This amazingly warm start to springtime here in East Tennessee has been great for all of us "critter watchers."
Warm and wet is perfect for our local amphibians. Every pond and puddle seems alive with frog calls these days.
American Toads only sing for a short time in the early spring, but, for those few days, it can be nearly deafening. The males are working hard to attract mates during their brief "window of opportunity."
Plenty of subtle color variations among these toads, but all the same species...
And all that singing leads to mating success! (Can you see the eggs in the last photo? - frog eggs tend to be in masses, toad eggs in "strings.")
Bird feeders are still out, although visitors are dwindling as natural foods become more abundant. But this Chipmunk appears to be very glad that the birds are "sloppy eaters," scattering good seed on the ground...
Early Spring is also mating season for our Raccoons - and the young males are wandering, rather dazed at the thought of the females...
Early Spring storms brought some interesting visitors to the home park's lake. Horned Grebes are not residents here, but often use storm fronts to help carry them back north. This one stayed on our lake for a few days, arriving with one storm, leaving with the next.
Spring's an exciting and busy season here in the parks - so I will have less chances to stop by here. But do hope that your season is starting well, that you've enjoyed these glimpses of some our springtime "critters," and that you will share your comments & critique...
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