I was walking Juno down to my local coffee haunt this morning when I heard an unusual sound. TrrrBonk! ……TrrrBONK!……………. GlobBONK!

Oh my gosh. Frogs.

I have not heard the sound of frogs in this area since I cannot remember when. We scooted over to the nearby pond to take a closer look.

I couldnt see anything amongst the dense rushes but their BONKING was right there. Where did they come from?
No I dont mean tadpoles…..I mean how did they get here?

The old pond,
A frog jumps in:.
Plop! 

Basho (translated by Allan Watts

This wetland pond system was installed some months ago by our local government as part of its wider stragegy to better manage urban water run-off, the biggest source of pollution impacting our lakes and the larger waterways of the Murray-Darling Basin.

There are two modest ponds in our system (smack plop in the midst of suburbia) connected by some concealed pipe aqueducture. There is also a small resting area with rocks and seats looking out over the ponds.

During the record-breaking heatwaves we have experienced over the last few months the ponds have sat low and brown and muddy. Not worthy of stoping to contemplate.

With the recent heavy rains they have sprung to life anew.

• 

• 

The ponds are intended to provide habitat for native birds and wildlife (and frogs), and have been planted out all along their perimeters with tall sedges (Carex appressa), leafless rush (Juncus australis), and sprinkles of what I thought was a kind of lavender but turns out to be purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria).

But what of the frogs? Were they introduced as part of the pond construction? Did they lie dormant in some sort of suspended frog-imation waiting for the environment to become more hospitable? Did they hop in from elsewhere?

Mystery.

It is somewhat reassuring that after such a long period of life-bleaching heat that desiccated the local flora and fauna, life still bounces back with such enthusiasm after a decent rain.

With the frogs, there is still hope.