Frogspawn

[Garden Manager]

I was amazed and delighted yeaterday when i discovered a huge clump of frogspawn in my pond. I could not beleive my eyes, particularly when you consider it is only january. Quite recently laid too, it was not there on sunday when i did a bit of maintainance on the pond. I didnt even know there were any frogs around, since i havent seen any around for months. Now looks like we might have quite a few.

It is a bit worrying to get spawn so early, but i guess its been so mild that the poor frogs thought it was spring already. I just hope that the next cold snap isnt too cold and kills the spawn off. I wish there wa something I could do to protect it from cold weather but you cant exacly stick a bit of fleece ofer the pond like you could a plant in the border!

Has anyone else got spawn in their pond, or seen/heard signs of frogs 'courting' in the garden?

[Garden Manager]

[busy_lizzie]

Congratulation Richard on the new inhabitants of your pond.  It seems very early to have frogspawn already, as I somehow feel there is an awful lot more winter to contend with yet. They can freeze though and survive if the weather does get bad.

We were quite late last year, and at the earliest it would be the end of next month before we would see some, but that makes me think I should be rushing out to the garden to clear our pond in readiness just in case they are going to be early this year. 

Let's keep this thread going so we can keep abreast of frogspawn around the country.  :)  busy_lizzie

[mc55]

how incredible.  Wonder when ours will appear.  Have you reported it on the BBC site ?

[manicscousers]

nothing here, we had some early spawn last year, it all died off in the cold..mind you, they made up for it  later  ;D

[jjt]

Got some in Devon. About 3 weeks earlier than last year.

[davholla]

nothing here, we had some early spawn last year, it all died off in the cold..mind you, they made up for it  later  ;D

Really ?
I saw a program on the BBC last year and they showed frogs in the cairngorms spawning and mating in a pond surrounded by snow.

[manicscousers]

yes, only one lump but it was in january, quite close to the surface..maybe it got eaten ?  :)

[Garden Manager]

When i first found the spawn it was on top of a marginal plant basket and half sticking out of the water (someone must've  been in a hurry!). I carefully moved it into deeper water, so it didnt dry out or get attacked by birds. Speaking of which i understand frogspawn can get predated by birds, not just water birds but land ones as well (if they can get to it). I think blackbirds can be partial to a bit of frogspawn, but I could be wrong there.

When you say report it on the BBC website, I take it you mean the Springwatch site?

[davholla]

When i first found the spawn it was on top of a marginal plant basket and half sticking out of the water (someone must've  been in a hurry!). I carefully moved it into deeper water, so it didnt dry out or get attacked by birds. Speaking of which i understand frogspawn can get predated by birds, not just water birds but land ones as well (if they can get to it). I think blackbirds can be partial to a bit of frogspawn, but I could be wrong there.

When you say report it on the BBC website, I take it you mean the Springwatch site?

No it was the Alan Titmarsh program nature of Britain.  He went to the wilderness areas of the UK.

[tricia]

I have frogspawn in my pond for the very first time, though I've had the pond for several years. It arrived last Tuesday and I'm so hoping we don't get a frosty spell here in the southwest. It would be lovely to see taddies eventually.

Tricia

[GrannieAnnie]

It was delightful seeing a little frog take a flying leap into our pond last week when I frightened it walking by.

We're supposed to have cold weather into the 20s coming but they seem to be tough little critters.

[Jill]

No sign here but keeping my fingers crossed.  Pond constructed last May and we did see a frog jumping in to escape from OH during last summer so can only hope we'll have our very first tads this spring.

[Sinbad7]

Sure you will Jill.  I am down South but mine always seem to spawn later than anyone else's.  But it is exciting when you see it.

Sinbad

[tricia]

Do fish eat frogspawn? My clump seems to have disappeared, though the toadspawn is still evident.

Tricia

[Garden Manager]

I am a bit concerned about mine with all these frosts. I know you said the spawn was really hardy and tough but at least some of mine get stuck on the ice on the surface every night at the moment. Surely this cant do them any good?

I read in AG magazine this week that if you have frogspawn  and the pond looks like freezing you should take some out, put it in a bucket of pond water and keep it in a cool but frost free place until the cold snap has passed. i did think about doing this but it seems a bit OTT to me. Besides it seems a bit late now we have had sharp frosts several nights running.

Has anyone 'rescued' frogspawn like this during frosty weather?

[Sinbad7]

Hi tricia,

The fish, well my fish don't eat frogspawn they wait by it for the little taddies to wriggle out then they eat them.

Sometimes the frogspawn drops down deeper into the pond but don't know anything that actually eats the spawn.

Sinbad

[GrannieAnnie]

Never rescued a spawn in me life. And we'll be swarming with frogs and toads by Spring- they make a deafening racket and sometimes wish there were fewer. Owls and cats eat them and still they march along.

[theothermarg]

got the first little clump in my pond and it looks like the frogs are busy making more. I can see them through the window but if I go anywhere near they just dive down
GA my pond is in a cold part of the garden and gets badly iced up but every year I have loads of frogs so I don,t think it needs rescuing. I havn,t any fish as I heard they eat taddys and cannot have that as I love my frogs
marg

[Sinbad7]

The problem is Marg, taddies eat taddies, so no different to the fish eating them really.  It's all part of the food chain I guess.

Sinbad

[theothermarg]

The problem is Marg, taddies eat taddies, so no different to the fish eating them really.  It's all part of the food chain I guess.

Sinbad

this is very true1 in previous years I have felt very protective about my little clump of spawn but I,m looking at my (very) little pond now and it,s chock full of frogs
mmm doing what frogs do lol I am worried how much spawn there will be
as you say eating each other is natures way
marg