COLUMN: Why did the toad cross the deck? (6 photos)

This space is usually a space for a bird column.

This story has a bird connection, but is primarily about my new friend, Toad.

He's been visiting and emerges from under my tiered plant stand. I was quite amused the other day as he strode across my deck. Apparently, toads prefer walking to hopping. I had never seen this before as he generally just sits with a blank look on his face.

I'm not sure what the attraction was on the other side of the deck. Perhaps, like many of us, he was eager to get out and about.

Toads don't require watery habitats except to breed, unlike frogs. Toads have thicker skin that help with water retention. I read this information the day I saw him striding boldly across the deck.

Then, the next day, I looked out the window and there he was sitting in the makeshift birdbath next to the rock I leave for the birds to sit on. I don't know if his eyesight is poor and he was hoping the rock was a potential mate, or is he was just feeling the heat.

This broken flower pot lies on its side next to the tiered plant stand for the purpose of providing water to birds either for drinking or bathing. I realize it appears dirty in the photo, and indeed it was despite fairly recent cleaning. With the high humidity, algae seems to grow easily. The murky water may have also reminded Toad of his beginnings in a pond.

He seemed very happy to sit there. I looked out every once in a while over an hour's time. He moved position infrequently. This is in contrast to birds who splash and frolic about in the water.

The House Sparrow in the photo approached the “birdbath” with unusual caution. It stopped well back and observed. Then, it moved slowly forward, not sure what to make of this “creature from the black lagoon.”

Toad turned away in an unfriendly manner. Toads are solitary and perhaps it was more shy than rude. In any case, the sparrow chose to be brave and continued to approach. It hopped on the the edge of the pot, looked again at the odd lump in the water – a lump that appeared stone-like, but was decidedly different – and had a sip of water. It didn't linger long, and no other bird came by while I was watching.

The day Toad walked across the deck, I did a bit of research and discovered we only have two kinds of toads in Ontario, American and Fowler. The latter are only found along the Northern shore of Lake Erie and are endangered. My friend, Toad, then is an American Toad.

People do not get warts from toads, although toads do secrete a toxin through glands and their own warts that is poisonous to predators when taken internally. No matter how attached one might feel toward a toad, I advise against kissing it. The thirsty House Sparrow certainly knew best and didn't allow for that possibility.

Rosaleen Egan is a freelance journalist, a storyteller, and a playwright. She blogs on her website.