Toadography

[Stagecoach]

When you realise you must be cracking up

For some time now I've had an idea that a capture of a jumping toad would be far more fun than the easy static ones that I can get from the abundant collection of them in my garden at night.

So tonight was the first trial, a trial that lasted a very frustrating hour and achieved nowt

I had carefully planned my procedure. Set up camera down low, pre focus on a small leaf, pick up toad, place on leaf, get down to camera, finger on shutter button, tap toad on rear with stick, press shutter as he jumped. All toads moved away before I even got down

Ok, method 2. Creep up on them wherever they were, hand holding camera get ready, poke toad. I achieved one picture with toad + stick

But lots of just grass and stick



Somewhere in my kit is a very old sound trigger I built years ago, I wonder

So here's just a standard toad shot............................



Grahame

[madcrow]

Grahame, you must have great patience. The stick looks well. Like 2

[rtbaum]

Rule #1 for nature photography........nature never cooperates

[bnnrcn]

It must be a tiring shooting session Grahame, I like #2

[Craigie]

In #1 the toad looks completely disinterested. Prefer #2

[Stagecoach]

Grahame, you must have great patience. The stick looks well. Like 2

Yes, patience does help Maurice but I think I need some luck too

[Stagecoach]

Rule #1 for nature photography........nature never cooperates

But it can be trained sometimes Randy

[Stagecoach]

It must be a tiring shooting session Grahame, I like #2

Also good exercise Binnur

[Stagecoach]

In #1 the toad looks completely disinterested.

He was more than likely fed up with being disturbed

[Shadowman]

Think outside the box and wave a fake fly in front of him. Nice shot.

[Stagecoach]

Think outside the box and wave a fake fly in front of him. Nice shot.

I may have to try that John, they do not respond to sound as I found out tonight

[DickyOZ]

Nice try Grahame. That toad looks suspiciously like Bufo marinus which was introduced into Australia in 1935 to control sugar cane beetles. When they proved ineffective some imbecile released them into the wild. They spread in plague proportions throughout Queensland poisoning local wildlife and household pets. When I was young a nine-iron was the preferred control mechanism. When my son was growing up we became more humane and would gather them into plastic bags and put them in the freezer where their metabolism would simply slow down and stop. The first time we did it and carried the bags into the kitchen my wife saw them and screamed causing all the toads to pee themselves and the bags leaked all over the kitchen floor.
Now thirty years on they have established a balance and local wildlife has learned to deal with them and only eat the non-poisonous bits.

[Stagecoach]

Nice try Grahame. That toad looks suspiciously like Bufo marinus which was introduced into Australia in 1935 to control sugar cane beetles. When they proved ineffective some imbecile released them into the wild. They spread in plague proportions throughout Queensland poisoning local wildlife and household pets. When I was young a nine-iron was the preferred control mechanism. When my son was growing up we became more humane and would gather them into plastic bags and put them in the freezer where their metabolism would simply slow down and stop. The first time we did it and carried the bags into the kitchen my wife saw them and screamed causing all the toads to pee themselves and the bags leaked all over the kitchen floor.
Now thirty years on they have established a balance and local wildlife has learned to deal with them and only eat the non-poisonous bits.

You are correct Richard, they are our cane toads and introduced years ago for the same reason. They are now considered an invasive species and a pest.

The skin is toxic and my dog has now learned not to lick them and only use his paws to bully them. I'm also wary of the poison sacs and grasp them low down.