FrogWatch 2006 Report
Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) seen at foot of Crosby,
near Dallas Ave, 3/30/05
Summary by Site Location and Month
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FrogWatch 2006 Report |
Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) seen at foot of Crosby, near Dallas Ave, 3/30/05 |
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Summary by Frog Species
Summary by Site Location and Month |
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Six frog species were heard calling, or collected as tadpoles, in Sligo this spring during our annual Frogwatch monitoring program. There were both encouraging and disappointing results from our most productive site at the Kemp Mill stormwater ponds. Across Sligo, we recorded Wood Frogs, American Toads, Gray Treefrogs, Pickerel Frogs, Bullfrogs, and a single Green Frog.
Like 2005, the Kemp Mill ponds yielded the greatest diversity. On the good news side, we observed more frogs this year, even though the dredging of the ponds was not completed until early spring. Not only did we hear American Toads, Gray Treefrogs, and Bullfrogs in the same abundance as last year, we also had more records of the Pickerel Frog: They were heard on three dates instead of one, and with two males singing this year instead of last years's solitary caller. On top of this was our discovery of Wood Frog tadpoles at the ponds during a field trip in April. These early breeders prefer small, temporary water bodies ("vernal pools"), such as the one near the deer exclosure further upsteam. But the driest March on record quickly sucked the water out the pool, and our ecologist Chris Fleming suggested that the Wood Frogs were probably forced to look to the stormwater ponds to spawn. |
On the down side, siltation from the record storms in late June delivered an apparent death blow to the offspring of early-breeding frogs. Our late July field trip to catch tadpoles yielded not a single one, and deep muck was found everywhere. Trip leader Chris Sargent suggested that the tremendous amount of sediment washed in by the storms had suffocated the tadpoles at the bottom of the pond. Our Pickerel Frogs and Gray Treefrogs will have to try again next year.
The most abundant and widespread species along Sligo was once again the American Toad, this year recorded at four sites, including the Forest Glen wetlands where last year it was not heard. This frog's enchanting, high-pitched trills can easily be missed, as it sings for only a few days each year (this year in Sligo from April 11-15, last year from April 4-8). FrogWatch is a program of the U. S. Geological Survey and the National Wildlife Federation. FrogWatch protocol dictates that site visits be made at least thirty minutes after sunset and last for three minutes. Identification is by song only, considered easier and more reliable than visual ID and indicative of mating behavior. If you are interested in participating in the 2007 FrogWatch, e-mail Michael Wilpers. |
Participants | |
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A team of ten volunteer monitors made 63 nighttime visits to six sites along the creek between March 10 and June 18 to collect the data. Special thanks to Chris Sargent for collecting and identifying the Wood Frog tadpoles in her home laboratory
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Following are the FrogWatch volunteers for 2006. If you voluntered and are not listed, please contact the webmaster.
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