Jeepers Peepers!

I love the sound of Spring Peepers. I frequently heard their evening song at our old house in Maine which was surrounded by woods with many running creeks and a neighboring man-made pond, but I was surprised (and thrilled) one evening to hear them here at our village home in Clayton, New York as we are no longer surrounded by woods but by sidewalks. Now I listen for them each Spring evening.

It is the forest floor close to swamp, marsh or ephemeral wetland where Peepers live. In Spring they gather by the hundreds in small areas of wetland, swamp, temporary pools and pits of water, or farm ponds to mate and make more peeps. Their calls can be heard from as far as one mile to two and a half miles depending on how many are gathered at the watering hole – well, that explains my wonderful evening serenades. We are two blocks from the St. Lawrence River and one block away from French Bay which turns into French Creek and wetland along a forest edge as it moves inland. Sound carries over water in the still of the night and brings us the song of the peeper, as well as geese and coy dogs, to our windows.

We frequently walk Mojo (the mud mop), at nearby Zenda Farm preserve. A wonderful preserve maintained by the Thousand Island Land Trust that also hosts our community garden (of which I hope to share with you this summer). Now I have learned Spring Peepers will peep day and night as long as the temperature is above freezing, and they are frequently heard but never seen because they hide in dense plants, under logs and leaves. I myself, have never actually seen one, but "Spring surprise" we chanced upon this pool of water on our walk at Zenda Farm that was unmistakably peeping! ... and then moving closer, as if by the flip of a switch, completely silent.

To the left of this photo is a stretch of forested land.

It amazed me that this volume of sound could come from such a small pool of water. On our way back, I snuck up on the pool and recorded the peeping.


I didn't want to chance stepping closer to the pool to possibly catch a live glimpse of a Peeper because Mojo would invariably follow and tromp right in most likely squashing all in his four-pawed path, then proceed to roll in the muck. May they keep peeping on.

Project: Planting Trees at Zenda Farm Preserve

Today I helped plant trees at Zenda Farm Preserve. What better way to spend Arbor Day! Though conditions were not ideal, we toughed it out. The weather did cooperate today (as in no rain), but our soggy Spring sure made planting difficult.

 Zenda Farm is part of the Thousand Island Land Trust (TILT). It used to be a dairy farm but now its pastures are preserved for nesting grassland birds, as well as its agricultural history. Zenda Farm also houses a community garden of which I hope to be a part this year. To learn more about TILT and its preserves click here.

Together we planted twenty shade trees in the adjoining meadow across the road. Maples, red and pin oaks, and lacebark elms were among the varieties planted. These trees were big! Because the trees were large, we did stake them. I did learn that nurseries tend to plant trees this large deep in their pots so they will stand up straight. When planting, it is a good idea to remove the top layer of dirt to where the trunk just begins to flare. It is at this flare that the tree should be level with the ground. Fortunately for us the holes were pre-dug with a back hoe. Unfortunately, the rain for the past several days turned them into mini ponds. So, our first step was to bail out the planting holes – a very muddy business.

Towards the end, we relied on a higher power to fill in the holes. Mucky, clay soil is he-e-e-eavy. I never thought a shovel (or my feet) could weigh so much! It gave new meaning to the terms mud season and muck boots. Peat moss was added to amend the soil and each tree was mulched.

This project required a bit more physical effort than my other projects. I think I will need a bit of "medicine," (gin to be exact), to ease sore muscles. I drive by this meadow quite frequently on my way to the dump and to collect spring water. I look forward to seeing these trees grow. Before we even finished planting, a bird perched on one of the trees. Now that's a good sign. Happy Arbor Day to you.