July 22/10
As I’ve said in the past, Rick and I spend a lot of time watching the pond, looking for the frogs.
Today, the “grandpa” frog was visiting. He is about four times the size of the frogs that were in the picture I posted earlier this week. We found him sitting beside the “waterfall” where the river flows into our main pond.
As we watched, we had some other visitors. Three young sparrows came and sat on the fence, checking out the world. Then, along came Mama bird and started feeding two of them—first to the left and then to the right.
As the third one waited for his turn, he decided to fly down to the ground to check it out. As he landed, he stepped onto Grandpa Frog’s back and then onto the rocks at the edge of the pond. Grandpa Frog’s head bobbed up as he was suddenly awakened by the passerby.
It was so funny to watch him look up to see what had just happened. We sat there chuckling, smiling at the adventures of the young bird, and “awwww-ing” at the Mama feeding her babies.
Then the third bird went to hop up onto a higher rock, to get a better view. Suddenly, as the bird went into the air, so did Grandpa Frog and it grabbed the young bird’s leg and dragged it along with him into the pond.
There was a flurry of splashing – the frog landing in the water with more than he was expecting, I’m sure, and the bird, with eyes and mouth wide open, wings flapping furiously.
Rick jumped up to see if he was going to have to go to the rescue, I sat with my hand to my mouth, stifling words of shock and waited to see what the outcome was going to be.
And then the baby bird was freed from the frog’s mouth, it managed to flap its way up onto a pond plant. And after a very brief moment it flew to a rock, paused again and with Mama at his side, flew up into the safety of the pine tree.
Life in its natural state—sometimes you just have to be at the right time and the right place to witness such an event.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan
18 comments so far
mmh
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posted 47 days ago
OH MY! Who would have thought he was a Grandpa frog because he knew how to catch baby birds! What a memorable event you witnessed!
-- A weed is a plant that is growing where it was not purposefully placed by human hands.
stefang
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posted 47 days ago
Quite an experience Debbie. I’ll be careful to not step on a frogs back in the future, especially the really big ones. I’m glad the bird got away unharmed. The adventurous also get into more trouble, but they make life so much more interesting.
-- Mike the reluctant gardening assistant of Lillian
MsDebbieP
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posted 47 days ago
it was fascinating, that’s for sure..
and then we saw a young woodpecker … it’s been an interseting day
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan
jroot
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posted 47 days ago
What a story. Amazing. An interesting part of life, as it goes on.
Thanks for sharing. No photos?
-- jroot
MsDebbieP
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posted 47 days ago
I knew someone would ask for photos.
I could have had my camera in my hand and missed that one—it happened SO fast.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan
Bon
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posted 47 days ago
Loved the story Debbie.Nature sure is amazing to watch.
-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more
donjoe
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posted 47 days ago
I agree that nature sure has a way of making things interesting to watch. After all is said and done I am glad the bird got away. She may not be so lucky the next time.
-- Donnie in sunny South Carolina
MsDebbieP
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posted 47 days ago
I bet the bird will be a little more careful, though .. :)
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan
Iris43
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posted 46 days ago
What an experience for the little bird! It’s amazing when you think of how vulnerable the little fledglings are, that any survive. Amazing too, to think that a frog would attack a bird.
Last night, after I lite the bbq, I found the little tree frog sitting on the wooden table part. He wasn’t there when I opened the bbq, and then he was. Must have gotten a little too warm for him. I put him back in the window box. I wondered what had happened to him last week. :)
-- 'To plant a Garden is to believe in Tomorrow'
Bon
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posted 46 days ago
Debbie every time I read the updates to this blog I sit here with that song going through my head.(LOL)
-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more
sharad
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posted 46 days ago
Fascinating story Debbie. If you had the camera perhaps you would have missed the thrilling part of the event. Stilll I would like to see a picture of that “grandpa frog” if you happen to catch him again. Very nice posting.
Sharad
-- Bagwan-- “If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life, then it means they have never tried a new thing in their life”.-Albert Einstein
MsDebbieP
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posted 46 days ago
Iris: doesn’t it feel good to see a “long lost visitor” return :) They become our neighbours!
Bon: uh-huh, uh-huh (humming)
Sharad: so true! I’ve done that with photography -focusing on the shot, I miss the experience.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan
Scott Hildenbrand
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posted 46 days ago
That’s why you tote around an ultra compact and just shoot from the hip from time to time.. Still get the experience and if you by chance get the shot, it’s a win win.. ;)
-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b
MsDebbieP
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posted 46 days ago
true, true.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan
Robin
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posted 46 days ago
Well-told story, Debbie. I can imagine it happening as if I were there to see it myself. The other day my youngest son and I watched a water snake catch and swallow a small frog in the pond behind our house. Nature is fascinating in its many forms. Thanks!
-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi
MsDebbieP
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posted 46 days ago
once, Rick and I watched a blue heron catch and swallow (whole) a HUGE fish that was about the size of the bird’s body. It took a very long time for the bird to complete the process.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan
Robin
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posted 46 days ago
We have a blue heron that keeps our pond on its list of regular fishing places. Sometimes we are lucky and we see him catch and swallow bull frogs. It looks so funny while he is trying to get a fat body and all those legs into his beak and down his throat. I love the time I can spend outside being part of nature.
-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi
MsDebbieP
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posted 46 days ago
me too :)
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan