More Frogs on the Property at Coles Creek

I was walking back from one of the dams tonight and I saw two Wilcox's Frogs. I have only ever seen them on the rocky area between the two dams. I ran upstairs to get my camera and luckily enough I was able to find one when I returned. They are one of the frogs that you do not see regularly on the property and to be honest I haven't seen them in nearly 18 months. They are hard to find also as they rarely call out. I have never seen or heard them call out anywhere that I have viewed them.

Wilcox's Frog

Wilcox's Frog from another angle

Another shot of the Wilcox's Frog

As usual there were large numbers of Striped Rocket Frogs out tonight. One was calling out right beside me so I took another photo of this one. Unfortunately when I put the spotlight onto him he got startled and stopped calling.

 

Striped Rocket Frog

This frog below, the Common Froglet, is very common on the property but it difficult to find most of the time. They are heard in large numbers for the whole wet season. They are usually heard in close proximity to Striped and Broad-palmed Rocket Frogs. Firstly it is difficult to find due to its size. It is 2 cm in length. They stop calling when you approach and won't start while you are close generally and they stay under the long grass or leaf litter in shallow water. They are also very well camouflaged!

Common Froglet

The same Common Froglet

 

While I was out I saw a few Dainty Tree Frogs, but I didn't hear them calling. The Great Barred Frogs were out in large numbers again in their areas. Also heard were several Striped Marsh Frogs, Peron's Tree Frogs, Broad- palmed Rocket Frogs and a few Red Tree Frogs.

Over the weekend when I get a bit more time I will attempt to find the Tusked Frogs again and have a look around for a few of the frogs that are seen less often.

Even More Frogs on My Property at Coles Creek

I went out frogging tonight to locate two species that I was confident that would be out tonight, that I haven't taken photos of in the last few days. These were the Great Barred Frogs and the Tusked Frogs. I heard all of the frogs that I have included in my last two posts calling out again tonight, except for the Dainty Tree Frogs (which is no surprise, as they usually only call out when it is raining lightly). I didn't bother taking photos of most of these species again tonight.

I knew that tonight the Great Barred Frogs would be out as the flood waters have dropped in the area where they are found and it wasn't actually raining. They are definitely my favourite frog on the property and one of my most favoured frogs that I have seen. The group has always lived on the eastern bank of the creek in the small area they are found here. They have lived on this bank for the last  3 years. Tonight I found them all on the western bank of the creek in the same area. I was pleased to hear another group on the edge of the property also. This group isn't as large as the original group but I saw about 5 males in the new area and heard a few others. This is great that they have spread out into more areas. This new area also has very steep banks on the creek and the same types of vegetation and leaf litter also.

One of the 20+ male Great Barred Frogs in the main group

Another angle of the same frog

The same Great Barred Frog again

Another Great Barred Frog in the main group

One of the Great Barred Frogs in the new area

Another angle of the Great Barred Frog in the new area

Another angle of the same Great Barred Frog in the new area

Another angle of the same specimen

There were thousands of Eastern Dwarf Tree Frogs out again. The only reason I stopped to take a photo of this one is because it jumped onto me while I was attempting to find the Tusked Frog.

Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog

I could hear a few Tusked Frogs calling out but I had no luck in locating them. I would have to say they are one of the hardest frogs to find, once you have heard them calling, out of the 22 species that live on the property. At least while I was in the area I heard multiple Broad-palmed Rocket Frogs calling out. I got a few snaps of them which was pleasing because it was another species that I hadn't photographed this season.

Broad-palmed Rocket Frog

The Broad-palmed Rocket Frog from above

 

The same Broad-palmed Rocket Frog from another angle

I couldn't resist taking a photo of the Red Tree Frogs again. Mainly because I don't often hear them in the front paddocks and it was calling out right beside me while I was looking for the Copper-backed Toadlet that I heard calling. To be honest I thought it was the Keferstein's Tree Frog from the picture but the call was that of the Red Tree Frog. I have so much trouble telling these two frogs apart on the property. Unfortunately I didn't find the Copper-backed Toadlet either. Hopefully while the flooding is still around I can get some pictures of the other species that are found or at least heard regularly on the property.

Red Tree Frog calling

Red Tree Frog calling from a slightly different angle

More pics as soon as I can photograph some more of the species on the property.

More Frogs From Around the Property at Coles Creek

Tonight there are heaps of frogs out again. I didn't go out onto the property due to it raining so heavily and consistently, so I just went around the house and the trees within a few meters of the house.

It is much wetter tonight so the Graceful Tree Frogs or Dainty Tree Frogs are very vocal. There are hundreds of them just around the house and the noise is deafening! I love the sound of all the frogs calling out. To be honest if you didn't you wouldn't be able to live here as this will go on all night.

