We Have Frogspawn!

[Rover Returned]

Our new pond has frogspawn in it this morning!  The froggies have found us!

Let's hope there are no more hard frosts this Spring.

[The Sober Rigger]

No sign of any serious frosts with you for the foreseeable future.
Good news Rover.

[Rover Returned]

No sign of any serious frosts with you for the foreseeable future.
Good news Rover.

Yes, I'm busy preparing the maternity unit now chez RR!

[Europe Rick]

Congratulations on your expected new additions, RR!

Sadly our frogspawn met a rather tragic end last year. We've got a couple of ponds, one of which we keep as a 'wildlife' pond, and this time last year it was full of frogspawn which eventually hatched into about 250 tadpoles.

Unfortunately the filter over the end of the electric pump (which we use to stop the water stagnating) broke off one night and floated away from the pump, with the result that all but two of our 250 tadpoles got sucked up into the pump and perished.

Having just got over that tragedy, a couple of weeks later a badger bit through the hose from our other, goldfish pond, pump, and the pump voided its contents over the lawn instead of pumping it back into the pond. We lost 22 out of 30 goldfish that night. Our three-foot deep pond had just 6 inches of water in it by the morning.

Although we live in an urban area, we have huge problems with badgers & foxes. No matter how deep you  bury your fence the bastards still manage to get through & go on a huge wrecking spree - they even uproot fully-grown trees! It's almost pointless trying to keep a 'nice' garden. Even my alsation can't scare them off - my poor Merlin has a permanent scar on his face following a late-night confrontation with a badger; whereas foxes just give him a disdainful look and carry on with whatever mischief they were up to before he so rudely interrupted him. What the hell can I do?

[The Sober Rigger]

Sadly a couple of weeks ago both of mum and dad's ponds seemed to be devoid of tadpoles/frogs etc.
In fact with the weather being fabulous,the water levels had dropped quite a bit.
So I made sure they were topped up before we left.
I wonder if this has been the same scenario with a couple of you down there?

[Gab]

Our pond was very low, although still supporting frogs, newts and dragonfly larvae. I did relent and topped it up however now it's full and healthy again with these lovely rain showers we've been having for the past week or so.

I always suspect our tadpoles get eaten by the newts and dragonfly larvae, but then they've got to survive, and there are always a good number of frogs about too, so some must make it to maturity.

[Rover Returned]

Sadly, all of my frogspawn disappeared within a week or so of being deposited.

However, my pond is now a meeting place for quite a few adult frogs who sit in rows with just their heads above the water line.

Maybe I'll have better luck next year on the frogspawn front.

[The Sober Rigger]

Thanks for your replies
Sadly mum's has very little happening.
Wish I was a bit closer and more regular to keep an eye on things.