Frogs

Pond Sounds

Common frog

The battle of the penises, pond life’s most amazing spectactle: three waterboatmen rubbing theirs against their bodies, in an early spring display of territory and attraction.

Recorded in my go-to pond, Hidden Lake, where I visited at least once a week during the pandemic, listening as the season emerged.

In this time of year there is the greatest rhythmic battle among the Corixidae. I believe I see three distinct individuals at work (or play) here. Once I see them, afterward I can hear them.

Hidden Lake Water Boatmen

Compared to most insect beats, this is reaaaaaaaaallly slow, though nothing like the seventeen years cicadas have to count before coming in. Each rolling beat is forty seconds away from the next! Complex incredibly loud rhythmic pulses inaudible from above the surface, a rhythmic dirge deep down, almost an imperceivably slow march. It reminds me of the superslow beat of fin whales, each of whom makes a low whoomph every two minutes, sped up it becomes a beat we can dance to. In this sonogram we clearly see the rhythmic arranges of these pulse trains, they also sound like the echolocation clicks of foraging dolphins. But bugs do not use echolocation… or do they?

Lost Pond Mystery

This is the time of the frogs. About 300 of them sang this morning, many of them in amplexus with females. Ekebydammen, April 22, 2023.

Common frog in chorus

Croaks

In Sweden this is a very rare frog species almost only found along the northern coast of Uppland. It is red-listed as Vulnerable. This has been a  rather cold spring and not much activity as yet, but after a while a couple of frogs started calling at Bodalsträsket, Örskär, Uppland. May 20, 2023.

Pool frog in chorus

A recording of calls made by several common Frogs and Common Toads in a pond. There are six species of amphibian found in Britain today, with the common toad being one of the most familiar as they are often seen during migration to their breeding ponds. Toads are usually more heavily built than frogs and the common toad has brown warty skin although colour variations do occur with some individuals being terracotta, grey or olive in colour. Females are larger than males and it is the males who call at night to attract a mate, this is often called a ‘release’ call and is a rather high-pitched but quiet ‘qwark-qwark-qwark’ sound. The mating call itself is seldom heard and is similar to the ‘release call’ but with slower and more drawn out notes. The common frog is the amphibian that we are most likely to find in our gardens and contrary to popular belief they actually spend very little time in the water except during the breeding season. This species is mainly brown or olive-green in colouration with a mixed pattern of darker markings on top and a light-coloured stripe down each side of the body. Males typically call with their head out of the water but the main part of their body submerged. Their throats are extended and the vibrating resonance is transmitted to listening females through both the air and water.

Shelf mark
W1CDR0001408 BD12

Subjects
Birds

Recording date
1960s

Recording locations
OS Grid Reference(277500,78500)

Recordist
Shove, Lawrence

Species
Common Toad, Bufo bufo & Common Frog, Rana temporaria

Image reference https://www.flickr.com/photos/plumberjohn/5520940748 (Kentish Plumber)

Common Frog & Common Toad calls, United Kingdom, 1960s

A recording of calls made by several Common Frogs and Common Toads in a pond. There are six species of amphibian found in Britain today, with the common toad being one of the most familiar as they are often seen during migration to their breeding ponds. Toads are usually more heavily built than frogs and the common toad has brown warty skin although colour variations do occur with some individuals being terracotta, grey or olive in colour. Females are larger than males and it is the males who call at night to attract a mate, this is often called a ‘release’ call and is a rather high-pitched but quiet ‘qwark-qwark-qwark’ sound. The mating call itself is seldom heard and is similar to the ‘release call’ but with slower and more drawn out notes. The common frog is the amphibian that we are most likely to find in our gardens and contrary to popular belief they actually spend very little time in the water except during the breeding season. This species is mainly brown or olive-green in colouration with a mixed pattern of darker markings on top and a light-coloured stripe down each side of the body. Males typically call with their head out of the water but the main part of their body submerged. Their throats are extended and the vibrating resonance is transmitted to listening females through both the air and water.

Shelf mark
W1CDR0001408 BD11

Subjects
Birds

Recording date
1960s

Recording locations
OS Grid Reference(277500,78500)

Recordist
Shove, Lawrence

Species
Common Frog, Rana temporaria

Image reference https://www.flickr.com/photos/plumberjohn/5520940748 (Kentish Plumber)

Common Frog calls, United Kingdom, 1960s

Lots of volunteers help toads and frogs across a busy city road so that they can go down to small city ponds for their lek. This year more than 2000 toads and frogs have been helped to cross the road!

Ekeby, Uppsala. April 18, 2025.
Mixpre 3ii + Wildtronics Stereoparabolic dish

Frogs and toads in a suburban pond

For those of you who have difficulties separating different species of frogs and toads, this recording has three of the most common ones included. There is a background "noise" of common frogs and the moor frog calls after 5, 14, 21 and 28 seconds, and after 38 seconds the common toad starts to sing.

Moor frog, common frog and common toad lekking

Field sound recordist and archivist of vanishing sounds in natural Iandscapes. Highly commended in the Sound of the Year Awards 2024 - Best Natural Sound.

Frogs and toads in a suburban pond

Bo Söderström