ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

G'day Maureen, you didn't do a poem for last Friday. Friday 29th of April was International Save the Frogs Day.

Damn!! I couldn't have picked a worse day to go Frog Hunting! Feel a wee bit guilty!

OMG how could I have been so remiss Neville - I am mortified that I would forget such a day and will make amends immediately.
Alas I have nothing new to honour the day in a befitting manner but a frog poem I have....here you go and should you be desirous of hearing it in full stereo with suitable froggy accompaniments I can also do that. There is nothing quite like playing banjo in the Pool.

http://pool.abc.net.au/media/playing-banjo-pool


POBBLEBONKING


Out past the first dam, just near the low hill
where the gums cast their shadows, and evenings are still
‘mongst the reeds and the rushes a sound can be heard
Bonk, plonk ,bonk,plonk - is it frog or a bird?

His voice so insistent it echoes around
like a star picket being hammered into ground,
and it's only at evening his concert he’ll attend,
my little star picket hammering friend.

I think technically he’s a Pobblebonk frog,
who hides in the mud or beneath a damp log,
where he feasts on the insects and grubs that abound
and hides very quickly if man comes around.

Some say Eastern Banjo is really his name
and like Banjo Paterson his claim to fame,
are his faithful renditions, delivered with spunk.
of a loud and explosive and resonant bonk.

At night when you’re drifting to sleep in the bush
you can hear my small mate in the night’s silent hush
calling to his mates in a demanding tone
‘I’m out here and bonking and I’m all alone.’

But soon the dark night’s serenaded with song.
There must be a hundred frogs bonking along.
And one hears an occasional sqwaaaaak as a snake
passes by and takes a frog as his dinner mate.

So just listen quietly, relax, close your eyes,
and be serenaded till morning’s sunrise.
As you drift off to sleep to the cacophony
of Pobblebonks bonking wherever they be.


Maureen Clifford ©

G'day Maureen,

You win!

A poem for all occasions. I love it. My 'boyfriend' recently made me a frog pond. This came about when someone we know, who has a pond, pointed out the frog spawn in her pond and offered us some. I have already taken spawn from this pond to two of my friends who wanted frog ponds in their gardens. The gifts were about 8 years apart.
This time, Wayne, knowing I love frogs, went and bought a pond liner and asked where I wanted it put. I found a sheltered part of the garden that has some plants close by and is near the house (so the frogs can find shade and shelter) and he dug a hole. I stepped into it to press the liner into shape. Can you guess how deep it was - by pure chance? Kneedeep! Now my spawn has become lovely shiny wiggly tadpoles. Takes me back to my childhood and the 'Tadpoles In The Creek'. We have a waterplant, planted in a half drink bottle (so the dirt doesn't wash away) and wired to a big rock (so it doesn't float to the top) and all is well. At first I put a little amount of lettuce leaf in for the taddies to chew on but now enough algae has grown round the sides and on the rock that they can eat that. Sometimes a shaft of sunlight shines through the picket fence and causes a curtain of light across the pond and I can see they swim in and out of the spotlight. Does anyone know how long they take to mature to frogs. I better look it up on the net.

Lucky you Zondrae - frogs are beautiful I love them but sadly the dogs are not so forgiving allthough Frederika my big green tree frog who occasionally avails herself of my toilet seat has survived for a while now. The girls know she is not for consumption. It is funny to see her and Elly eyeball to eyeball just looking at each other. Frederika is about as big as a mans hand..

I think it is about 3 months before your tadpoles become full grown frogs - do you know what sort of frogs you have????

Cheers

Maureen

Martyboy wrote:One of Dad's favourite jokes was that Frogs told him how much his grog would cost

they sat there going
Plonkabobabottle plonkabobabottle

Yeah I know its a Dad joke

According to my Dad the frogs even knew the price of a pot - "four-bob, four-bob"

Thats an excellent poem Maureen, I love it

Thanks Neville - wrote that one out at 'Dilladerri' our rough block - I used to go to sleep at night in the donga serenaded by Banjo and his mates.

Gday Maureen,

yes I love them too. As to the type, we have no idea. The lady with the original pond has had them for years and years and says she has never seen the frogs, only the spawn and the taddies. The second lady I gave eggs to says her son saw a frog about 2cm in length but exactly like a green tree frog. Do you know Q. if I found some more spawn of another type of frog, do they get along or do they eat each other? Like I said before I should google.

Where I used to work there was a lovely big deep pond and when I arrived at work at 7.30 the frogs would be calling in a single note call. As the day went on they changed from one to two, then two to three, and three to four until by the evening they had about 8 or 9 notes int heir song. Then the next morning were back to one note. One wold call and another answer. People must have thought I was balmy, I would stand in the car park smiling, listening and counting. I loved a rainy day after a dry spell then I was sure to be greeted by the frog's singing. I wonder how many of the other employees even noticed them.

You might be able to identify them from these sites

http://frogs.org.au/frogs/of/New_South_Wales/

http://www.frogsaustralia.net.au/conser ... otting.cfm

and this one I have often used for the call sounds which is sometimes an easier way of identifying them when you cant spot the little fellows

http://allaboutfrogs.org/weird/general/songs.html