The Frogs have spawned at last – But there’s a problem!

Finally the frogs have spawned. They are really late this year, but then who can blame them. You’re not going to feel too much like romance in a pond covered in ice and snow now are you?

They arrived back on the 19th February when the weather was quite mild. I have absolutely no idea where they all go to each year.

When they first emerge from the pond the garden and greenhouse are full of little froglets, they seem to stay for the summer then they are gone. Only to return the following February.

Bad weather stops spawning

I thought we were on target this year for the usual late February spawning. It’s usually on or around the 25th as this is the birthday of a close friend.

The weather was good, very mild for the time of year, but us clever humans knew what was forecast for the following week. I was concerned as to how the frogspawn would cope, potentially being frozen.

I needn’t have worried though as nothing appeared. I don’t know if wildlife have some built-in receptors to weather change coming, but they do seem quite good at forecasting.

Oops, Frogspawn’ll need moving!

Last Sunday the final few bits of snow disappeared and on Monday 13th they were straight to it and the first frogspawn appeared. The amount’s been graduating growing all week, but we did have a problem…

They had deposited it in a really silly place, above some big rocks. It’s an area that dries out very quickly once it stops raining (or snowing) and the water recedes.

I was going to have to intervene.

I got some equipment to try and scoop it up, to move to a more appropriate part of the pond.

As is so often the way though, hands proved to be the best tools!

It felt very strange, much firmer than I expected and well stuck together. I placed it under the Isolepis cernua (grass like plant), thinking it would still have good protection.

A day later they’d been at it again, laying it in another inappropriate part of the pond over yet more rocks. It was already protruding out of the water which is a double danger, one because of drying out and two because our goldfinches are very partial to tadpoles. Froggy was on guard for the moment though.

I’m starting to wonder if this is tactical. Are they trying to keep it away from our newt population in the pond? They are also known for feasting on tadpoles.

Poor froggies, they can’t win. No wonder they have to produce so much spawn!

And so they keep going…

During one of the downpours yesterday, I quickly retreated to the greenhouse, which is right next to the pond. As the shower came to an end and the warm sun came back out, the pond looked like it was boiling as the frogs went into a frenzy.

Once the mayhem had subsided they hung in the water with their heads out sunbathing, there were more frogs than I’d ever seen before and the croaking was so loud!

Happiness is….

It’s really hard to describe how much pleasure this pond and the little characters that live in it give me. The garden is a much richer place for their presence, I could happily sit there all day watching them.