I visited Irwin Prairie Preserve on February 28 and March 1, 2023.
I can’t recall ever seeing that much water there. Many pictures follow: boardwalks underwater, water creeping up on the road and several trees blown over from storms this year, their root bundle still intact.
Several of my frog contacts have heard western Chorus frogs at the preserve already. I heard two on Feb. 28. On March 1 after dark I heard two spring peepers at Irwin. Probably the earliest I have ever heard them as they are usually out singing a couple weeks after first chorus frogs.
March 1st starts the Metroparks frog survey at Oak Openings. I stopped by that night no frogs. I am guessing because of the tree cover the sun doesn’t get the frogs moving like at the open area of Irwin Prairie. In the coming month the peepers will sound like what’s on the accompanying video.
Anyone interested in monitoring frogs please contact Meredith.Busic@metroparkstoledo.com. They have added two new locations never before monitored for frogs: Secor Park and the new Cannonball Metropark that has the Cannonball bike trail passing by it.
Link to article on First Day Chorus Frogs appear in NW Ohio: https://unusualperspectivesbyme.wordpress.com/2019/02/25/link-to-1st-day-frogs-are-heard-in-toledo-ohio/
Gary Lovell
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