Frogs show Macquarie Marshes wetland recovery in full swing after drought

A spotted marsh frog is among the species found in the Macquarie Marshes. (Supplied: Office of Planning and Environment)

A vital part of the ecosystem of the Ramsar-listed Macquarie Marshes has been restored after the wetland was so ravaged by drought that it caught fire. 

Conservation officers have been monitoring the mating calls of several species of frogs at 14 sites at the marshes in the NSW north west, and they have heard activity at 12 of them.

Tim Hosking from the Office of Planning and Environment said the iconic chorus of frogs was music to his ears.

The Peron's tree frog is among the species detected in the marshes breeding event. (Supplied: Office of Planning and Environment)

He said about eight species of frogs had been identified in the marshes.

Many are categorised as flow-driven species, meaning they are only present when the wetlands are in flood.

Drought drove frogs underground

The marshes are in the middle of a remarkable recovery after water from the Macquarie River stopped flowing at nearby Warren in 2019.

It was the first time since Burrendong Dam was built in the 1960s and it created a critical situation for the world-renowned wetland.

Frogs provide a vital link in the food chain for other wildlife in the Macquarie Marshes. (Supplied: Office of Planning and Environment)

Mr Hosking said there was serious concern for many species of frogs that relied on water in ponds, creeks and dams.

"A lot of the tree frogs, green tree frogs, the Peron's tree frog … those are the species that really do take a hit in the drought," he said.

He said the recovery was better for rain-driven species that burrowed into the mud to await better conditions.

"They're more adapted perhaps to the dry so they will have dug right down into the ground, and they'll have outlasted the drought," he said.

"I guess the concern is if the droughts get longer and deeper with climate change whether their populations start to get impacted by that."

Tim Hosking says frog breeding shows the Macquarie Marshes are on the mend. (ABC Western Plains: Robyn Herron)

Future grim for frogs, bright for birds

While the arrival of the frogs and signs of mating are exciting for conservationists, the future for the frogs themselves is bleak.

They are a source of food for other animals including turtles, snakes, and waterbirds.

"I guess that's their lot in life," Mr Hosking said.

He said the booming frog season came on the back of a bumper waterbird breeding event over Christmas.

Birds have already started coming back. (ABC Western Plains: Robyn Herron)

"It's the biggest nesting event we've seen since 2010," Mr Hosking said.

"So about 75,000 nests between all the colonies that we know about.

"The waterfowl about the landscape are tremendous … a lot of broods of ducks, water hens, terns, they're taking advantage of the season to raise as many young as they can."

Birds pictured returning to the marshes after the 2019 drought. (Supplied: Leanne Hall)

Mr Hosking said, while the signs were good, the full recovery of the wetland could still take at least another year.