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.
