Wood frogs - Marcy Woods

Wood frogs Earl Plato

An answer to the scarcity of frogs at Marcy Woods this year. Thanks to Dino DiCienzo Jr. I received this e-mail from nature scientist, James Kamstra, that helps us understand the scarcity of frogs at Marcy Woods. I quote as follows: “Not sure why the frogs seem to have declined. Wood frogs have a very narrow calling period which is only about two weeks in any one area. April warmed up very quickly this year and my impression was that their calling period was even more compressed than usual. Also their peak calling period coincides with warm night temperatures, and it is hard to hit their peak right on. Perhaps the writer (That’s me) hit the peak in a previous year and then was not quite at peak during his visits this year. I have been monitoring one site in Oshawa for more than 15 years. Some years I hit the peak and other years I don’t. I doubt that the Wood Frogs have declined significantly in Marcy Woods.”
Writer’s note: Remember this is the first spring for me in Marcy Woods for four years. That’s good news that next year I will probably hear the Wood frogs again.
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Scientist James Kamstra continued with his e-mail message. “ The other two species have longer calling periods. Chorus Frogs typically breed in very open temporary ponded (vernal pools) areas. They were quite common in the open field/ thicket area north of Marcy’s Woods when I did the surveys in 2004 but I don’t think they were in the Woods proper. As for Spring Peepers, they were common in fields and swamps in the Woods. They have the longest calling period. Not sure why they would have disappeared. Maybe the writer (That’s me) was out on a cold night when they were less active.”
James Kamstra.
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Kamstra is right. The sound of Chorus frogs were always in the fields just to the north of Marcy Woods and south of Abino Woods farm. There are vernal (spring time) pools there. The collected trilling calls of these frogs was very loud in certain years. Yes, the high pitched sounds of the Spring Peepers were nearer to the Marcy Pond but in the Woods just to the north in the string of vernal pools. Great sounds to a nature lovers ears. Learn more about nature this year.