing.  I am ok with the shrews and even the moths and butterflies that are laying eggs in the vegetable garden but I draw the line on those bees, frogs and lizards (as I will with birds.)  Fortunately, the bees can pretty much take care of themselves.  One sting is going to make Bat think twice about attacking any others. 

  Today, I had to reprimand him for attacking a bullfrog.  The critter was merely trying to hunker down in the mulch to stay warm but Bat was relentless.  I heard the telltale grunt and knew the cat was up to no good.  A good swat and the frog was removed and placed in the water hyacinths.  The cat bounded off unhurt but pouty.  Five minutes later, he was at it again.  This time it was a hapless lizard.  The poor thing was in enough of a bind because it was shedding but to be smacked at by the goofy cat was over the top.  Again, swat and pout.  The lizard was relocated to the greenhouse where it could shed in peace.  The next was another lizard.  This time a five-lined skink caught the brunt of the Bat Attack.  It lost the tail but Bat was not interested in the tiny part, he wanted to batter the lizard.  Swat and pout!  The skink was relocated to a clump of palmettoes.  

  It looks like the swatting is doing no good so perhaps next I will resort to the water hose.  Maybe getting doused a few times will make him think otherwise.  He needs to go smack the rats that live under the shed and leave my helpful critters alone!  What did I get myself into by agreeing to keep this "throwaway" cat?  He was rescued from a sure death but now I am having to rescue everything around here from his assaults.  Hopefully, he will learn his place soon.

Bullfrog Morning

   While I was still sipping that first cup of coffee, the frogs serenading me were starting that slow decline in their activity.  Not long after sunrise, they would quit for the day and seek shelter in the cooling shade.  There, they would hide from the world for the day only to start their "business" come nightfall.  Most frogs prefer to be nocturnal simply because their skin dries so quickly.  The nights are cooler and more moisture is in the air.  It is then that my froggy friends will be busy patrolling the gardens for those pesky bugs!

  It was just after the sun started peeping over the pines that I found one large bullfrog still on "night duty".  He was slowly making his way back to the Frog Pond after getting his belly full of bugs.  Since there was not much else to do, I decided to watch the bullfrog for a few moments.  He seemed to be boss of the frogs in the pond.  I noticed how the much smaller tree frogs made sure to stay far from the bullfrog as they would have become prey for this voracious feeder.  Contrary to popular belief, frogs do not eat just insects.  Large bullfrogs will eat anything they can overpower.  The frogs are vicious predators that will swallow, not only insects, but lizards, smaller frogs, small snakes and even hummingbirds, if they get too close.   

  Mr. Frog made his way back into the dark waters of the Frog Pond just as the sun started shooting beams through the garden.  His duties were over for the day.  Time for rest.  He just had to find a safe place for a nap or, he too, would be prey to some larger creature.  So goes life on the Bayou.

Little Lost Froggy

  Back where the creek spills into the Bayou, critters abound.  This area has not been disturbed by humans other than an occasional hike through the muck during the winter months.  It is quite unthinkable to even attempt pushing your way through the brambles any other time of the year plus the threat of stepping on a cottonmouth usually causes most folks to have second thoughts about venturing here.  This is where the fox, coyotes, deer, rabbits, raccoons, possums, bobcats and a multitude of birds reign.  Their habitat is left untouched other than mountains of debris pushed in by hurricanes.  That debris eventually rots down to create huge mounds alongside of the creek.  It also creates "ponds" or small gullies where water settles and wildlife thrives.  It is in these ponds that are mostly fresh water that frogs gather to mate and lay their eggs.  (Others gather in my little Frog Pond!)  Just about dusk each evening, a frog chorus starts at a tumultuous pace.  It is almost deafening at times.  Even with the windows of the Little Bayou House tightly closed, the songs of thousands of frogs of all types can be heard.  I adore the "Froggy Symphony" as my grandmother used to call it.

  I have come accustomed to hearing and seeing the frogs in the back of the house but was a bit surprised to see one in the marsh near the pier. While frogs, for the most part, live in fresh water, they can tolerate some brackish water.  The ones here seem to have adapted well to the occasional high tide that flushes their ponds with brackish water.  They have not suffered any undue problems and are thriving.  Still, the frog near the Bay confused me.  Why was this bullfrog so adamant about traipsing the thousand or so feet from the pools where the other frogs were?  Did it really think it was going to survive in the salt water?

