yes, A much happier sight outdoors than in!

We had two frogs wanting to live in a pot with my ponytail palm, We took them to the side garden and left the pot and they disappeared overnight. But this morning, there were still three frogs in the deck area. I will not be surprised if at least one sneaks in with a plant.

Great photo, Donner!

Sally, do they burrow under the soil in the pot?

So far, we have frogs hiding in the 'cups' of bromeliads (Bilbergia/Queens Tears) or between stones that I had in a dish under another pot, or between the nursery pot and the larger pot the Bilbergia sits in. I just don't know if they will go for the real ground once it gets cold enough, or go in the pot.

I spotted this toad (?) trying to hide between two rocks while I was gardening nearby the other day.
It probably had a better hiding spot until I started moving landscape rocks around.

Toad, yes, looks like it was snuggling in there.

One of the frogs is up on the porch light still. Even though the light if compact flourescent, it gets a little warm, must be very nice for his tootsies and tummy.

I keep seeing a little Pickerel Frog cruising around the patio among the pots when not in the Lotus "well". Once I was quietly sitting in a chair and saw movement out of the corner of my eye. The motion was so rapid I though "chipmunk", but when I turned, saw it was this frog doing the 100 yd dash.

how cool. !

Over the weekend I was trying to finish up planting the perennials that have been sitting awaiting planting on the basement patio. At one point I was pretty tired and was just sitting on the ground where I had just planted something. I was taking a break, contemplating what to do next and putting off getting my out of shape self up off the ground LOL. Right in front of me the leaves seemed to be moving so I brushed them away to see what it was. It was actually a critter under the ground, probably a vole or a mole, and what I was seeing was the dirt humping up above the ground as it was tunneling through. So cool to see it in real time, but not so cool to know that I will soon have more humps all over the garden and probably more plant damage

The little critter was lucky you were content to let it go about its business, Aspen!

I was just watching the Bluejays swoop in to get whole peanuts from the platform feeder, and saw one fly back to the feeder with a whole peanut in its beak, drop it, then pick up several more in succession to "weigh" them so it could get a heavier one. It must have been interrupted when it was selecting that peanut the first time around.

The peanuts seem to be flying off the shelf this fall I wonder if that's because the jays know it's going to be a cold winter and are stashing more food in preparation.

Now I'm thinking- you need to weigh some peanuts and makr the heaviest ones and see if that's true!

Aspen, how fun. Imagine how much we are missing as we go about our busy days
Muddy,
Now I'm thinking- you need to weigh some peanuts and mark the heaviest ones and see if that's true!

I've been meaning to do that for a while....a daughter even bought me a food scale so I could do it!
I saw an article or blog somewhere in which someone observed the same thing.

I don't think I'll have to test the theory....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sci...

http://www.a-home-for-wild-bir...

http://www.scienceforums.com/t...

wow!

Sometimes the jays waiting in line for peanuts get very impatient with the picky ones.

sallyg said: But this morning, there were still three frogs in the deck area. I will not be surprised if at least one sneaks in with a plant.

LOL! They like your deck. Where do frogs go in the winter? Hiding in mud in a pond somewhere?

Aspen, amazing experience to observe a critter tunneling through the ground. Hope that wasn't too close to your bulbs .

Muddy, . interesting blue Jay story! I get several visits from Jays each year, but they only hang around for a few days each time and then move on. I must watch them more closely next time they come. That peanut on fishing wire story in the second link you sent made me laugh. Poor bird. So disappointed.

I refilled my watering can but the water was acting strange, coming from the spout in spurts. I looked in, was that a big chunk of grey perlite? No. A frog was in the spout getting flooded up to and stuck in the narrow end with gushes of water. "Agh glub glub cut it out!"

I once had a similar situation with a water can and a huge slug. Not nearly as pleasant an experience.

Oh, ugh, those giant slugs! always on the bottoms of my pots

I always keep a salt shaker handy outside...one shake--and they will melt before your eyes.
When I need to change the water in my bird bath, I have to pick it up off the stand and dump the stale water out. You should see the slug community that lives under the bird bath! Shake...shake...shake....Bye slugs!