A Dainty Tree Frog on the shed



One of the many Dainty Tree Frogs in the dead tree beside the house

Another Dainty Tree Frog in the dead tree beside the house

This Dainty Tree frog was calling out in this awkward position for at least 5 minutes

 

Another Dainty Tree Frog in the small paperbark tree

 

The males were wrestling in the small paperbark tree as there were about five of them all wanting to call out on a small branch at the top of the tree, which is only about 1 meter tall. The last photo was the victor and the rest began calling out on the lower limbs.

 

Just behind the shed where there are a couple of small ponds and a tall drum which is now quite full of water I found a dozen or more Red Tree Frogs. There were a few males calling out and one of the males was near the top of the drum. This was a successful vantage point as it had attracted several females to the rim of the drum. The male calling out on the lip of the pond was not having as much luck attracting the ladies!

 

 



Red Tree Frog on the back of the shed

The Red Tree Frog calling out near the top of the drum

One of the interested females waiting on the rim of the drum

 

This is one of the dozen or so Green Tree Frogs that can be found very close to the house, on the verandas, on the windows or anywhere they like really. Even the dogs which are Ridgebacks respect the space of the Green Tree Frogs when they are on the veranda. In fact, if the dogs hear them making a distress call if they are being attacked by a snake or mouse they will take off to protect them. Some of these Green Tree Frogs were grown up from tadpoles and released in the ponds around the house just before they turned into froglets. As a result they have stayed very close to the house.

One of the resident Green Tree Frogs around the house

The same Green Tree Frog from a different angle

As soon as I can get down to where the Great barred Frogs live on the property to get some photos I will put up another post. They don't usually call out while it is raining, especially if it is heavy. They are more active in the days after the rain has stopped. Also the Tusked Frogs have moved or been washed down the creek when it flooded the property a few weeks back. I heard them calling out last night in the area where the Great Barred Frogs live. This is most likely due to the debris they like to live in being washed further down into a section of the creek in that area. Hopefully the flooding in the area where they are both found on the property doesn't stay too long.

Frogs of Coles Creek

With all the rain around the last few weeks, frogs have been out in large numbers on the property once again. Due to the constant showers I was unable to get as many photos as I had hoped. This is just a few of the species that were found around the property tonight.

Some of the frogs can be found over the entire property while others have very particular habitats, so are only found in small pockets on the property. The majority of the property seems very similar around the dams and the creeks, but once you observe the habits of the frogs you can see why the small differences in habitat make a big difference to them.

I easily spotted a few hundred Striped Marsh Frogs. The are mainly found on the front section of the property where the creek overflows. Many of them were heard calling from small burrows in the ground about 20 cm deep. Many of these had foam masses of eggs within them.



 



Striped Marsh Frog

 

Striped Marsh Frog

A Striped Marsh Frog calling from down one of the burrows

The Red Tree Frogs or Desert Tree Frogs are found mainly around the house and in the mowed area of the lawn, approximately 6 acres. They regularly lay eggs in the ponds that are around the house. The Bleating Tree Frogs or Keferstein's Tree Frogs are found in the same area of the property also, and both these species are very similar in appearance around this area. I sometimes have difficulties telling them apart even, unless I hear them calling.

Keferstein's Tree Frog on the front lawn

Anyone that knows me, knows that I'm not a huge fan of spiders. In fact spiders like this one really put the breeze up me. There were hundreds of these out tonight, as there are most nights. I'm always looking out for them along the edge of tree lines to ensure I don't have one drop on me if I walk through their web.

Garden Orb-weaver

The Peron's Tree Frogs or Emerald Spotted Tree Frogs are found in a few small sections of the property. Tonight there were about 25 or so in the main area. This is the most I have seen in one place since I have lived here. I love their advertisement call. Very distinctive and easily heard from a long distance so they can be located quite easily. Tonight they were all quite low in the trees, about 2 - 3 meters up, which made it possible to obtain a few good snaps.

A Peron's Tree Frog calling out

A Peron's Tree Frog from above showing the distinctive skin colour

Peron's Tree Frogs have a distinctive eye pattern also

The yellow and black pattern on the inner thigh also helps identify the Peron's Tree Frog

Eastern Dwarf Tree Frogs can be found in large numbers across the entire property. There would easily be thousands of them here at present. They are one of the two most common frogs on the property and can be heard most of the year.

Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog

Just over 3 weeks ago the property was extremely dry. All the creeks had dried up and only one dam had a small amount of water left. The night that it started raining the frogs were calling out from all corners of the property. The following day it flooded over the whole property (45 acres) except for about 4 acres around the house pad. After this happens water stays in the front paddocks for several weeks with no follow up rain, and up to several months if it keeps raining. This froglet must have been from the first eggs that were laid after the rain 3 weeks ago. A quick development.

A froglet that has just emerged from the water: either a Dainty Tree Frog or Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog

This is the other frog that is found on the property in huge numbers. The Rocket Frogs easily reach thousands in number also. Some nights the noise is deafening. They are common across the whole property, especially in the open paddocks where there is lots of grass. They are less common in the dense bushland and the short grass around the house itself.

One of the many Striped Rocket Frogs

Posts will be put up regularly during the summer months while the frogs are active.