  The frog's presence (although confusing) could be a testament to the amount of rain that the area has received in the past six months or so.  As this rain falls it rushes down the hillside into the marsh.  Perhaps the waters there are now brackish enough for a different group of wildlife to survive.  Most frogs cannot handle much saltwater as they dehydrate rapidly.  This will cause death in a matter of days.  If their eggs are laid in water that contains too much salt, they will not hatch and if an area that is already filled with tadpoles is flooded with saltwater , they will die.  Only the leopard frog that we have here can survive any length of time near the saltwater.  My bullfrog friend seemed to have lost his way and wandered in where he did not belong.  Hopefully, the frog will have sense enough to head northward towards the creek or Frog Pond.  

Proud Papa

  Papa Bullfrog sits there like the proud patriarch that he is.  His chest is puffed out and he gives a deep-throated croak at sparse intervals.  He is the king of his watery domain and has his masses of children to attest to that fact.  His strength and size helped him to rid the Frog Pond of all other froggies and other tadpoles.  The waters are safe for his babies so now he can sit back and gloat.  And gloat, he does.  

  I checked the Frog Pond early this morning and found that thousands of tiny tadpoles had hatched from the jelly-like eggs.  The tiny black critters had gravitated towards the edge of the pond.  There, the bright sunshine could warm them after the chilly weather we had overnight. There, they could also munch on the algae that grows in thick clumps on the sidewalls of the pond.  They seemed happy.

  I....I am not as happy as the tadpoles.  These are the bullfrogs that have eliminated most of the tree frogs and toads.  Not only did the big male bullfrog devour most that dared to enter the water, the bullfrog tadpoles will do the same to any tadpoles of smaller frogs.  I thought about moving the bullfrogs but then realized that there was no way that I could catch all of those tadpoles!  There are just too many.  

  The bog behind the shed has now become the new home for most of my sweet tree frogs.  When out wandering today, I noticed dozens of the bright green frogs hiding among the water hyacinths.  At least they are safe there!  Ok, Papa Bullfrog. You have won this battle. We shall see just how far we go with this!  Sit there and gloat all you want!  I will be watching....I will be watching.

The New Little "Bayou" House!

  While we are doing a lot of renovating on the Little Bayou House, the new little Bayou House is not ours.  Several years ago during December, Son found a hollow stump back in the creek and lugged the thing home to me. "Merry Christmas, Mom!" was his only explanation.  None other was needed.  He knew that I would love having the stump as an addition to the garden.  Well, the thing did not make it to the garden as I decided it would be much nicer to have IN the Frog Pond.  There the thing sat for years without much attention.  Every now and again, a frog would venture into the stump but, for the most part, the thing sat there looking pretty with its moss covered bark.  Well, since the bullfrogs have moved into the little pond, things have changed drastically.  Not only have these frogs taken over the pond but they have also laid claim to the stump.  I have to admit that they are rather adorable peering out the little "windows"!

  Speaking of these bullfrogs, I have befriended the big male.  He has lost all fear of me and will not budge an inch when I pester the poor fellow. Today, I was actually able to "pet" the critter as much as a frog can be petted.  Yesterday, just out of curiosity, I tied a small piece of jute cord to a longer thin string.  After fraying the ends of the jute, I swung it out over the lily pads.  Yep, that old frog decided the makeshift bug looked awfully appetizing.  The more I would wiggle that string, the more he would give chase.  He and I had a fine game for about ten minutes.  Yes...I do play with most critters here on the Bayou.

  I am still a bit worried about my tree frogs and toads but Son has offered to help me modify the small "bogs" that we created for the clue hunt last October.  These should suffice as nurseries for the tiny froglets if we can get the adults interested in moving into the area.  I hate to make the bullfrogs vacate their new home if we can find accommodations for the other critters!  That way, everyone will be happy!

I'm so lonely!

