Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption
 


       Downsizer Forum Index -> Conservation and Environment
Treacodactyl

Frog spawn

Miss Bugs and Mr Treacodactyl proudly announce the birth of several hundred frogs! Yep last night the fogs have been at it again and we've got some frogs spawn in our pond. Makes us feel quite honoured. Very Happy
judyofthewoods

Congratulations on the happy occasion Laughing Sadly, last weekend I saw some puddles nearby with frozen frog/toad spawn Sad I wonder if it can survive?
cab

Haven't seen any here yet. Keeping my eyes open for some to put in my noew pond, though.
Bugs

Judy, it seems that being frozen probably will kill the spawn but that if it's in deep enough water, the spawn under the ice should survive. That's just from reading though, don't think we've had a real frozen pond with our spawn yet. Confused

Cab, I was under the impression that it's largely a bad idea to move spawn - some sources say don't do it at all, but English Nature says it might be OK if you make sure your donor pond is healthy/not diseased (and of course it's a garden pond from which you have permission to take!).

I'd just be a bit concerned that your pond being so new, it might not have enough in it to sustain the tadpoles? Remember that frogs/newts will find their way to it this summer anyway so you'll have the adults about to do your pest control anyway, and in the meantime the pond will settle in hopefully for next year? Our ponds have had spawn the very first spring after we established them so it could be worth the wait.

I know it's exciting but I don't want you to be disappointed Wink
cab

Bugs, as luck would have it I'm being donated a jar of pond sludge and water from a healthy (frog and newt infested) pond this afternoon, and I'm cycling off at lunch time in search of pond plants. The water to fill the pond is from a water butt left open to the elements all winter on my plot, which with some local soil seems to be teeming with interesting micro beasts (remind me to post some pictures).

On the whole, it's not mature but it should be ready for spawn. The advice about not moving frogspawn is largely to prevent the spread of disease, but I've been promised spawn by a friend who's pond has thus far had a really healthy frog population, and it's close by so it ought to be appropriate.

And if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. More frogs will turn up. I found a whole load of frogs at chez Bagpuss last night while foraging at the back of their garden for useful pots... There's a tin bath back there full of broken glass and frogs, who seem to be waking up from winter at the moment. The local frog population seems healthy enough. But if I can successfully seed the pond with a little spawn I get to see cute little baby frogs this year Smile
Treacodactyl

If anyone has quite a few tadpoles I tend to add a squished slug every so often for them to feed on. The tend to suck the juices out and I remove what's left after a few days.

It's also fun dipping your own paws in and the baby Kermits nibble you.
Bugs

What's with the depressing signature, TD?

"Nothing is the same anymore". Sad
Treacodactyl

I was wondering if anyone would spot where it's from.

It could either be depressing or happy, it's how you read it.
Bugs

Treacodactyl wrote:
I was wondering if anyone would spot where it's from.

It could either be depressing or happy, it's how you read it.


Sounds like the Wizard of Oz. I always *knew* you were a closet musical fan. Wink Laughing
Bugs

Cab wrote:
Bugs, as luck would have it I'm being donated a jar of pond sludge and water from a healthy (frog and newt infested) pond this afternoon, and I'm cycling off at lunch time in search of pond plants. The water to fill the pond is from a water butt left open to the elements all winter on my plot, which with some local soil seems to be teeming with interesting micro beasts (remind me to post some pictures).


That all sounds good then - didn't know you had the rainwater as well, that'll be much better I should think.

So...Going to do us an article on constructing a mini wildlife pond then Very Happy
Treacodactyl

The amerous amphibians are back tonight. Very Happy I think we'll pop out later to see how the frolicking frogs are getting on.
cab

Bugs wrote:

That all sounds good then - didn't know you had the rainwater as well, that'll be much better I should think.

So...Going to do us an article on constructing a mini wildlife pond then Very Happy


If it survives, yeah...
Treacodactyl

Just come back in and there's a nice romantic couple in the pond. More spawn on the way. Very Happy
Treacodactyl

Well, after this warm weather we've had they first frog tadpoles started to hatch yesterday, the 25th. So that's about two weeks which is quicker than I thought.

