Copyright Kyle MacKay Rives, 2012
Tag Archives: frog
Almost Camouflaged
Sitting so still and silent at the edge of the pond.
Nikon D5100 f/11 ISO 400 1/250 sec 55-300@300 mm – Autumn 2012
What a great place to catch your dinner – but watch out or you may be caught for dinner!
In Plain View – You Don’t Really See Me!
This was my little tree frog friend just after he was dumped out of the horses’ water trough.
Nikon D5100 f/10 ISO 200 1/250 s 55-300@300mm – Summer 2012
He held perfectly still, but on old hay, he was just not blending in!
Is Anyone There? Is It Safe Yet?
Hello out there! This tiny frog seems to be tentatively looking out over his world.
Nikon D5100 f/5.6 ISO 1600 1/500s 55-300@300mm – Summer 2012
What is he thinking? Is he looking for friends? Checking for danger? Waiting for the big photographer to lose interest?!
Precarious Perch
This view gives a pretty good feel for how small these teensy amphibians are.
Nikon D5100 f/5.6 ISO 800 1/125 s Nikkor 55-300@300mm – Summer 2012
I wonder what it would feel like to just leap wildly in any direction and cling to whatever I hit? That is precisely what these tiny frogs do. They hold still until they are in imminent danger of being stepped upon, then they just leap madly, freezing where they land. Happily, I have not seen any diseased or malformed amphibians in or around our ponds 🙂
Hidden!
How did I spot this tree frog? It was washed out of the horse water trough when I cleaned and refilled it. After taking few shots of it sitting in the hay on the ground, I decided to see if I could catch it and move it to a more natural-looking environment.
Nikon D5100 f/10 ISO 800 1/350 s Nikkor 55-300@300mm – Summer 2012
It was surprisingly easy to catch. I wondered if it was perhaps suffering from overheating, as it had been hiding in the lip of the black plastic water trough. That is not exactly a cool place to hide. In any case, it passively sat on the pine bark and allowed me to take several photos before it moved.
It is marvelous how well the tree frog blends in with the gray, rough bark. No wonder I rarely see them in their preferred settings!
Pipsqueak Frog
This little pipsqueak of a frog would fit on your thumbnail!
Nikon D5100 f/16 ISO 800 1/350s Nikkor 55-300@300mm – Summer 2012
It saw me and was ready to leap away at any hint that I might try to eat it. By moving very slowly, I was able to focus the camera and get a couple of shots before it either moved or my eye just lost it. They are extremely hard to spot when they hold still!
Creeping Downward
I thought I would share another shot of the tree frog. She was creeping down toward her intended safe haven.
Nikon D5100 f/11 ISO 800 1/250 s 55-300@270mm – Summer 2012
I am grateful that Bridger spotted her for me and called me out to take her photo. Surely there are many of these frogs in the trees around us, yet we so rarely see them. I get excited when I see wild animals, and I hope I always will!
Invisible?
Bridger, as he so often does, told me he saw something I needed to photograph….
Nikon D5100 f/11 1/250s ISO 800 Nikkor 55-300mm – Summer 2012
A gray tree frog. His color blended perfectly with the electric pole he was on, even to the green, speckled areas resembling moss or lichen. He froze and stared at me, hoping I didn’t really see him. He crept downward, easing a leg forward, pausing, then slowly moving his body to catch up. This was great for me, as it put his head in the sun! Finally he decided I was showing too much interest and he was close enough to his intended hiding spot, so he hurried into a crevice where I could not get at him.
Isn’t Bridger great at spotting critters for me to photograph?
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