Toad song

[vaneramos]

This must be one of the eeriest sounds on earth. It can only be heard here for a few nights in May, and this evening I recorded it on the bank of the Eramosa River for your listening pleasure. The video is mostly dark.

Comments

[envirobear.livejournal.com]

And this IS a pleasure! *BIG grin* That's a sound I miss since moving to the city 20-odd years ago...they had been wiped out from the pond behind my parents' home in Michigan, by the way, and last spring, my mother called excitedly to tell me the spring peepers were calling in the pond for the first time in about 5 years. There's hope!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

That is exciting! I might go to the cottage on the May 19 weekend, in which case I'll be sure to record the spring peepers, too.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised you've never heard it. Some of your music reminds me of this, or the calls of frogs or seabirds.

I listened to most of your new CD today on the way to and from work, cranked up with the window rolled down. I was transported somewhere. I am in awe.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Maybe not the typical energy highway music, but along the quiet country back road I take to and from work, it carried me away somewhere.

I listened to a snippet of that Brian Eno track on Last.fm, and think you might be right about the toads, though I'm not certain. Interesting music, so I'm going to get ahold of a copy and let you know what I think when I've heard it in full. He might have changed the pitch or speed slightly (or even used a different species of toad!). If I go to the cottage the weekend of May 19 I'll be sure to record some spring peepers, the tiny frogs we get up there in the spring. That sound is different, but just as unearthly.

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

Wow, I haven't heard that in a few years. It was good to hear them again.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I miss it some years too. All it takes is a short walk to the park on a balmy May evening, but too often I forget. It's nice to have this for posterity.

[mattycub.livejournal.com]

Wow. What an unearthly sound. And so loud! I can only imagine the number of toads it takes to create that sound at that level.

Thank you for sharing this with us. :)

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

Just one toad. With 93 microphones. Van was setting this up all evening; that's why the video was so dark.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I'm the master of illusion.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I had never heard them in great numbers until one May evening about seven years ago when I happened to walk to the park. The park here is wooded, and the dried leaves on the ground were rustling with thousands upon thousands of toads hopping toward the river. It was difficult to walk without stepping on them. The water itself was churning in a vast orgy. Apparently every toad in the city of Guelph had converged on that spot. The noise of their calls was almost deafening. It would be impossible to estimate their numbers. Probably billions of American toads across the continent engage every year in this rite of spring. It would not be an enjoyable experience for the faint of heart, or anyone afraid of a small, cool, wet body hopping past one's toes.

Last night's bacchanal was relatively calm. I don't know whether this is a lighter year in their population cycle, or I just hit an off night. It was still pretty impressive. I couldn't tell how many toads were around, but the fact that one crawled on my foot suggests there were many. I suppose it would only take a dozen or so singers to create a steady wall of sound like the one I recorded, but there were probably many more than that.

[trachalio.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you've decided to start video blogging more. That was completely eerie and completely amazing sounding. Again, thank you for sharing!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. This video thing is kinda fun.

[missprune.livejournal.com]

We listened to this last night, what a treat, Van! Thanks for doing it. It brought back memories of summer nights in Santa Rosa when the sound of frogs filled the air. (toads? I admit I don't know exactly)

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Frogs are the more famous singers, probably because they're more commonly heard, but the voices in this recording are Eastern American toads, Bufo americanus. They lead far more terrestrial lives than frogs, only returning to the water for a few days in spring to breed, which is when they sing.

We have a few frog species in Ontario, and their calls are all more rhythmic: various croaks, peeps and chirps. A lot of frogs singing at once creates a throbbing sound. Some of them only sing in springtime, but bullfrogs can be heard throughout the summer (not the past few years unfortunately---they seem to have vanished from the lake at our cottage).

We only have the one toad species, and its song is distinctively nonrhythmic, just this steady whrrrrr lasting a few seconds, forming a solid wall of sound when there are enough toads singing at once (like in my video).

[jwg.livejournal.com]

Very nice, indeed. And the sound of you walking is an extra touch.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Haha, an unavoidable one. Thanks!

[twillhead.livejournal.com]

Ah the sweet cacophony! And I'm soooo crushin' on you right now! ;-)

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I guess it was worthwhile including my image in very dim light! ;-)

[deanarae.livejournal.com]

Nice. I listened to this at home, where it got a bit confusing given the racket our local peepers are currently making outside.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I love the peepers, too. Hopefully I'll have a chance to hear (and record) them at the cottage on the May 19 weekend.

[trinapink.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow! That is so cool, Van! Thanks for sharing it with us.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Pretty wild, isn't it? Glad you enjoyed.