April 5, 2013 – Canton (Carly Rocklen)

I visited Ponkapoag Pond and then a relatively small, man-made depression / aka wetland / aka tiny pond in the Blue Hills Reservation, just before dusk.

The chorusing of Spring peepers, with a few American toads interspersed, and at a smaller pond – Wood frogs, pulsed around me, punctuated by the calls of Red-winged blackbirds, American robins and Canada geese.

In fact, even before I had reached either of the ponds, when I still walked the paved path through the golf course, I already could hear the chorusing Spring peepers and calls of Red-winged blackbirds from the marsh.

Eventually, I’d spot a Great blue heron off in the middle of the dried marsh plants, leaning forward, looking downward at the open water. It was nearly invisible.

Red-winged blackbirds perched on separate, leafless young trees.

Listen to the Spring peepers and American toads call from the marsh within Ponkapoag Pond. Can you hear the Red-winged blackbird calls, too?

I listened for a long while to the calls and then continued to walk….

Soon, in a small pond, loud with the quacking noises of Wood frogs, I spotted egg masses, and although I looked for salamander spermatophores, did not find any.

The photo at left shows the Wood frog eggs.

Listen to the Spring peepers (high-pitched calls) and Wood frogs (duck-like sounds) call from the small pond.