Bog frog

I love this tree frog’s front leg crooked around the twig, don’t you? Yesterday I trod softly through Shadow Lake Bog near Renton, where the peat hasn’t been mined (unlike Shoreline’s bygone bogs -- see March 19), and where bog laurel, bobcats, cougars and moss mingle in one delightful place. Shadow Lake Bog is full of gifts for sleepy senses. You touch the soft, hairy, orange undersides of Labrador tea’s curling, leathery leaves. You observe the distinctively textured, scaly bark of Sitka spruce, not so common since airplane construction created high demand for its strong, lightweight wood. You follow a spruce’s tall trunk with your eyes, and the call of an eagle draws your eyes still further. Then you focus at your feet again, and consider how many different textures and colors of moss are found in one small patch of forest floor. 

The lusty roar of frogs greeted me outside the bog, where frog food is more plentiful. You might think the bog would be teeming with insects, but highly acidic water limits the quantity and diversity of insect life. I found this little Pacific tree frog in a sunny, open area at the edge of Shadow Lake Bog. 

You don’t have to travel outside of the city, though, to see or hear frogs. Riding my bike home from work one evening, I reveled in the roar of frogs at the edge of North Seattle Community College. Keep your eyes open, and you might see a Pacific tree frog right in Seattle.  

Creek Peek for Kids

Find a spot you like, maybe in your own backyard. Sit still and close your eyes. How many sounds can you hear? After ticking off the obvious ones (a car on your street, a lawnmower, distant traffic on I-5), listen more carefully. Is there wind? Are there insects? Birds? What else? You might have to head out of town to stand on 45 feet of boggy peat, but you don’t have to travel out of town to experience a whole slew of nature’s delights. Urban creeks, trees, yards and parks are full of gifts for your senses.

Take the poll in the righthand column, and tell us your favorite nature sound!