The Mission:
Obtain stereo audio recordings of Ornate Chorus Frog (Pseudacris ornata) and to photograph individual frogs calling, throat sacs inflated and all, and anything that might follow. This will also be a scouting mission of a new location for me. The hope is to hear and see as much as possible, but the driver, is P. ornata.
Destination:
Patsy Pond near White Oak, NC
Across from the offices of the North Carolina Coastal Federation on a 4 lane highway off of NC Route 24 (NCCF address: 3609 N Carolina 24, Newport, NC 28570)
Distance from home: 200 miles/ 400 miles round trip /13 mpg = 30.77 gallons x $3.35 per gallon = $103 worth of frog ones and zeroes.. of frog memories and an all-nighter.
Time there:
3/9 late morning to PM -- 3/10 1:30 AM
Day time temperature 69° F, clouds giving way to blue sky and breezy
Night time temperature 40° F, half moon, and winds subsiding to calm/ 1-2 mph.
Location Notes:
Traffic noise, airliner noise, military aircraft AV-8B Harriers, day hikers, mountain bikers, horse riders, dog walkers, loose dogs splashing into ponds.
Always impressed, but never surprised at how the non-sound recordist perceives “good places to record”. All of the ponds were less than a mile as the crow flies from Rte 24. Five miles is what I would ask for with a road like that. Many of the ponds were less than a quarter mile from the road.
Background:
Ornate Chorus Frog (Pseudacris ornata) in NC:
Personal. In 14 years of intermittent and limited-scope treks to where the frogs should be, I’ve not ever definitively heard or seen this species. I’ve inquired about them, emailing the Curator of Herpetology at the NC Museum of Natural Histrory. Jeff Bean had listed several locations where he’d encountered them over the years. I've driven out to places where they've historically bred or been heard, without luck, without the zig, when they zag. This spring however is perhaps the first time in 7 years since Jeff Bean had heard them call.
The evening of March 9th was my “lifer” acoustic encounter, and towards midnight my best sound recordings of the species were made. In the small hours of March 10th I had my lifer photos, which were fair at best..
Chronology:
3/9/14 Late morning until late afternoon: I'd heard the not too familiar sounds for me, of Little Grass Frogs (Pseudacris ocularis) as I approached one of the first ponds along the green trail. It was a grassy pond with more of a field like appearance. Their cricket to insect-like calls would start with a few clicks or croaks and then accelerate.
Early afternoon: An exploratory hike without sound gear, but with cameras and lenses lead to the larger ponds just a little further away from the highway. Back at Patsy Pond, and more towards the western end of it, there were a few more little grass frog, an occasional Southern Leopard Frog calling, a cricket frog or two along the lake edge, and some spring peepers calling from off further in the woods.
In the afternoon I visited some round (perhaps sinkhole related ponds) which had calling Spring Peepers.
There were photos to be had of the Longleaf Pine savanna a few days maybe after the last controlled burn. It was a first visit to Patsy Pond, so a shot or two were taken of it.
The Longleaf Pines here did not seem to compare to those of the Sandhills areas I visit. The trees were smaller, younger, and many seemed to have suffered some heat or fire damage even to their crowns.
There was some bird noise, even a Red-cockaded Woodpecker photo or two to be had. Normal lens shots included attempts at pine cones on the ground next to charred tree trunks, of the forest through the trees, of ponds and a melted light bulb.
The surface of a few ponds had the clouded masses of presumed Southern Leopard Frog eggs, which broke the reflections of tree crowns on the pond surfaces. Obviously somewhat late for a few of them.
Late afternoon -- Evening:
Wind and traffic noise had me start things off with the 30” Roche fiberglass parabola. Working progressively closer to unseen Little Grass Frogs in a sea of grass on a grassy pond. On the recordings I’ve mis-announced them as little glass frogs -- (a brain thing relating to years ago frog work in the tropics). Other brain things/ brain farts include how the few images of Ornate Chorus Frogs are labeled as “Wood Frog” in a folder on the computer.. I used to see wood frogs back in the days of living further north.
The barn boots leaked! Upon return with the hip waders, and another try at the little grass frogs, an Ornate Chorus Frog called for one series, but would not repeat. As this was one of the ponds which was very close to the road, it was time to see what could be seen or heard on “Patsy Pond” proper which was a 1.5 mile? hike/ loop, but less than .5 miles probably from highway, and noise was prevalent, especially as the wind died down some. Dusk was breezy though with 5-10 mph for a spell.
