Spring Melodies by Josh Palumbo, Forest Management Coordinator.
The noises of nature rise precipitously as we enter the spring season. At Wintergreen, our rise in acoustics can be largely attributed to our frog population. Our woods, streams and ponds are loaded with these noisy amphibians that give such character to the Wintergreen woods in spring. This edition of the Nine Minute Naturalist will delve into the species responsible for the cacophony of calls we hear during our spring rebirth.
The sound of some animals is synonymous with a season. The spring peeper is just that animal. They declare the end of winter with a shrill high pitch note that can reach 100 decibels. Once joined by hundreds of their friends, this sound makes the idea of a “peaceful” woodland obsolete. They are among the first animals to call and breed each spring. They tend to be found in moist woodland areas adjacent to wetlands. At Wintergreen, a great place to listen to this onslaught of noise is along the golf course and the numerous ponds adjacent to woodlands. These small woodland ponds are ideal breeding habitat for spring peepers and tend to be loaded with them from March to June. Here is a link to their distinctive sounds: https://www.umesc.usgs.gov/terrestrial/amibians/armi/frog_calls/spring_peeper.mp3
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