Yesterday also noticed a pair of romantic toads laying. In the evening I had to intervene a bit as a rather amorous frog was getting in the way. (I wouldn't normally but it seems to be our only toads this year. The frog wasn't the same as our common ones being much greener, so more investigation needed there).
Treacodactyl

It's a little early but we have a couple of frogs at it again in one of our ponds. Time to watch cavorting amphibians again. Very Happy
mark

seems very early for frog spawn but maybe you have a warmer microclimate than we do ! I hop ethey survive

last year had loads of frogs at it my pond and it was all totally glucky soup afterwards!
problem is i wanted to change the liner cos it is a bit torn before they came back this year!

Maybe I'm too late now

Sad
Treacodactyl

Not that warm and much too early for them here. Last year the top of the early spawn got frosted and that was in March. I think these two were just at early practise, no spawn to be seen and I could check them over - I wanted to ensure they were not dead after the last frost - both alive but very slow moving.
Penelope Anderson

Yeah, yeah, yeah! I knew something was about to happen when I saw my neighbour's cat spending every moment hanging over my little pond like child watching the box. Spring has come and with it, lots of frog spawn!
P.S Cat can't get at frogs - they're protected by a grid.
dpack

frog and toad fans , put a little seaweed or a tiny crystal of iodine into the pond /tank . poles are cannibal if I is scarce , thyroxine is the hormone that controls when they change and in a low I environment they need to concentrate their resources
sean

Hurrah, habemus spawnem. Very Happy
Bugs

Congratulations Very Happy - I want some too (where's the stamping feet icon??)
dpack

poles nice .
none here yet cos it has been cold ,
this is a bit grim but ...when the local frogs are "distracted "the herons eat as many as possible .
if you cant jump you is dinner bs
gingerwelly

tadpoles make me feel sick....when i was little I drank a glass of squash that had tadpoles which my brother left in there when he made me the drink...urgh ...we had a hole in the water well and frogs must have got into it (and there was a hole in the filter mesh) so every time you turned the tap on tadpoles would come out so before making a drink/food/washing up etc you had to fish themout Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes
Treacodactyl

Our pond is still frozen at the moment, poor little frogs are having to wait.
Goxhill

Our top one was, too, yesterday, yet someone in the same town has spawn by the bucketfull!

Hoping we might get some action now it's milder. I've seen frogs inthe pond ----
Treacodactyl

We now have three clumps, two laid last night and one the night before. We are still getting frost here and ice over the pond so I hope they'll be ok. Luckily the sensible frogs have laid in the part of the pond that has the most protection from an overhanging evergreen shrub. There were quite a few randy frogs there last night, about 20. I wonder where they all come from and where they live in the summer.
dpack

my local watercress ditch is stuffed with them .
Treacodactyl

It was -2 or -3°C last night in our garden. Shocked I'm never sure what sort of temperatures the spawn can survive so I placed a couple of planks of wood over the pond where the frog spawn was. I did this in the late afternoon when it was still warm and this morning the pond was frozen where it was open and unfrozen under the planks. Hopefully that will help them a bit, I've also moved some of the spawn about a bit as the frogs had laid it all in one place and it was sticking out of the water. I just moved it so it was all just under the water.
wildfoodie

birth of kermits happened Monday here, yesterday I saw a naughty newt having what looked to be a tadpole snack..... We haven't had any tadpoles survive past a couple of weeks for at least 3 years now, we have blamed everything from global warming to occasional visiting heron and ducks but I'm strongly suspecting the newts now. So today's job is to set up a tadpole nursery in a large bucket. If I can get them up to a month/ 6 weeks hopefully they will be a better match for the newts, who by then should be otherwise occupied with their annual orgy.

Has anyone seen any strangely coloured frogs? we had a bright orange female one ( yes Tango orange ) hubby wouldn't fish her out until she'd done her mating, but of course no sign of her now. and a few weeks back something frog sized - very bright green like a grass snake colour- hopped out of the compost bin I was turning...
dpack

im watching wild this year
i could do look after,,, but i will do look after , how?
or should i protect ?
Treacodactyl

The first clump of frog spawn was laid in our pond last night, only a week or so earlier than usual. Toad spawn appeared about a week ago which is over a month earlier than last year.
sean

Ours has hatched.
TimNeo

having removed several frogs from the jaws of death (our cats) and relocated them far far away (if I release them nearby they return to my pond to be attacked again) at my allotment in the new pond which is better catered to our amphibian friends (rather than the Koi my parents keep) I'm yet to see any!

bah :- (
Andy B

We have more this year then ever, not hatched but getting bigger.
Fee

Had our first lot of spawn of the year in our pond almost a fortnight ago, just spotted some more while I was out earlier.

