During a trip last week to Bull Run Regional Park, I heard many calls coming from the surrounding swamps next to the trail. They seemed to come from some sort frog or toad, but I could not get a clear view of any of the organisms in question. Then, while crossing a small boardwalk on my way back to the car, I spotted a group of American Toads in a small pool attempting to mate with one another. There was a “ball” of 4 or 5 toads jumping on top of each other and swimming around in the heat of courtship. I immediately hopped down into the stagnant, muddy waters and began photographing them. I obtained images of two toads in amplexus (mating), and also got images of males calling on their own. While it was a muddy experience that no doubt ruined and smelled up my shoes, I’m glad I was able to experience this short-lived event, and am certainly happy with the photographs I got.
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Wonderful photo – great timing! This is awesome. I love the reflection.
Ron
Sweet shot, I love the composition. I can never seem to find any breeding toads around my area.
Thanks guys. The reflection is what sold me as well.
This is really sweet Chris. The reflection definitely makes this stand out against other ‘toad calling shots.’ Would make a nice cover shot actually.
Hi Mark,
I like the way you think.