April 08, 1961 - The Spring PeeperOo
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Vxclusive Sunday Review Sketch
by Dennis Puleston, Brookhaven
Focus on
Mature
by Paul Stoutenburgh
Cutchogue
SPRING PEEPER
mate, on the other hand, has a
Some years ago I camped near
whiter throat region. Both, of
a marsh during the springtime.
course, ,have the characteristic X
Usually this kind of arga, does
on their back which identifies this
not make the best kind of.camp-
little frog as the peeper. (Hyyla
site but on this occasion the song
crucifer).
that filled the air made all the
Upon closer examination y o u
inconveniences well worthwhile-
would also notice their toes are!
During the day we could feel the
equipped with little pads, used to
warm spring sun whittling away
attach theselves to the grasses in
at the last remains of winter..,
the spring and later on to climb
The - Red -wings were, i in t he
about in the trees. There a r e
tree .tops ruling over their terri-
records of this little climber be-
tory while below the skunk cab-
ing found sixty feet up in the
bages were already past their
tree, tops. Nature has provided
bloom. As the sun went down and
these high climbers well.
dusk took over, we could .hear
This chorus I speak of hearalds
an occasional peeper, but remem,
the annual pilgrimage from the
bering the old saying that "one
uplands to the ponds and marshes
swallow does not make a suui-
for the purpose of selecting a
mer" we hesitated to call this a
matg. Like many birds, the males
true omen of the season.
precede the females. After mating
At first only the solo broke the
has taken place the female pro -
silence but latter as it grew dark-
ceeds to lay between 800 and
er it seemed as if all the peepers
1000 more or less separate .eggs
in the area "wanted to get into
on stems and twigs submerged*
the act". 1 remember that night
below the water.
so well for I tried to locate a
Depending on the temperature,
peeper singing just outside the
these eggs will hatch into tad -
tent. Silently I crept along until
poles in five to fifteen days. By
I was but a few feet from his
the end of June these tadpoles
loud call. I aimed the flashlight
will be large enough to leave the
in the general direction and turn-
water and join their parents only
ed it on. I couldn't find a thing!.
to return after three or four years
How could this be? I searched
when they are mature enough to
everywhere. , He had blended in
breed.
I
so well with the surroundings that
To those of you who are Por-
no matter how clossely I examined
tunate enough to find the peepers,
the area he could not be found.
it might be interesting' for you to
This game of hide and s e e k
treat your family by capturing
came' to an end when I finally
two or three of these males and
located one clinging to a stalk
putting them' in a box with sgme
of last year's goldenrod. He meas-
damp moss. If the day. is a cool
ured little more than an inch in
one,, your peepers will be quiet.
length. Just think, these small
However, when you bring them
creatuges have a voice that can
inside where it is warm and close
be heard over a mile away. Ima-
the box to make it dark, you
gine, if you can, in comparison,
will be rewarded W. their song.
what we�vould sound like if our
This works wonderfully w i t h
voice were amplified proportion-
children and it has often been
ately,�, '
used by the alert classroom
As I stood *ere I realized that
teacher to awaken the children
this peeper,, gwst be a male for,
to the marvels of Natural History.
they are the -od yr,�pes wNo call *
° MELD OBSERVATIONS:
Had it been daylight I'Puld have
_SNOW GOOSE (1) seen with
identified him as a male by his
600 Canada Geese at Sagapon-
brown or black throat, The fe-
ack (D Puleston) ,April 2, , , 1
DOUBLE- CRESTED CORMOR-
ANT (1) Brookhaven (FPules-
ton)
PHOEBES AND TREE SWAL-
LOWS are returning to the area,
Snowy egrets (2), L R Er-
nest, April 3, Mecox.
Please send your field observa-
tions to Paul Stoutenburgh, Box
105, Cutchogue, New York.
This column is attempting to
bring the reader many views on
Nature; be it birds, insects,
reptiles, amphibians or ankher
facet of Nature, we are going to
try to touch them all.
In order to do this, we are
inviting guest writers. The first
will be Mr" Arthur Cooley w h o
teaches science in the Bellport
Sd'.iool. He is one of our out -
otanding young na ialist who is
doing much with the young people
in his area. His article will be,
"The Pheonomenal E v e n i n g
Grosbeak ".