First Toad of Spring

First toad of spring. No bigger than the tip of my thumb, yet majestic and magnificent, the embodiment of confidence and authority, perturbed by nothing, sovereign ruler of the square inch on which he sits.

We nearly missed him — or rather, we nearly trod on him — sitting right in the middle of our path. An inch of toad in a big world is easily mistaken for nothing more than a dead leaf in the night. Better to be not a dead leaf.

📷 Nikon D7200, Nikkor 18-140mm, 1/15s, f/8, ISO 5600, 140mm (210mm ffeq)

Taken on April 22, 2023

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