Garden Wildlife UK

I now have quite few free swimming tadpoles. They only start doing this when they have eaten all the spawn jelly. Some of the spawn was laid quite deep and that is quite a bit behind the surface laid stuff because the water is colder.

Good news.

I have reported in previous years that Blackbirds like to take a few tadpoles if they can get them. I have a male and female trying at present and new for this year I have seen a Robin having a try.

Good source of food for them.

The survival rate for the tadpoles looks to be poor this year. In the "nature" pond which I relined a few years ago I haven't seen a tadpole for over a week. I think the problem there is that the new liner has not let any algae grow very much and it is this which the young tadders feed on for the first weeks. The other pond which was for fish(but doesn't any now) they are still to be seen but not as many as I would be expecting at this stage

Sad to hear that JS.

I feared the worst for my tadpoles this year but some have made it to become froglets. I saw two today.

That is god news JS.