Orange Tree Frogs!

   No, our tree frogs are not orange.  They are green just like most tree frogs in our yard.  But!  These little froggies seem to really love living in the citrus trees so...hence, the "orange tree" frogs! 

  Actually, I am really happy to find the frogs living in among the leaves of the fruit trees.  For a while, the whiteflies were causing major problems for all of the citrus trees and I resorted to spraying apple cider vinegar on each tree in the small orchard.  The vinegar did the job after several sprayings but it was quite the chore to reach the tiptop of the trees.  The grapefruit trees especially since they are some thirty feet tall.  Climbing fruit trees is not something I wish to do.  Well, climbing trees in general...I am old.  Anyway, after two seasons of battling the whiteflies, I thought I had won.  Then...two years later, the bugs were back making a mess of the trees.  Sickened, I prepared to wage war again but, as I began to spray, I noticed the frogs were eating the critters!  Well, now!  Immediately, the apple cider vinegar went back to being a kitchen staple instead of bug spray!

  That was several years ago and since the froggies have taken up residence (and immediately started multiplying), there are a lot less bugs of all kinds.  Yes, I have thousands of frogs climbing everywhere but I do think they are better than the garden pests...and...they are a lot cuter.  Carry on, Little Froggies! 

Welcome to Puddle Pond

  Four weeks....just four weeks ago, I was in the midst of creating Pebble Creek and renovating Puddle Pond.  These two features of the yard make use of the drains to capture water from the rooftop.  Instead of letting the runoff wash gullies in the yard, I dug a trench, laid in pond lining and filled it with gravel.  This I called Pebble Creek.  With the help of a pond pump located in Puddle Pond and a long hose running the length of the "creek" water is recycled to make it appear as if the creek is actually running.  Along about halfway, a small foot bridge crosses Pebble Creek and allows for passage into the Small Gardens.  Since falling on bad health just as I completed Pebble Creek, this area has become my new domain.  It is where I must do my healing and I am fully appreciative of the hard work that went in to creating my special place.  I had pushed myself to create the space so I figure that I have every right to call myself Queen of the Small Gardens.  It was my doing and now I shall take refuge here.  

  While basking in the sunshine this morning, I saw that the frogs and toads that visit the gardens nightly have been busy.  Hundreds upon hundreds of tiny tadpoles are in Puddle Pond.  This makes me happy as I know that the project can be considered a success if the critters feel at home in it.  Most folks would have dumped some fancy goldfish or tropical fish in the little pond but it suits me fine to have local critters here.  The frogs are just as adorable and they help out in the gardens by eating a lot of unwanted pests.

  Puddle Pond is a delightful place to watch my little tadpoles as they grow and change to froglets!  It is only about 18 inches deep so the clear waters allow me to view the babies with ease.  Ahh, a bit of hard work has paid off.  I feel rewarded.

The Littlest Frog

   During the recent tropical storm, I had to escape the confines of the Little Bayou House.  While it is not normally my nature to traipse about in hurricanes, tropical storms are a different story.  They sort of beg to be explored.  The winds were whipping pretty heavily on the east and south sides of the house but the north side was blocked and relatively calm.  Occasionally, a huge gust would find its way between the shed and house and wobble things about a bit but those gusts were scarce.  I did have to watch for torrential downpours that came unannounced and suddenly.  My short hikes were interesting with lots of "finds". 

  At one point, I hunkered down under the orange trees to escape the rain.  The thick leaves served well as a makeshift umbrella for a few moments.  It was there that I had a perfect view of the Frog Pond and its inhabitants.  It was also there that I got the gut-wrenching feeling that a cottonmouth might be lurking in the same thicket.  That ended that!  Once the rain stopped, I eased closer to the little pond to watch the frogs.  It was morphing time for the tadpoles!  Dozens of tiny green tree frogs were gaining the legs and were learning to swim using them instead of a tail.  One tiny froglet was having the most fun scooting itself across the water.  It got adventurous and decided to swim all the way across the pond to the lily pads.  With just inches to go, it tired.  Poor tiny tot was exhausted!

  Just in the nick of time, a wispy, hair-thin fiber floated out from the lilies and offered assistance.  Yeah, I made that up.  The fiber just happened to be in the right spot at the right time.  The little froglet grasp hold to the fiber and held tight. It had a resting spot!  The thread was sturdy enough to hold the frog and allow it to regain its strength.  Soon, the tiny froglet was able to climb up in the lily pads and hide from any predators.  Hopefully, the ribbon snake that was in the garden will not venture into the pond.  Last spring, that rascal ate dozens upon dozens of the baby tree frogs.  My little guy sure better watch its step!  It is far too tiny to do much exploring at this stage.

Change of Occupancy

  Yesterday when the old dog and I were meandering about the hillside, we stopped by the little Frog Pond.  Dozens upon dozens of tiny green tree frogs were climbing up out of the water and onto the lily pads.  They were making that change from tadpole to frog and were such wee, little things!  Oh, how cute they were!!  Even the old dog, Mr. PJ had to stop and take a gander at the little squirts.  He seemed to be as amused as I was.  That was all too adorable but, then, we fast forward until today.  That cuteness has gone and has been replaced by another almost as interesting (albeit tragic in a sense) scenario.

