Frogs

Common frog

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

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

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

A new favourite sound of mine. I will be a few days in Scania in search of frog calls and I am off to a good start! Around five fire-bellied toads were displaying despite cold temperatures (only 10 degrees).

Högaborg, Skåne. May 11, 2025.
Mixpre 3ii + Wildtronics stereo parabolic dish

Fire-bellied Toad lekking

Four cm long but with a call that travels at least 1 km. This closeup recording was made 5 m away from a calling male.

Ljungavången, Scania. May 11, 2025.
Mixpre 3ii + Wildtronics Stereoparabolic dish

The tiny European Tree Frog with its massive voice

I fell in love with the call of the Fire-bellied Toads. When there is not a full choir but only a few solists you can hear that each toad sings in a different frequency. This is a short version of the night, starting at 7 PM until 5 AM in the morning. First you only hear four to five Fire-bellied Toads in the evening, at nightfall the constant chorus of European Tree Frog forms the background, then the Tawny Owl sings at midnight, until the Common Redstart starts to sing just before the dawn breaks.

Högaborg, Scania. May 12, 2025.
Zoom F3 + 2 x Clippy EM272 separated 1 m apart

12 hours with Fire-bellied Toads

At night the edible frog chorus can be quite deafening but a mid-day you better hear the single individuals calling.

Frihult, Scania. May 12, 2025.
Mixpre 3ii + Wildtronics stereoparabolic dish

Edible frog chorus at mid-day

Another night, another chorus of Fire-bellied Toads. This time at the idyllic pond at Gislövs Stjärna and tens or even hundreds of toads are calling. Singing Barn Swallows in the background.

Gislövs stjärna, Scania. May 12, 2025.
Mixpre 3ii + Wildtronics stereoparabolic dish

Fire-bellied Toad chorus

A cold midnight and less than 10 m from the Baltic Sea, a Green-spotted Toad is calling for mates.

Brantevik, Scania. May 12, 2025.
Mixpre 3ii + Wildtronics stereoparabolic dish

Green-spotted Toad calling from a tidal pool at midnight

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

Bo Söderström