The Classic Frog Perch

If you ask anyone to imagine a frog, there's a good chance they'll picture one on a lily pad. This frog is caught mid-scramble, pulling itself up onto a wide pad as rain ripples across the pond.

A platform in the middle of the water

Water lily leaves float flat on the surface and can support a frog's weight. They offer something rare in a pond: a stable place to sit out in the open water, close to the insects that fly low over the surface.

Safety one jump away

Sitting on a lily pad, a frog is never more than a hop from deep water. If a heron or other predator appears, it can vanish below the surface in an instant. That combination of food, sun and an escape route makes lily pads favourite perches.

Waiting for the scramble

The best moments often come when a frog moves rather than when it sits. Watching a frog approach a pad and waiting for it to climb up gives a picture with more energy than a static pose.