  After painting a couple of dozen boards for window screens, I decided it was time to change up chores.  The hand needed a break from the paint brush.  I swapped to a pitchfork and started hauling away the wisteria vines that had been recently trimmed.  This job was right next to the Frog Pond.  While I was working, I often looked at the little frogs but, suddenly, a swift movement disturbed the water.  Oh, my!  A snake was after the frogs!  Sure enough, a slender, brown snake gulped down a tiny frog then darted to another lily pad where it gulped another.  It was time to stop work and watch nature at its best.

  A Common Ribbon Snake was making short work of the tiny frogs that dotted the lily pads.  Another local name for this snake is Swift Garter Snake (even though that is not a correct identity) and I could fully appreciate the swift part.  This snake was truly speedy!  It darted about so quickly that it was hard to keep track of where the snake was!  In and out of the lily pads, under the water hyacinths, through the elephant ears it went and all the while snatching frogs from their perches.  At last count, I found 3 frogs remaining.  While that fact did not make me happy, seeing the little snake did.  Nature never ceases to amaze me.

 

Just A Froggy In A Lily

    Just a few months ago, I threatened to do away with the Frog Pond.  I had already had enough of the cleaning and upkeep of the small pond, then along came a cottonmouth that decided to make the pond its own.  Nope, not happening snaky.  There are too many little ones that play around that pond for you to be there.  After catching the snake, I figured the easiest way to rid the place of future snakes was to fill in the pond.  After all, it WAS a lot of work and I AM getting old.  The filling in didn't happen and about a bazillion frogs started laying eggs and the rest is history.  The pond is still there....along with the frogs, tadpoles and more eggs.  Along with more snakes, I am sure.

  This morning, I was out and about when I spied another lovely water lily in bloom.  Nestled down between the petals was the tiniest frog!  A baby green tree frog had decided that the bloom was the perfect hiding place.  How sweet was that??  Yep, I had to get a photograph...or a dozen.  Then I noticed another, much larger tree frog on a piece of driftwood on the other side of the pond.  Oh, my goodness!  Frogs were posing for me today!

  Needless to say, the frog pond is good for a while.  It is safe at least until I have to clean it again or another cottonmouth has to be caught.  For now, the frogs can frolic all they want.  I like them!

Calling Loud And Clear!

  Back behind the house, the Frog Pond has been cleaned and is ready for more froggies.   The first round of tadpoles have already vacated the water and are well on their way to being adult frogs.  The rainstorm yesterday made all of the tree frogs think mating season has started anew.  Their nightly serenade was intense last night causing me to slip out the back door to photograph a few of our locals.  I had recently pruned the wisteria vine to practically a nub so it was relatively easy to find the frogs.  The green tree frogs have a keen knack for hiding in the leaves but with little foliage left on the vines, their camouflage was all for naught.

  One of the frogs was so intent on singing his song that he never noticed me.  He kept right on with his loud chirps regardless of the flash of the camera.  Mr. Frog was bound and determined to attract a female.  It tickled me to see this normally slender, graceful frog swell up to twice his normal size so he could let his song burst forth with gusto!  It did not take long until seemingly hundreds of other frogs were chirping in unison.  The noise was almost deafening.

  The Frog Pond is alive and well with several different types of frogs vying for the perfect spot to lay their eggs and assure another successful generation.  *Just a bit of trivia...Green Tree Frogs are also called Rain Frogs because of their penchant for singing during wet weather.  Their songs seem to be louder and stronger when rains are near.*

Frogs Need Friends, Too!

  Every now and again, it is sort of amusing to pull a fast one on your friends.  A simple prank can lead to a lot of laughs.  Today, I sort of did just that.  While in the garden early this morning, I found a tiny critter friend trying its best to find a warm spot to spend the day.  A tad of cooler weather had hit the Bayou and the summertime critters were finding it hard to cope.  A little green tree frog had climbed up on the ruby lily leaves to bask in the warm sunshine. 

  About the same time I found the little frog, a friend came calling.  Darlene has not been to the Bayou in a few weeks and she needed a little "fishing therapy", as she calls it.  That sounded like a good idea but, first, I wanted to show her the frog.  "Watch this!" I told her. "I have a little friend!"  I eased my hand down to where the frog was resting.  As soon as I placed it near the frog, it climbed into my open hand.. "Oh, my gosh.  Now you are making friends with the frogs!" she exclaimed. 

  Yep, the little frog and I had an understanding.  I would not hurt it and it would keep the garden free from pests.  Nope, I had not trained the frog to climb on my hand.  In fact, I cannot even be sure that I had ever seen this particular frog before.  Other than the frog trusting me, there was a bit of "magic" in the incident.

  The little tree frog was cold.  While the sun was warming it some, the leaves were still holding the coldness from the night before.  My hand was warm and the tiny frog knew that, by climbing aboard, it would warm faster and could escape quicker if need be.  My body heat was being transferred to the little critter.  After a few seconds, I tried to put the frog back on the leaf.  It was having no part of this action and climbed back onto my hand immediately.  Ok, my little prank was backfiring!  I now was stuck holding the frog!  It took a good five minutes before the frog was willing to leave my hand and go back to basking.   By this time, it had warmed itself grandly and was now able to purely enjoy the sunshine.  Its good to help a friend.....even critter friends.