Saturday, April 25, 2009

Frog Eggs.....and Deer Poop

Today the Wookie and I went for a few short jaunts. Neither of us had the energy for one big hike. The first pic is of one of the neighbourhood "gate hinges" as I like to call hem. Blue Jays are one of the noisiest of birds and sound like gate hinges to me. My father says they sound like a laundry line pulley.



We came across a couple pf wet spots in the woods and upon closer examination discovered clutches of frogs' eggs.

In the same wet spot another species of frogs' eggs. I think there are 4 or 5 different species of frog in Nova scotia and they all live fairly well together; bullfrogs, leopard spotted, green frogs, peepers, they all share the land and water.


The flying insects were out in great numbers today; I came across a few different beetles, flies, and bees. And the spiders were scurrying like mad. Except for this one. I suspect it's a species of crab spider; small but brave it will put up it's first two pairs of legs in a defensive motion (or maybe it's offensive). And what would a hike in the woods be without the obligatory shot of deer poop for Braincheese?


Tomorrow we'll be helping to clean out the fish ladder at Heffler's Mill on the Sackville River. I hope to return with a few more caddisflies to put in the aquarium. And pictures!

S.

8 comments:

Lisa Emrich said...

Look closely at the deer poop. So sweet of you to carve your last initial into the side for artistic value (and my amusement).

Really, look closely. :)

Diane said...

Okay - I am blind and cannot see the initial into the side like Lisa saw..

It's amazing to me how many frog eggs there will be and not all of them make it. I've not heard of a crab spider...I'll have to check it out!

Cool pics from your hike! :)

Unknown said...

Lisa,
I checked the pic this morning and just hooted. Didn't even notice it the first time.

Lanette,
It helps to click on the picture, that way it should enlarge to fill your screen and the M becomes quite evident. A few hundred eggs provide sustenance for a number of other creatures, and tadpoles also are food for others. Nothing goes to waste in nature.

S.

Herrad said...

Hi Shauna,

Great photos thanks.

Take a look at Spike and Marleen's blog

http://spikeandmarleen.blogspot.com/

for your A Hoy Award

Love,

Herrad

J Burgoyne said...

I love your well thought out blog! I have a technical question for you. How did you change the background? I don't mean the blog format, I mean the blue outside the blogspace.

Unknown said...

TEOAI,
I will have to find a better name for you than that and shortening it to just Idiot doesn't work well either. Maybe T to the I.
First, thanks for visiting. Come back any time.
Second, in answer to your question, I don't know. That was the colour when I first joined up. You should be able to select this format and colour as well...
Third, you don't know me and my technical ineptness so you'll just have to imagine me laughing at anyone asking me a technical question.

S.

Herrad said...

Hi Shauna,
The A Hoy is to celebrate Chris Hoy.

Sir Christopher Andrew "Chris" Hoy MBE (born 23 March 1976 in Edinburgh) is a track cyclist representing Great Britain and Scotland. He is a multiple world champion and Olympic Games gold medal winner. With his three gold medals in Beijing 2008, Hoy became Scotland's most successful Olympian,[3] the first Briton to win three gold medals in a single Olympic games since Henry Taylor, in 1908, and the most successful Olympic male cyclist of all time.

Love,
Herrad

BRAINCHEESE said...

I saw the title of this post and clicked over here as fast as I could! That deer poo is like a magnet for the CHEESE!!!

And now I must click above because I see your "butt" is in the title there...woohoo...I am in potential potty humor heaven. Ty, ty...LOL