The first lot must be pretty close to hatching.
Fee

fallscrape wrote:
having removed several frogs from the jaws of death (our cats)


ditto, ours haven't even got the decency to kill them tho, just bring them into the house and set them free for me to chase around!

Awww, pressies, aren't they good to us

Rolling Eyes
TimNeo

The frogs scream louder than the cats meow. It's off putting when you're eating dinner.
Fee

Tell me about it, we thought a child was being murdered on our landing in the middle of the night the first time we heard it! Was horrible!
Treacodactyl

Last night the frogs have managed to produce a few clumps of spawn despite the overnight frost. Looking back the past yeas first spawn it's been the 11th of March, 16th of March, 6th of March and 25th of Feb.
Nicky cigreen

first frog spawn we saw this year, in our pond, was 6 Feb - last year was 14 Feb ( i remeber cos it was valentines day... love in the pond...)

sharp frost last night though....
Azura Skye

I saw one little froggy last year, mid autumn time - any chances he was hibernating nearby and will come back to the pond now spring is approaching?

I guess my pond is a bit new for frogs, though I do have two lovely bog sections that perhaps they will find inviting.

oh little froggy,
please don't be groggy
come to my pond
I'll wave a magic wand
so you can get preggy
la la laaa
Mrs Fiddlesticks

Treacodactyl wrote:
Last night the frogs have managed to produce a few clumps of spawn despite the overnight frost. Looking back the past yeas first spawn it's been the 11th of March, 16th of March, 6th of March and 25th of Feb.


Spawn was spotted in our pond on Friday and infact the two week long party in there has begun. I can see about 8 frogs from here (I think there are up to about 12 but the little buggers won't co-orperate long enough to be counted) and they're croaking!!
Treacodactyl

I've been trying to take a few pictures of our amorous amphibians but many of them dive under the water as I approach. I've taken a few long range shots and there's at least 50 frogs in the pond at the moment. Shocked

We not in what I'd consider to be great frog country but they turned up very soon after our ponds were built so there's every chance they'll turn up in you pond Azura Skye. Toads might also turn up a bit later, the makes are already roaming our garden looking for mates. It's essential to have a torch at night to prevent stepping on them.
lettucewoman

well - we spotted frog spawn in the local brook two weeks ago - and a couple of days ago some of them had hatched! We had had some nasty frosts, and some were dead, but there were enough of them alive as of the day before yesterday...this is the earliest I have ever seen hatched frog spawn.

Mother in law has had a bucket of it apparently for the last three weeks...that make it laid at the end of JANUARY Shocked
Azura Skye

cool - then I shall keep an eye out

When are frogs most active? Dusk? I know they are noisy in the night, but I've seen them awake and active in the day too.

I've just planted about 60 wildflower plugs on the bank of my pond, so when they grow there should be some lovely cover for lotsa bugs!
Mrs Fiddlesticks

Tim spent some time 'froggy photographing' at the weekend -

frewen

Someone got a bit excited and dumped a load of spawn in the recycling bin Shocked

Like the frog pic Very Happy
Azura Skye

that's a great pic!
look at all that spawn - oooh lotsa babies on the way : )
LynneA

We're going over to the old allotment this weekend. I think I'm going to have to leave one of the pre-formed ponds in situ, but was hoping to use the smaller one in the back garden. I'll have to check to see if either have spawn in yet.

I know there are frogs in our garden, even without a pond. But we have a perfect site for one, even if Sheba likes to play with frogs Surprised
Mrs Fiddlesticks

LynneA wrote:
We're going over to the old allotment this weekend. I think I'm going to have to leave one of the pre-formed ponds in situ, but was hoping to use the smaller one in the back garden. I'll have to check to see if either have spawn in yet.

I know there are frogs in our garden, even without a pond. But we have a perfect site for one, even if Sheba likes to play with frogs Surprised


our cats have fancied a froggy takeaway in the past. Frogs make the most awful screaming noise if caught by cat!
Treacodactyl

I've managed to get some pics of the shenanigans going on in our pond. Sorry if they are a bit large but you loose too much detail when they are made too small.







