Gardening Charlotte

Rain Barrel Residents

My rain barrels are as much of a “must have” for my gardening as my favorite gardening gloves and pick ax. I have several, all connected to my rain gutters. A good rain shower easily refills them and the overflow continues down gutters into my back wildlife pond. I have spotted turkey, deer, a variety of songbirds, some rabbits – even a mama mouse carrying a baby to the side of the pond for a drink – all visiting the wildlife pond through the year.

So I was just a bit startled earlier this spring when I opened up the deck rain barrel lid and met Fred. Fred is a gray tree frog, the most common frog species in Missouri but not one usually found inside my rain barrels. Fred and I took one good look at each other, and decided – well, I at least decided he was harmless, and I gently put the lid back down and waited to see if Fred was going somewhere.

After a few minutes, I peered back in only to find Fred staring back at me. He was still there the next morning so that’s when I knew he was there to stay.

Besides being the most common tree frog in Missouri, there are two kinds of Freds, or two grey tree frog species: Cope’s gray tree frog, Hyla chrysoscelis, and the eastern gray tree frog, Hyla versicolor. Although referred to by their color, grey tree frogs can also be gray, greenish-gray, brown and even bright green, easily confused with the so called green tree frog.

If you can get close enough, according to Missouri Department of Conservation, there is always a large, white marking below each grey tree frog eye. The inside of each hind leg is washed with yellow-orange and fingers have large, adhesive toe pads.

The only way to definitively tell the difference between the two grey tree frog species is by their calls.  Cope’s gray tree frog sounds like a buzzer, while the eastern gray tree frog has a birdlike, musical trill.

Over the next few months, I was careful when I checked water levels by opening up the deck rain barrel lid not to jar Fred too much. And no, I couldn’t determine which kind of grey tree frog he is, I hear frog buzzing and trilling sounds, especially at night.

Last week, a new development; Fred has a friend. I named her Fran. She’s not used to having me open the deck rain barrel lid so she tends to hop out the top and hide in the nearby dry grapevine wreath. I now try not to open the deck rain barrel lid unless absolutely necessary.

After re-filling the rain barrel earlier tonight, I peeked under the lid and both gray tree frogs were in their little spots so I must not have been too disruptive.

Well, here’s to love. These two have found each other and not over a barrel but in one.

Charlotte Ekker Wiggins is a beekeeper, gardener and sometimes cook. Published by El Dorado Springs Sun once in print and online with author’s permission. Copyright 2017, all rights reserved. This column may not be reprinted, republished or otherwise distributed without author’s permission. Contact Charlotte at gardeningcharlotte at gmail dot com.

TREE FROGS FRED AND FRAN – This is Fred and Fran, my resident grey tree frogs in my deck rain barrel. They are one of two common Missouri grey tree frog species. Fran, left, has now joined Fred in my deck rain barrel. Fran is also a grey tree frog species although she is green. I find both tree frogs in my rain barrels every morning. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins).