The 1st of September marks the beginning of Spring in Australia. Unlike most countries the change of seasons in Australia is signalled by the beginning of a calendar month rather than the position of the earth to the sun.
After months of near silence the valley is now full with the sound of Spring in action. This was no better exemplified by 2 walks through a neighbouring wetland.
By day a chorus of tiny green froglets surrounded the area in the photograph. Their sharp cricks cutting through the air at a volume that far exceeds their body size. It has been said that this mass use of vocalisation by animals such as frogs and crickets is used as a defensive mechanism against predators. Whatever its function may be, the area was all the richer for it.
By night the wetland was deafening. Several other species of frogs spent hours communicating to each other at top volume in the safety of the darkness; a huge contrast from the silence that pervaded the area the week before.
The debate as to whether spring should really commence at the beginning of a calendar month seemed irrelevant in the face of the life in the swamp.
SOUNDS LIKE NOISE 
I did a double-take when I saw this post – First Day of Spring dated September 1st 2011! I thought I had somehow gone into your archive. Then I realised that, whilst up here in the northern hemisphere, we are well into Autumn, you guys down south are just beginning your Spring. Lucky you! A wonderful recording and, as I’ve said before, you are so lucky to have such rich, natural, sounds to record completely free of noise pollution. Really great sounds wonderfully recorded. It’s a real joy to listen to this.
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Yes, it’s very nice to be moving out of winter. I returned to the marshland earlier this week and saw 3 snakes, so Spring is being good to everything. Those little frogs in the recording must be quite mouth-watering to our reptilian friends. I’ll have to be a bit more careful walking through the hills now!
And yes, we are definitely spoilt with the natural studio we have here. It’s good to follow the cycle of the year through the seasonal flux of local sounds.
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