Common Frogs in my garden pond
We have very few vocal amphibians here in the UK, and only one remaining species of native frog, the Common Frog, Rana temporaria (although I believe that Pool Frogs have been recenty reintroduced to parts of Norfolk). So every year I eagerly await the return of the frogs to my garden pond. They start to gather in early February, with spawning and the attendant chorus of croaking generally occuring for a few days around the middle of the month.
The recordings published here were made two days apart on mild, still mornings, with dawn temperatures around five degrees. Microphones were placed a few metres from the water's edge, allowing for a natural blend of birdsong and frogs.
February 19th, 2023 @ 0745
We hear, roughly in order: Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Common Frog, Crow, Robin, Jackdaw. Then, at 1'30, the squealing cry of a Red Kite as it circles overhead, followed by a Raven's wingbeats & honking call. The gentle medley continues while the Song Thrush cycles through his repertoire of repeated phrases.
Download full length recording:
7min, 13MB, .ogg format
February 21st, 2023 @ 0730
The recording opens with the call of a distant Crow, followed by a Robin, the 2 tone sweeping song of a Coal Tit, and coos of a Wood Pigeon. Then a Great Tit strikes up his strident song, which is similar to that of the related Coal Tit. Crows and Jackdaws call, and the Song Thrush moves closer, as the frog chorus slowly builds. Suddenly, at 7'20, the frogs are silenced as they dive underwater, alarmed by the wing clap, then the call of a wood Pigeon as it flies overhead. In the relative silence which follows, we hear the drumming of a distant woodpecker before the frogs slowly return to the surface and continue the business at hand...
Download full length recording:
10min, 19MB, .ogg format
I posted a longer and more meditative continuous frog chorus from the same location in February 2019
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