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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 08, 1961 - The Spring PeeperOo Ot W 5 d U Vxclusive Sunday Review Sketch by Dennis Puleston, Brookhaven Focus on Mature by Paul Stoutenburgh Cutchogue SPRING PEEPER mate, on the other hand, has a Some years ago I camped near whiter throat region. Both, of a marsh during the springtime. course, ,have the characteristic X Usually this kind of arga, does on their back which identifies this not make the best kind of.camp- little frog as the peeper. (Hyyla site but on this occasion the song crucifer). that filled the air made all the Upon closer examination y o u inconveniences well worthwhile- would also notice their toes are! During the day we could feel the equipped with little pads, used to warm spring sun whittling away attach theselves to the grasses in at the last remains of winter.., the spring and later on to climb The - Red -wings were, i in t he about in the trees. There a r e tree .tops ruling over their terri- records of this little climber be- tory while below the skunk cab- ing found sixty feet up in the bages were already past their tree, tops. Nature has provided bloom. As the sun went down and these high climbers well. dusk took over, we could .hear This chorus I speak of hearalds an occasional peeper, but remem, the annual pilgrimage from the bering the old saying that "one uplands to the ponds and marshes swallow does not make a suui- for the purpose of selecting a mer" we hesitated to call this a matg. Like many birds, the males true omen of the season. precede the females. After mating At first only the solo broke the has taken place the female pro - silence but latter as it grew dark- ceeds to lay between 800 and er it seemed as if all the peepers 1000 more or less separate .eggs in the area "wanted to get into on stems and twigs submerged* the act". 1 remember that night below the water. so well for I tried to locate a Depending on the temperature, peeper singing just outside the these eggs will hatch into tad - tent. Silently I crept along until poles in five to fifteen days. By I was but a few feet from his the end of June these tadpoles loud call. I aimed the flashlight will be large enough to leave the in the general direction and turn- water and join their parents only ed it on. I couldn't find a thing!. to return after three or four years How could this be? I searched when they are mature enough to everywhere. , He had blended in breed. I so well with the surroundings that To those of you who are Por- no matter how clossely I examined tunate enough to find the peepers, the area he could not be found. it might be interesting' for you to This game of hide and s e e k treat your family by capturing came' to an end when I finally two or three of these males and located one clinging to a stalk putting them' in a box with sgme of last year's goldenrod. He meas- damp moss. If the day. is a cool ured little more than an inch in one,, your peepers will be quiet. length. Just think, these small However, when you bring them creatuges have a voice that can inside where it is warm and close be heard over a mile away. Ima- the box to make it dark, you gine, if you can, in comparison, will be rewarded W. their song. what we vould sound like if our This works wonderfully w i t h voice were amplified proportion- children and it has often been ately,, ' used by the alert classroom As I stood *ere I realized that teacher to awaken the children this peeper,, gwst be a male for, to the marvels of Natural History. they are the -od yr,pes wNo call * MELD OBSERVATIONS: Had it been daylight I'Puld have SNOW GOOSE (1) seen with identified him as a male by his 600 Canada Geese at Sagapon- brown or black throat, The fe- ack (D Puleston) ,April 2, , , 1 DOUBLE- CRESTED CORMOR- ANT (1) Brookhaven (FPules- ton) PHOEBES AND TREE SWAL- LOWS are returning to the area, Snowy egrets (2), L R Er- nest, April 3, Mecox. Please send your field observa- tions to Paul Stoutenburgh, Box 105, Cutchogue, New York. This column is attempting to bring the reader many views on Nature; be it birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians or ankher facet of Nature, we are going to try to touch them all. In order to do this, we are inviting guest writers. The first will be Mr" Arthur Cooley w h o teaches science in the Bellport Sd'.iool. He is one of our out - otanding young na ialist who is doing much with the young people in his area. His article will be, The Pheonomenal E v e n i n g Grosbeak ".