  The Frog Pond is in dire need of a good cleaning but I am thinking things might just have to wait.  While the weather has not been exactly conducive to working outside due to all of the rain, the pond seems to be off-limits.  The days and days of rain and warm weather have made the frogs think it is springtime.  So...love is in the air....or pond....and for one frog.  Today, one lone bullfrog sat in among the waterlilies.  While the lilies themselves have kept well under wraps thinking Old Man Winter might make one more attempt at cooling things down a bit, that bullfrog just keeps calling for a mate.  His ladylove is most likely is snug under some mulch refusing to budge.

 The Frog Pond was not intended to be strictly for the frogs but that came about quite by accident.  At one time, we had large goldfish swimming happily under the lilies.  Then Hurricane Katrina came and changed all of that.  Our goldfish were victims of the storm leaving the pond void of any residents.  At the time, fish were not on our list of priorities so soon other critters took a liking to the little pond.  American Toads and American Green Tree Frogs found a safe place to lay their eggs.  I was happy since both of these eat numerous bugs.  My garden could use all the help it could get.  

   So far this spring, I have yet to hear one toad or a single tree frog serenading for a mate.  Either they are smart and are waiting a bit or that big old bullfrog might be taking the job of protecting his territory to the extreme.  If the latter is the case, Mr. Bullfrog might just have to find a new home.  He cannot dine on my tree frogs!

  And, yes, this is a male bullfrog.  I have learned that those with yellow throats are indeed males.  So..there is a tidbit of information for all of you frog enthusiasts out there!  Oh, the things you learn on the Bayou!

A Bayou Serenade!

The Bayou is loud tonight! The Songs of Spring are ringing in the night air! This brings back memories of sitting on the screened front porch just listening to the sounds of the night. Not only are the crickets chirping from the mulch in the rose garden, the locusts (cicadas for those not from Mississippi) are buzzing in the treetops. Then there is the cacophony of frog voices rising above the Bayou. The old Bullfrogs with their deep-throated thunder, the high pitch of the Tree Frogs, the raspy almost clicking sound of the Leopard Frogs and the shrill warble of the American Toads can only mean one thing..Spring romance! Each Spring, the small pond is filled with frog and toad eggs..the little black dots surrounded by the gooey, gelatinous blobs are the frog eggs while the strings of eggs are from the toads. These eggs will hatch into the millions of tadpoles and eventually morph into adult frogs and toads. By tomorrow morning there will be millions of eggs in both tiny ponds and any other suitable water area. Suitable can mean anything that holds water..buckets, ditches, flower pots and even the birdbath and dog's water dish. All are considered nurseries to frogs and toads..a place to raise tadpoles!

The American Toad loves to hop around the garden most of the year just minding its own business. It eats a ton of bugs so I welcome it. The Leopard Frogs are shy and tend to hide during the day while the Tree Frogs want to be near the house. They take advantage of any outdoor light fixture. It is not uncommon to find them on porches and patios. But the old Bullfrogs stay for the most part down deep in the Bayou. Their rhythmic booms echo over the marsh and through the tall pines. I think I love the Bullfrogs the most. They remind me of the pond at my childhood home. There the Bullfrogs would croak day and night as they tried to tell us how to run the world. With the state of the nation and world today, the leaders could probably learn a thing or two from the frogs..if we could only get them to agree to listen!

I used to complain loudly about the toads especially. Their trills are almost deafening but it was the masses of eggs that they produced that bothered me. The ponds would literally be filled with the gelatinous strings of eggs. These strings would be attached or even woven through any plant or stick in the pond. I always hated pulling this mess from the water lilies. I would get my boys to go out with scoop nets to catch the toads and move them to a pond down the road a ways. Not that this did much good for the next night, it seemed as if they were back and had brought their friends! Then one evening, it dawned on me. Yes..I would have a mess to clean but with this mess was a blessing. I could hear! The shrill song became a music to my ears regardless to what was to be the next day. I was blessed to be able to hear their songs. Since then..I love to hear the toads, frogs, crickets and any other Bayou critter that wants to sing for me!

Frogs croaking, toads warbling..music..sweet music to the ears of this country girl from the Deep South. A Bayou Serenade! Like in the post from June 19th..A Froggy Symphony!