
These little tree frogs are still hibernating but I thought it would be fun to feature one in February. I’ve only seen them a few times, this one on a suburban deck.

There’s a spot at a nearby lake where the frogs like to congregate. When we walk by it we listen for a splash and usually see a couple of frogs. Although I’ve featured this photo before it made me smile when I came across it recently. I hope this slightly re-edited version has the same effect on you.

The size of the tree frog perched in a dense clump of flowers and the light proved quite the challenge. I have only ever seen a couple of tree frogs before and I couldn’t walk away without a photo. I waited, changed my position and waited some more but he never turned my way. In the end though, I was pretty happy with the shot I got.
These frogs can be grey, brown or green. This one was a lovely shade of green. I’ve heard them calling a few times but had never seen one close up. A friend was focused on a patch of sunflowers as we approached and he pointed to this well camouflaged frog. They overwinter under leaf litter and snow.
This is one of only a few frogs I’ve seen this summer, a handsome leopard frog. He stayed in the same position for the longest time, I hoped he would move forward a bit so I could get all of him in the shot. I waited for a while and finally gave up and continued my walk. As we were leaving the garden, I checked to see whether he had moved on. He hadn’t budged at all. I guess he was enjoying the day his way!

I do like frogs, something I came to realize when I took up nature photography. You have to appreciate their patience and skill in the hunt, their ability to hide in plain sight, their comical expressions and those eyes. With the cooler days upon us, we haven’t seen them for a while. I imagine they’re preparing for their long winter of hibernation until next spring…


I wouldn’t have noticed this leopard frog if I hadn’t been looking in its general direction. Perhaps my footsteps startled him and he leapt for cover under the dandelion. These frogs are so well camouflaged that I wonder how many I may have overlooked so far this spring, this being my first sighting.


There’s something about frogs I can’t help but like. There were a lot of them at our lake this year and by mid summer they didn’t startle too easily. A subject that stays put is always appreciated by this photographer. Frogs look composed and patient even when hunting for food. Their expression doesn’t change, they always seem to wear an enigmatic grin. I guess I like them warts and all!
