As temperatures rise, the springtime air is frequently filled with the sounds of frogs, ranging all the way from the high-pitched choruses of spring peepers to the solitary bass notes of croaking bullfrogs. When I walk along the edge of marshes and ponds at this time of the year, the ground in front of me often seems to explode as well-camouflaged frogs arc through the air seeking to escape me.
On Monday as I wandered about in Prince William Forest Park, I spotted quite a number of tiny frogs at the edge of the water, but did not hear them calling, so I had to rely on their physical appearance to identify them. On the basis of the dark triangle between their eyes and their other markings, I believe the frogs in the photos below are both Eastern Cricket frogs (Acris crepitans crepitans).
Eastern Cricket frogs are small frogs, reaching lengths of 5/8 to 1-3/8 inches (16-35 mm), which make them a challenge to photograph. According to the Virginia Herpetological Society, part of the scientific name for the species is derived from the Latin word crepit which means “rattle” and the call of these frogs sounds like pebbles being clicked together. Perhaps they will be calling, the next time that I visit the park.
The evidence is mounting that spring is really here. What are your favorite signs of the arrival of spring?
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I zoomed in to check them out. 😊 I love frogs and turtles. My favorite sign of spring is when my first Mexican Bluebell blooms. 😍 I’ve never planted anything at this rental house and the yard has always been mostly weeds. I think that flower patch appeared naturally. I love it. The neighborhood has burst with pink-flowered bushes, but it’s not the same for me. I love investigating the details in tiny wildflowers most. 😊
Thanks for sharing, Laura. I love hearing about the different sights and sounds that people associate with spring. This past week I saw some of the little forest wildflowers that pop up for a short time in the spring and I’ll probably do a little posting on them soon.
🤩😍😍
I seem to be frog blind. I hear them singing and croaking, and I’m always hearing the kerplunks as they hit the water, but I just can’t seem to see them. Well, it’s the season, so it’s time to start looking again. These little guys are cute, in their way.
You are definitely not alone in finding it hard to spot frogs. Many are tiny and most are so well-camouflaged that they are virtually invisible if they do not move. It is particularly frustrating for me when I hear a large chorus of frogs right in front of me and I can’t see a single frog. Occasionally I will get lucky, as I was two years ago when I captured one of my favorite frog photos (https://michaelqpowell.com/2019/04/09/visible-sound/).
Great photos, Mike. My favorite sign that spring is near is when the local soft-serve ice cream place opens. Still a kid at heart.
My favorites? ALL of them, ha! 😉
The re-appearance of butterflies is a good marker for the imminent arrival of spring. Also, the courting behaviour of our local woodpigeons, the males desperately displaying, the females remaining disdainfully aloof (the story of my life too! 🙂)
Butterflies are definitely a wonderful sign. As for the courting behavior of the woodpigeons, it seems like male birds in many species have to go to extremes to try to attract the females.
What a thoughtful question. For me, back when I was up in the northern hemisphere, it was the emergence of the crocuses. Down here, it’s the ability to stop carrying an umbrella wherever we go and to stop wearing thermal underwear.
Your change of hemispheres makes for a world of difference between your responses. Crocuses are definitely one of the first flowers to emerge and one of the first things that would come to mind in responding to a question like mine.
There are certain wildflowers I look for, bloodroot among the first along with early saxifrage and red trillium but others as well. Our state flower, the Mayflower or Trailing Arbutus is another and I have one in the yard I check daily. And who in New England doesn’t gauge the arrival of spring by the first robin? 🙂
It’s still a little early for frogs here but the usual first sign of them is the symphony of spring peepers in our woods.
Thanks, Steve, for sharing your list of the signs of spring. You have reassured me about how New Englanders view robins. We have them more or less all year here, so they are not a harbinger of spring.
Crocus and daffodils! Love the second photo. Looks as if he is casually resting his left front leg on the stick! Thanks, Mike, for some extra morning joy!
Thanks, Molly. The crocuses are now spent, but there are lots of daffodils blooming as well as the bright yellow forsythias, which were one of my Mom’s favorites. The frogs in my photos definitely seem to have assumed quite casual poses–I love the positioning of their tiny feet.
My favourite signs of the arrival of spring? The sunshine, Mike – the sunshine!! 😀
Sklugoo.
I too love the sunshine–it brightens things on both the outside and the inside. 🙂