Frog Watch

[lilylover]

Can I play?  :) Usually have trillions of frogs doing their thang amongst the fish in one of my ponds but so far, they are staying hidden. So I predict a further cold spell to come around these parts (No fools these lancs frogs  :) ) . Having said that, the pond hasn't been frozzed over once this winter which is very unusual and the younger dimmer fish have been up begging food on sunnier days (Which I've hardened my heart to honest!  ;D )

[lilylover]

[Doris_Pinks]

Mine were seen errrmmmmmmmmmmm, how do I put this delicately, having a group "hug" 3 days ago! :o :o Bit early, but maybe it has been a long winter and they just needed cuddles! ;)  Last year I didn't have spawn in the pond till the middle of March, none in there yet, but with those goings on I am surprised we haven't got any ! :)

[Jesse]

That's great news, means I should have frogs soon too, will have a check again next week when I'm there. :)

[busy_lizzie]

No sign of frogs for the last few days. They seem to have disappeared.  Wonder if we  are due for some cold weather and they know something we don't. If they had started doing their "Orgy thing"  ;D  it would have been a lot earlier than last year, which was middle of March too. busy_lizzie

[Mimi]

We had a big bowl of orgyness last night........what a racket.

[Stork]

I dug a small pond on my plot in Middlesex last week. We've had quite a bit of rain and I have been scooping up the water that's been pooling on the plastic sheeting which covers some of the plot, so it's two thirds full now.

To make the pond child-safe I have covered it with wire link fencing which is anchored into the ground with 3ft steel bars bent into a U shape and hammered home.

I am a bit worried that the mesh will discourage frogs. I have built a pebble "beach" at the shallow end in the hope they will be happy to crawl down the stones and through the gaps in the wire.

So, do you think I can expect frogs any time soon?

Stork.

[Doris_Pinks]

Stork I shouldn't worry, frogs n water are inseperable! ;D

[WASSISNAME]

My pond has only been up and running since May last year, so I have seen no signs of frogs as yet, keeping my fingers crossed, or do you think I will have no visitors this year, Orfe and Godfish doing well though

[John_H]

I'm sure  they will find it sooner or later Wassisname. They have a very good sence of smell and as soon as the weather warms up they will be zipping about all over the place in search of new water to do the deed in.

I didn't think there were any in my pond last March and then I went out with a torch. I pointed it at the water and they were there in the bottom, just sitting it out until the weather warmed up a bit. I really surprising what turned up uninvited, dragon and damsel flies, water beetles, all kinds of stuff just seems to find its way there.

[grawrc]

We built our first pond here in 1995. We put the water in on 18th August and by the end of Auguat there was a huge frog population. We were totally gobsmacked.

[WASSISNAME]

thanks John H. I will keep looking

[telboy]

b_l,
Nothing yet!
Cold as a frog in a frozen pool,
Cold as the end of an Eskimo's tool,
Cold as Charity- and that's bl**dy freezin'
Not as cold as our Fred,
He's Dead!

[Debs]

Nooooooooooooooooooooo not 'fred' again  ;D

No sign of any froggies in either of my ponds, although I haven't

shone (?) a torch to the bottom to have a sneaky peek.

Debs

[busy_lizzie]

I have been shining my torch Debs, as although I raked all the leaves out, I thought they might be lurking at the bottom of the pond somewhere, but they seem to have completely vanished.  Probably scrambled back to the compost heap to tuck up somewhere nice and warm.

Telboy, am sorry to hear about poor Fred!.  Erm! nice poem!!  ;)
busy_lizzie

[fluffygrue]

Hugging frogs? Pft, must be the effect of Valentine's Day..

I keep thinking I've heard the odd bit of croaking in the garden, but not seen any frogs yet..

Melanie

[Petra]

We saw a little frog on the allotment on Saturday, kids loved it. Last one I saw would have been in November on the lottie again.

[lilylover]

Mine are just starting to show their faces albeit still underwater ;) I did see one couple ermm 'snuggling' 2 days ago but only single males since  :-\

[telboy]

Still Nuffink'
Frozen solid!!

[fluffygrue]

Today, frozen solid, covered in snow, still netted, with fish snugly sleeping at the bottom.

..which was lucky, given that there were heron footprints in the snow this morning! Looks like he had quite a good walk around our garden. Can't think of anything else bird-like that'd leave footprints about 8/10 inches apart, anyway!

Melanie

[grawrc]

Here too. Frozen solid with a thick layer of snow on top. Intend to melt a "borehole" tomorrow if it doesn't melt meantime. The dogs even walked over the ponds on their garden inspection this morning, so it must be pretty solid.