Peepers

[bluepinecones]

Guess I'm the only one here that did not know what a peeper was (Soos and Cedar references). At first, I thought it was a bird of some sort but after failing to find anything like that in my references, had to go on line to hunt.
Turns out it is a frog. Found web site with photo and recording of sounds
http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recNum=AR0014.

When I played the audio, Nicky jumped up from sound sleep to come investigate. Think he knew what it was. After hearing the sound, I too realized I knew it - just not by name.

[retiredhappy]

Oh, I LOVE those. Have never heard them before. They probably aren't in Calif, Texas or New Mexico where I usually am.

[Cedar518]

The type we have here are the background on the first portion of that sound track.

Old saying is that the "peepers have to freeze up three times before spring is really here".. guess that's now happened. They were singing loud last night. My place is on a hill, but there are some wet areas not far below the house in the edges of the hayfield. Sure sounded nice to my ears.

[Getupngo]

That is wonderful ... thank you for sharing that with us. Here in Utah we don't have a huge chorus of critters. I loved the chorus of birds, frogs and others at night on the bayou in louisiana.

[Nasoosie]

Up here, the Spring Peepers (little tree frogs) are the first to start singing. Then we have a variety of other kinds of tree frogs. Soon the trill of the Eastern toads join the chorus. And then, green frogs, wood frogs, and finally, bull frogs. We also have barking frogs up here.....amazing sounds in the nights! But the senenading is very short lived, as, by the end of June, all the mating songs are over!

In July, some frog sounds are heard at the pond, but they aren't like those wonderful sounds of spring.

I will attempt to get the sounds on my digital video camera as they occur this year. So far, no peeper songs can I hear up here at the house, and, when the peepers are in full swig at the pond, I can hear them here. But our ice has just gone out, and we have been much colder this spring than Cedar down in the valley. I am thinking this weekend should be a wakeup call for us!

By the way, Cedar....you are welcome to come and camp here any weekend you are able! Your A-frame would be perfect at the pond! I would LOVE the company! In fact, you and Kath could haul the camper here, leave it, and go back to school during the week and return on the weekends!

[avalen]

FROGS???? this whole time peepers are frogs? well I too thought we were talking about
little baby birds. frogs! who'da thunk it

[LegalLady]

I just love spring peepers! Their peeping always makes me smile.

Leslie

[Cedar518]

Just might take you up on that Soos,...just might! Many thanks.... can we call it a GTG?

[Nasoosie]

We can call it anything we want, Cedar!!! You just pick the days, and I'll be ready at a moment's notice! What a beautiful night Molly and I had down there last night, although the peepers are still very few and far between! Maybe tonight after this heat they will be awake and realize it's spring. It's been below freezing here every morning except today!

[AlmostThere]

I wasn't sure what they were referring to, either, but figured it was either frogs or crickets. The only peepers I've ever heard of referred to 'leaf peepers'. Or the people that show up in the fall to see all the fall colored trees in the New England states.

Now that I know for sure what peepers are, they have been peeping here for the past 6 wks. Yesterday I watched the kids playing in the creek that runs through the park here in my sub'd. They were trying to catch tadpoles.