Mrs Fiddlesticks

brill pictures TD!
Fee

Great pics Very Happy

Just been out to check on ours, see if we've got any spawn yet, as I didn't notice any over the weekend, and I notice by this thread that we had some around now last year...

and lo and behold...



Very Happy First lot in the new pond (though the frogs have just been moved about 2 metres from the old pond).
Azura Skye

great pics!
and that definitely IS frog shenanigans Very Happy
Treacodactyl

Azura Skye wrote:
and that definitely IS frog shenanigans Very Happy


Yep, and many of the couples are males grabbing other males. Laughing

They tend to be most active at dusk and during the night. At this time of year they are, erm, 'at it' 24hrs a day for a week or so. During the summer the frogs often sit on or near the pond during the day and you often see them about in the garden during the day. I'm not quite sure where the 50 or so frogs or the 20 or so toads all go though after mating season.
Mrs Fiddlesticks

Treacodactyl wrote:


They tend to be most active at dusk and during the night. At this time of year they are, erm, 'at it' 24hrs a day for a week or so. .


same here. The party goes on for about a fortnight. Our bedroom is at the back of the house and you can hear the croaking - we liken it to carousing - throughout the night at this time of year. Rolling Eyes like it really Wink
Treacodactyl

Mrs Fiddlesticks wrote:
Treacodactyl wrote:


They tend to be most active at dusk and during the night. At this time of year they are, erm, 'at it' 24hrs a day for a week or so. .


same here. The party goes on for about a fortnight. Our bedroom is at the back of the house and you can hear the croaking - we liken it to carousing - throughout the night at this time of year. Rolling Eyes like it really Wink


We love the croaking, they were happily croaking away once I settled to take my pictures. We often leave the door open at night to listen to them. Do you also get toads that sort of cry-out? It's a pleasant noise but hard to describe.
Mrs Fiddlesticks

Treacodactyl wrote:
Do you also get toads that sort of cry-out? It's a pleasant noise but hard to describe.


only frogs in our pond here.
Treacodactyl

The pond was very busy and quite noisy last night, I counted about 60 frogs. There's at least 25 clumps of frog spawn now which is the most we've had since we built the pond. Very Happy
jamanda

Ours got it all over and done with weeks ago. Not even a sign of any frog spawn left - I expect a few will have made it, having survived the dog drinking them and the ever expanding gold fish.
wellington womble

Goodness me - Frog-porn and frogtography! Bit voyeuristic (had three attempts at spelling that!)

No pond here, and likely no frogs - I do have plans for a pond, eventually. We had plenty of frogs, a toad and even the odd newt in our last garden with no pond (lots of weeds to hide in, I think!)
Treacodactyl

Bugs counted 65 frogs in the pond today and I still found one under a stone elsewhere in the garden. This year it seems the frogs have all decided to use our pond and not our neighbours pond. Cool That should mean more tadpoles survive and don't get eaten by the fish they have. We'll have to remember to feed them if they all hatch and hope we don't get dragged in. Shocked Laughing
sean

Heard a frog calling in the pond just now when I went outside. Smile
Treacodactyl

Just to note our first frog spawn was produced on Tuesday, the 2nd. So that's a few days later than last year so perhaps we're not all doomed after all. Laughing
Green Rosie

Nothing here yet Crying or Very sad
shopgirlsue

Yes we have frog spawn - spotted it yesterday - and the frogs in our pond are still being very friendly although the snow might cool them down a bit Wink
Nicky cigreen

nothing here yet - and it is usually around valentines day... that cold snap prolly did for some frogs....
Andy B

The frogs have been comming back for about a week, no spawn yet. Will this cold spell put them off?
Treacodactyl

They tend to spend several days frolicking in our pond before getting down to business. As long as it's not very icy they seem to carry on, last night it was just above freezing and we had a new ball of spawn produced. I have been pushing it a bit further under the water as I don't think it survives being frozen in ice, well it hasn't in the past years.
Sherbs

We have loads of frogspawn in our tiny pond. I pointed it out to the Sherbling and explained they were frogs eggs, so she now refers to them as 'egg-frogs'. I haven't seen any tadpoles yet though and I'm concerned they might not survive the cold weather. I'll have to go and keep checking them and maybe try and make a bit of shelter for that bit of the pond if I can.
       Downsizer Forum Index -> Conservation and Environment
Page 1 of 1
Home Home Home Home Home