The grassy flooded edges of recent rains near the pond had more grass frogs (or from an older time the “least treefrog” Their calls are reminiscent to me of more high pitched cricket frogs in their pattern. The wind was whipping across the west end of the pond, and a better plan seemed to head away from the exposed lake edge area.
Sunset through the longleaf pine savanna, grasses and rooted emergents silhouetted against bluish pond surfaces, reflecting the silhouettes of pines back-lit by the sun. Obligatory attempts at capturing the moment, the interesting components, bluish lily pads, wispy tan grasses, and the waves made by the photographer-- now in hip waders.
A Bald Eagle flew over as I shot fire-charred tree trunks against the rust of pine needle covered forest floor. The shots should all be background to a cacophony of chorusing frogs, but in the back ponds, beyond Patsy Pond, and around Patsy Pond itself, little more than Little Grass Frogs, a few Spring Peepers, and some Southern Leopard Frogs vocalized.. It was now time to run a circuit, and check the other ponds along the Yellow Trail, and the Blue Trail, and if nothing else, return to the grassy pond where one ornate had vocalized near dusk.
I was carrying a camera, strobe, three lenses, a 30 in parabola with mic, a tripod with a pair of mics on it and 100 feet of microphone cable, spare batteries, another shirt, headlamps, deet, and a Dick’s Sporting goods chair, not to mention the recorder and dish draped over the shoulders. I would get progressively heavier and old for the aging “frog-quistador” -- that’s dumb, I just thought of it, but I like it, -- what does that make me?
3/10/14 Small Hours till 1:30 am:
Coyotes howled and whistles somewhere between me and the highway. Eastern Screech Owls gave their tremulous whistles, and Great Horned Owl hoots from afar.
Fog rising off of the pond surfaces as the air chilled down towards the thirties again. The clear sky lent to radiative cooling. Nice view of constellations (Orion, Cassiopeia The Big Dipper, Taurus, and the Pleiades), a half moon, Saturn and Jupiter.
Little Grass Frogs, numerous, and only movement and small splashes for visual. But they are on tape, or on Compact Flash card.
(Pseudacris ornatus) Frog 1 and Little Glass Frog from Parabola work
34°43'14.18"N, 76°57'48.16"W
(Pseudacris ornatus) Frog 2 Close parabola work 3/9 PM, and Stereo Recording @ 8’ distance
34°43'24.04"N, 76°57'33.06"W
The Frog Stalker...
(Pseudacris ornatus) Frog 3 photography work
34°43'21.56"N, 76°57'24.73"W
34°43'21.56"N, 76°57'24.73"W
The Frog Stalker...with camera (how does he come up with that?)
Sunset Pictures @ Patsy Pond (W. Side)
34°43'33.72"N, 76°57'52.09"W
Making waves, trying for “art”
The place was control burned, then it flooded? Frogs were on burned twigs in the middle of ponds -- these things apparently happen.
The ponds obviously have been at higher levels in the past, so water yes, but not as high as they could be (Grassy Pond in the Sandhills comparison, though some of these are aquifer fed?)
This pond’s not big enough for the two of us... one male ornate per pond please!
Males I was able to locate (other than the one in the grassy pond) both were in the pond from the edges some, 15-20 feet or so, calling outward.
One of the males called from under some emergent grasses(frog 2)
One of the males (frog 3) called from near the base of an emergent grass/ rush shoot.
The ultimate but fleeting frog photo opportunity happened when that frog had climbed up maybe 6 inches above the pond, perhaps to yell back at frog 2 which could be heard at more than 100 yards through the pine flatwoods. He dove into the pond when I approached with the light.
When returning to frog 3 with the camera, after setting up the stereo gear on frog 2, frog 3 had moved more to the center of the pond, and had a firm grip with all four appendages on slightly submerged burned stalks, and emergent stalks. I tried some shot with the 85-300mmm zoom, through the fog, and then with every breath from me things fogged even more.
I did not get a look at a Little Grass Frog, not enough time or patience, and bigger frogs to fry.
Small mini-frogs would jump frog the edge into the pond. As the big rubber boots rolled their way.
No comments:
Post a Comment