More Frogspawn - 18/03/2017

It looks like the frogs have been

busy again laying more frogspawn.

The bug hotel is looking weathered now:

Wildlife Pond Project #2:

A curious resident Robin:

Frogspawn - 16/03/2017

I counted at least seven frogs

 in my pond last night,

with four of them paired up together.

Before I went to work this morning

I had a quick look in the pond to see if 

any frogspawn had been laid overnight.

Yes, freshly laid frogspawn and tiny too.

When I returned home from work

I went back to the pond with my phone

and took a couple of photos for my blog.

It looked more like frogspawn now

as it had swollen since I last saw it.

Frisky Frogs - 26/02/2017

As I sat and looked out the kitchen window yesterday on yet another wet miserable day I wondered if I'd get frogspawn again this year and if so, whether it would come earlier due to the milder winter weather.

This afternoon after dinner, having washed the dishes I decided to brave the wind and rain to put the bins out and top up of the bird feeders with sunflower hearts seeing how the Goldfinches had polished it all off yesterday.

After topping up the feeders I thought I'd have a quick look in on the pond and that's when I noticed something under the water. At first I thought it was a dead frog but when I looked closer I realised that there were in fact two frogs and they weren't dead but were hard at work.

I raced back into the house, grabbed my camera and was able to take a few quick shots for my blog. 

It looks like I might be

getting frogspawn again after all.

Fingers crossed it

stays mild until Spring.

Hidden Delights - 13/04/2016

Look what I found hidden behind

the Scirpus Cernuus plants

in the small wildlife pond.

FROGSPAWN!!!!

Two clumps of it.

Also, hidden behind the same plant

in the bigger pond another clump!

Not as noticeable in the bigger pond

but get your hands in amongst it

and you can see quite clearly

that it is indeed frogspawn.

Hatching Tadpoles - 07/4/2015

It's been warm today with glorious sunshine for the best part of it.  Unfortunately I didn't get to enjoy it though as I had to go to work but you can bet that the sun did wonders for the developing frogspawn.

I didn't get a chance to look in on the pond when I arrived home in the early evening as I had to go shopping.  However, when I got back later in the evening and had finished packing away the shopping I couldn't resist a quick peek with my torch.

Now I know they're not the best photos I've taken, especially given that it was pitch black.  Nevertheless they do show that the developing tadpoles have now emerged from the jelly into a writhing mass.  I've read somewhere that right now they're at their most fragile and they'll cling themselves to floating weeds or grasses until they're ready to swim around and feed on algae.

Whilst getting these photos I spotted what looked like a very long pale coloured tail just poking out from underneath where the tadpoles have hatched.  Upon closer inspection it quickly vanished but I suspect it is a Smooth Newt which will no doubt be predating the tadpoles.

Having discovered newts in my pond last year I always dreaded that should frogs lay spawn this year then there would be a good chance that the newts would come to feast.  Seeing the newt tail tonight made me want to take action to safeguard the tadpoles but to do so would be interfering with nature.  It's the reason why frogs lay so much frogspawn in the first place, to enable at least a few tadpoles to reach adulthood.

Frogspawn - 06/4/2015

A couple more photos
showing the frogspawn development.

Pond Activity - 03/4/2015

Having had proof that the frogspawn

is developing, I have to wait patiently

for the tadpoles to emerge.

I just hope and pray that 

the snails don't eat it all first.

I feel like getting rid of the snails, 

but that would be interfering with nature.

As you can see, they're

really getting to work on it.

I'm thinking of getting some new pond plants

 but I haven't decided what to get yet.

Whatever plants I do decide to get,
they'll definitely be native ones.

The pond water is murky at the moment.

The water will soon clear.

The black dragon plants we added
last year are doing okay and appear
to have grown a little.

The Armeria maritima
plants are doing well too.

The Yellow Flag Iris multiplied

 in the smaller wildlife pond.

Soon the Yellow Flags
will dwarf this little pond.

Frogspawn - 02/4/2015

I managed to get a couple of better

quality photos this evening showing

the frogspawn is definitely developing.

Frogspawn - 01/4/2015

It's been extremely windy the last few days and alot of dust seems to have blown across the frogspawn making it difficult to get a clear photograph.

There has definitely been some change since I last looked though, it looks like the black spots inside the jelly have started to change shape so hopefully they'll hatch soon before the pond snails devour them. I'll have to try and get a better photo tomorrow evening.

Frogspawn - 28/3/2015

Frogspawn - 24/3/2015

Frogspawn - 23/3/2015

I'd only seen one frog in the pond during 

the evenings lately, and when I went out 

to check last night there was nothing.

I'd started to believe that I would have to
wait another year before I was lucky
enough to get frogspawn for the first time.

Then this morning I wake
to find some in my pond.

I can't tell you how happy I am right now.

It looks like they'd waited until
very late to leave me a surprise!