Day 42: wetter than wet

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OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT!

wetland wetter, lusher

Quarantine Day 42: You're staying at home to be safe. We are exploring the muddy places so you don't have to.

There's an old bit of barber shop wisdom: you can't get wetter than wet. 

Taking advantage of this sloppy, drizzly day, our man-in-the-wetlands went exploring, back to where he went three weeks ago.

He was curious about the frogs most notably the green frog (Rana clamitans) he found on April 9. (Photo at right) This was a mystery to him because the standing water ponds didn't seem to be big enough to support this species. And the one he photographed was in the tire ruts of the utility road that leads into the wetland. Today? He didn't see it but heard his familiar "grunnnk" in a large pool.


Also, would the barred owl make itself known? It did when a group of robins was heard fussing in the treetops. Their mobbing forced our man to look up and there the owl was watching for food. (See photo at top of page.) It was very near to where the green frog was heard. Is there trouble in this lush paradise? Owls have excellent hearing. If you are a male green frog you have to hide your grunnnk.  

Here we pause to hum the "Circle of Life."  

Barred owls (Strix varia) preferred habitat is woods near water because a large portion of their diet is cold-blooded animals like frogs, salamanders, crawdads and even fish.

With more rain to come, the wetland should get wetter than wet. 

NNN signing out. Ob-la-de, ob-la-da.

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