Fowler’s Toad at Scott’s Run
We’re at Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in Virginia. It’s not very big and it’s hemmed in on all sides. One of the sides is the Potomac River. There’s a clear bubbling stream through it which leads to a beautiful waterfall and since I’m wearing walking boots with an all-in-one tongue I’m having a splash through the water.
At our feet is a toad:

It’s so perfectly matched to the colour of the stones it’s almost invisible, until it walks onto a bluish rock:

There are many species of toad. Like most amphibians their populations are in steep decline. This one looks like a Fowler’s Toad, Anaxyrus fowleri:

I love it.

Don’t you?
More from Virginia
Red Fox There's an amazing Red Fox which spends its time in the gardens here in Virginia. I'm surprised to see one… read more
Skink in the garden A lunchtime trip to the garden in Virginia and there's a Skink on the path. It's bathing in the hot… read more
Northern Mockingbird Whenever I've heard a bird singing, here in Virginia, and I haven't been able to recognise its song, it's always… read more
Catbird v Cowbird There's an ancient battle being played out in the woods and fields of Virginia. It's Catbird v Cowbird and I… read more
Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows and Bank Swallows I'm surprised to see what I think are Sand Martins here in Virginia. Surely they're not the same species? Then… read more
Red Bellied Woodpecker I've been ever so slightly keen on seeing woodpeckers while I've been in Virginia. They are common here because there… read more
There’s a Dogbane Tiger Moth fluttering around me I'm out in the heat and the noise of a Virginia forest in the summer and I'm suffering. I've bought… read more
Great Blue Skimmer – Libellula vibrans There's a Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly, Libellula vibrans, at the bottom of this Virginia garden. It's a handsome beast: I… read more
Great Blue Heron in a great grey sky We're relaxing on the rocks at the side of the Potomac River when a Great Blue Heron flies straight past… read more