On an Ozark River in May
Kings River in Arkansas; May 2010
Oh Mamma Maia, daughter of Atlas(Gr), Roman Goddess of fertility, your name lends well to my favorite page on the calendar(Maius/Latin)!
This transitional month finds me still reveling in the resurrection of life along the river and excited by its unerring promise of summer. This second wave of spring is composing the lushest and greenest of greens, the earliest songbirds are still singing, and life on the river is birthing with a blast!
Greenest of Greens in the month of May; Kings River
BIG BANG on the river…
The turtles are communing, the toads are calling, the frogs are leaping; the fish are jumpin’, the beaver is slappin’ the bass, and the otter is looking for a new place…
This place is hoppin’! This place is jumpin’! This is some kind of river dance!
Just up ahead…
Map Turtles all in a row basking on a log as we approach, one through five they dive in succession and the splash they make in the cool waters is an invitation to take a dip.
The sun’s rays are still cookin’ at 1 and suddenly Mr. Green Frog’s song has just begun. He makes an explosive bong that sounds a lot like a loose banjo string. This guy can pick!
Leaning toward the metal sound is Mr. Cricket Frog. His call is a loud metallic “gick, gick, gick.” Rhythm or lead, his hard-driving gickin’ keeps “kuh, kuh, kickin’ out the jams.*
And after the sun goes down…
The Cricket Frog’s rhythmic calling behind Mr. Bullfrog’s lead vocals are particularly enchanting. This dynamic duo lights up the night!
Check it out at: http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/bullfrog
And there’s still more performers to join in this nightly ensemble that will energize me for hours:
Fowler’s Toad – he makes a short nasal “wahhh” sound that is fairly constant throughout most of the night.
American Toad – his call is a sustained high-pitched musical trill which is also prominent throughout the night.
And then there’s Mr. Leopard Frog, who makes a series of abrupt quacking sounds and sometimes it sounds like he’s laughing. And still other times, it
sounds like he’s rubbing two balloons together. I think it’s safe to say that they make the most unusual sounds of any frog or toad species that I’ve ever heard.
“Water Suite” on the river…
Take time to learn the different calls of toads and frogs:
http://mdc.mo.gov/search/google-appliance/toads%20and%20frogs
Or go to: http://mdc.mo.gov/; and type in “toads and frogs”
The audio recordings are excellent!
Once you get a Handel on the individual calls, you will gain a new perspective and appreciation for these performers when they join together IN CONCERT!
But you have to put yourself on the river for this experience!
So make a way to the river in May.
Peace on the River
