Quail Island Frog Trip

[NickGeee]

If you have never heard of Quail Island before I wouldn't be surprised.
It is the third largest island in Western Port, East of Mornington Peninsula, and I had never heard about it till a week ago!
Yesterday I was lucky enough to partake in a frog survey with two others to look for breeding populations of Southern Toadlets (Pseudophryne semimarmorata) on the island.
After being dropped off in a dinghy, we headed off through some very thick swamp scrub, where we eventually came upon a camp that was probably used by pig hunters. We setup camp quickly, and in afew minutes I already had a multitude of mozzie bites on my knees!.
We decided we would head off to the furthest marked breeding site on the GPS first, and loop back to camp by all the closer spots. An hour of wading through heath and bracken was rewarded with no frogs calling at all!. A little worried, we started walking toward out next marker, and soon began to hear croaks!. The Toadlets call resembles a squelching noise... not very exciting!. We soon spotted out first frog, and it was quite an unexpected species!

Eastern Banjo Frog (Limnodynastes dumerili insularis) by Nick Gale, on Flickr
I am unaware if Banjo Frogs have ever been recorded on Quail Island before, but this guy was found quite aways from water!.
Continuing on we came to the area in which the frogs where calling from. Using triangulation we began to sneak up on tussocks in which we suspected the frogs where calling from. After two failed attempts we finally came across what looks like an adult female, which was rather confusing as we heard a male calling from the vicinity of the tussock we found the frog in!.

Southern Toadlet (Pseudophryne semimarmorata) by Nick Gale, on Flickr
I was pretty stoked, as this was the first time I have ever seen this species before!

Southern Toadlet (Pseudophryne semimarmorata) by Nick Gale, on Flickr
After another hour or so of walking we left the health behind us and began walking through swamp scrub yet again. We soon started hearing the Toadlets calling again, and we began investigating.
Soon enough we came across this little male, another awesome little frog!

Southern Toadlet (Pseudophryne semimarmorata) by Nick Gale, on Flickr
It was cool seeing these guys in different habitat to the sedgy tussock habitat we found the other Toadlet in.

Southern Toadlet (Pseudophryne semimarmorata) by Nick Gale, on Flickr
By midnight we where back at camp, enjoying some pasta on the trangia.
Although I was keen to find a male on eggs I was unable to this trip, but it was still a good learning experience and pretty damn fun!.

 

[CrazyNut]

Why you gotta be so ruuuuddde? I just wanna find cool frogs too! I'm just so jealous of yoooooooouuuuuuu!

 

[NickGeee]

Why you gotta be so ruuuuddde? I just wanna find cool frogs too! I'm just so jealous of yoooooooouuuuuuu!

hahaha these frogs are pretty cool but damn hard to find, if your ever keen I'll take you out to find some Growling Grassies, which are way cooler imo

 

[CrazyNut]

Plenty of L. raniformis at my place. Found one in my gravle driveway once (not surorising considering at the time it was ajacent to a damm with lots of tussocks on its bank and even a large tree that had fallen half in the water half on the bank.... Sadley dried up now)! Just waiting for another good rain and some free time (hard to come by at the momment) and I'll head down to the river which runs through the back of my place (its part of the lower Marribanong river system)

 

[BredliFreak]

Pfft they're nothing compared to the might of golden bell frogs. Come up the coast a bit CN and I'll show you some real frogs Loving the toadlets Nick!

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Hey nick do you have any habitat shots?

 

[NickGeee]

Pfft they're nothing compared to the might of golden bell frogs. Come up the coast a bit CN and I'll show you some real frogs Loving the toadlets Nick!

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Hey nick do you have any habitat shots?

i think I have some ****** pics on my phone, I'll upload them later for you

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Plenty of L. raniformis at my place. Found one in my gravle driveway once (not surorising considering at the time it was ajacent to a damm with lots of tussocks on its bank and even a large tree that had fallen half in the water half on the bank.... Sadley dried up now)! Just waiting for another good rain and some free time (hard to come by at the momment) and I'll head down to the river which runs through the back of my place (its part of the lower Marribanong river system)
View attachment 318124 View attachment 318125

Hey that's pretty sick bro

 

[CrazyNut]

Pfft they're nothing compared to the might of golden bell frogs. Come up the coast a bit CN and I'll show you some real frogs Loving the toadlets Nick!

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Hey nick do you have any habitat shots?

But I like grassies! Lol I love toadlets and froglets as well but haven't seen them around my place, not to say they aren't there I just haven't seen them.

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I just realised something @NickGeee the first frog eye has the reflection of that three flash brachet system (macro setup) you use.... Is it possble to some how mask that when your shooting? Looks a bit unnatural (Just curious, its a great shot either way). Obviously you could just fix it in photoshop when making edits on your pc but tbh its better to get the shot right in the first place lol

 

[NickGeee]

But I like grassies! Lol I love toadlets and froglets as well but haven't seen them around my place, not to say they aren't there I just haven't seen them.

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I just realised something @NickGeee the first frog eye has the reflection of that three flash brachet system (macro setup) you use.... Is it possble to some how mask that when your shooting? Looks a bit unnatural (Just curious, its a great shot either way). Obviously you could just fix it in photoshop when making edits on your pc but tbh its better to get the shot right in the first place lol

Yeah I think only photoshop would fix it, I think my free trial ran out a while ago! . Tbh I like it, but yeah I don't think there could be any other measures to reduce it other than computer programs.

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Pfft they're nothing compared to the might of golden bell frogs. Come up the coast a bit CN and I'll show you some real frogs Loving the toadlets Nick!

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Hey nick do you have any habitat shots?

Here is a quick GoPro video I just whipped up, it's difficult to properly see the habitat but that's just the gist of it Hahahaha
http://youtu.be/DWIw0NNuTEU

 

[CrazyNut]

Maybe diffusers? Like the tissue box style that Volpe uses when ohotograohing T's. I personal I don't mind it but it looks unatrual - in nature you would only have one light sorce so unless the frog was looking at an alien spaceship than there would be one reflection at most lol

 

[NickGeee]

Maybe diffusers? Like the tissue box style that Volpe uses when ohotograohing T's. I personal I don't mind it but it looks unatrual - in nature you would only have one light sorce so unless the frog was looking at an alien spaceship than there would be one reflection at most lol

Nah diffusers will make it look wayyyyy more obvious, like giant square reflections hahaha

 

[CrazyNut]

What about a diffuser with black material instead? That would at least make them less obvious right? You could use like thin black cloth or something (or really fine fly screen). Perhaps also taking the flash guns off the brachet, and place them facing the same way the frogs snout is facing only at a slight inwards facing anagle (probably need really powerful flash for this). The challange to solve this has been accepted haha.