Tadpole Update - 30/4/2015

This afternoon I spent a good hour just watching the tadpoles swimming around in the pond.  Not so long ago I was worried that perhaps the newts might be scoffing them all up but I can report that there is still an abundance of tadpoles despite their recent disappearance.

As usual the tadpoles are doing a great

job in helping clear up the pond water.

The little armeira maritma plants that I planted in

the stone border around the pond are doing well.

The ophiopogon plants are doing good too.

I could spend hours next to the pond.

Water clearing up - 24/4/2015

A couple of nice sunny days meant that the tadpoles had been very active and so my water is now starting to clear.

I must admit a few days back I was worried that they'd all been scoffed after seeing two newts active in the pond late at night and seeing next to no active tadpoles. However it looks like the tadpoles have been doing a good job of keeping out of sight of both them and me.

This evening when checking the pond, with the water much clearer I could see there was still plenty of tadpoles active. Hopefully a good few of them will develop into froglets before too long.

It's forecast to rain this evening so I've applied some Evergreen Complete Lawn Care to my grass before the heavens decide to open up.

Tadpoles - 24/4/2015

Tadpoles - 24 April 2015

Tadpoles - 18/4/2015

Glorious sunshine meant the 

tadpoles were very active today.

They're really going to work on the algae.

I don't think they'll change much

 more now until metamorphosis.

Frog in the Sun - 18/4/2015

Whilst lying in sun today, 

we spotted this frog pop up 

from within the hairgrass.

Looks like the frogs

wanted to enjoy the sun too.

We had a good laugh watching some pigeons,

they're such clumsy birds at times.
This one was trying to
get food from the feeders.

Goldfinches at Last - 17/4/2015

After investing money on extra feeders, 

nyger seed and sunflower hearts,

it was great to finally see 

the arrival of the goldfinches.

Don't get me wrong I like the other birds

that visit such as the Robins, Tits and Dunnocks,

but I've always wanted Goldfinches to feed too.

I knew they were in the area as they

are always singing in the trees overhead

but they never seemed to visit the garden

until I put out the extra feeders.

After a couple of weeks
they finally discovered them.

Money well spent I think.

Tadpoles - 16/4/2015

I checked in on the tadpoles this morning,

their external gills have disappeared now.

A Day in the Garden - 16/4/2015

We spent today in the garden having a tidy up.

Our cat isn't feeling too well at the minute,

so he stayed close to home and sat in the sun.

And stood guard over the tadpoles too.

I took the decision to remove some

Yellow Flag Iris from the little wildlife pond.

It wasn't something I really wanted to do

but the plants have taken over this little pond.

It looks a little bare again now.

Caring or Hungry? - 14/4/2015

Is this a frog caring for its young

or is it just hanging around
 for a juicy tadpole snack?

I'm guessing it's
after scoffing them.

I do wonder how many tadpoles
will make it to adulthood now.

Tadpoles - 13/4/2015

I checked in on the tadpoles earlier today

and as well as them growing in size I have

noticed that the external gills on some of them

seem to have now shrunk or even disappeared.

It might just me but I'm sure

there aren't as many as when first hatched.

Still plenty though.

More tadpoles have ventured 

away from where they hatched.

Wet and Windy - 12/4/2015

view from the kitchen this lunchtime

It's been a wet and extremely windy day so far and so I've decided to leave walking around Parbold for another day. I did pop out briefly to the pond this morning and can report that the tadpoles are still there.  The pond water seems to be getting murkier though so I'll be keeping an eye on that during the next few weeks.

 murky water

a frogs view of the pond

the rain has stopped

 brightening up

view from the bedroom window this afternoon

view from the bedroom window this afternoon
(tiltshifted)