Garden Wildlife UK

Placido wrote: Thu Mar 26, 2020 9:21 am I do believe the technical term is: "casing the joint". Maybe time for Operation Heronguard to kick in ....

In past years once the spawning has finished at least half a dozen frogs have hung around in the ponds for a little while. This year there were only two. Maybe the Heron spooked them one day when I wasn't about

I now have few free swimming Tadders but the majority are still scoffing the jelly.

Given that the frogsprogs are early this year, I s'pose a heron can't believe its luck !!

Finished all the Hartley's already ?!?!? Bumper year

Some rather grim news on the tadpole front. I have been looking intently in their pond over the last few days and have not seen one. Usually warm sunshine brings them to the surface but none are in sight.
Probably it was bit much to expect what was almost a new pond to support all the spawn. I am now wishing I'd transferred some of it to the other pond but that ship has sailed

Oh no, no sightings ?!?! Another warm day looming ........

It appears I was a little hasty when I concluded that all my tadpoles had perished I happened to be looking in the pond today as an adult Frog had caught my eye when I noticed the very small swirls that the young Tadders usually make at the waters edge. I have still only seen about ten so I'm not getting out the champagne.

That's very good news, Jacksparrow. Fingers crossed and all that - see 10 there may be 1,000 ?

The warm morning sunshine tempted them to the top of the pond again today. I'm still not convinced there are hundreds lurking in the murky depths.

A good few of the tadpoles where causing a shimmer in the shallow end of their pond today an event that didn't go unnoticed by one of my resident Blackbirds. He decided he'd risk getting wet feet to gain an easy meal. Fortunately for the tadders I was watching. I persuaded him to return to terra firma and then fed him some sultanas as a distraction. It worked but I doubt he'll forget and will be back.

Hmmmmm, baby blackies are a huge imperative.