On Sun, 27 Feb 2011 07:37:00 -0000, "sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote:

I seem to have lost all my frogs ( as in none have come to the pool this
year). Three years ago I had a colony of at least 30. Then I lost a whole
load of spawn eaten by bloody dragon fly larvae which I had not realized
were there. I know some people like dragon flies but I prefer frogs. So I
cleared the pond but the following year it was a hard winter and again I
lost frogs and spawn . This year, nothing.

I know I have a frog ( or two) around the garden . Last saw one a few weeks
ago by my greenhouse. But nothing in the pond. I also checked the pond and I
don't even seem to have any newts. I had a few of those to.

Is this the end then? Is there anything I can do to get frogs to come?

Just relax. It'll happen. In clearing the pond (sounds like you did it
entirely) you've essentially g one back to scratch and it'll take a
while before it gets colonised again.

My pond's gone the other way - I thought there was too much frog spawn
(a pond can only sustain so many frogs in my view). The local
population had to adapt to some logistical changes this year. I'd
cleared the planting area where they usually lay as it needed
revamping and won't replant until later in the year. So they've moved
to another area and laid abundantly there. Trouble is that because of
very low overhanging branches, some actually in the water, magpies
have discovered that they can perch and peck and have been decimating
the spawn they can reach. So I think about a quarter of the orignal
spawn remains viable and the pond can support that if it all hatches.
So hopefully all will be well.

Jake