Garden Pond, Frogs, Crows, Magpies
 

This morning I noticed 3 lots of frogspawn in my pond. Not there
yesterday so it's a sign of Spring at last!

2 magpies turned up and started poking about in my newly turned
vegetable beds. The local resident crows quickly turned up and chased
them off.

As the day went on, a horror story developed. My wife noticed a crow
skulking around near the pond. Then she sees it throwing something
around and pecking at it on the ground. I go out, chase away the crow
and find an adult frog dead on its back, badly pecked and bleeding
from the head. In the afternoon, I was out working in the garden,
under intensive crow surveillance from nearby trees. Came in to make
a cup of coffee and Lord Crow descends back to the pond. In the
course of the 10 minutes or so I was in the house it snatched 2 more
adult frogs out of the pond and injured both. One, bleeding, managed
to make its way back in on its own. I had to pick the other one up and
place it in the water - it did start to swim. I suppose once the lily
pads and duckweed get under way the horrible things won't be able to
see the frogs, assuming there'll be any left, as the crows get up
before we do.

I wouldn't have thought frogs were usual food for crows. Might it be
that the extended cold and dry conditions have meant that normal food
sources have been limited?

I contemplated netting the pond to keep the crows out but realised
this would also keep the frogs in!

Is there any way of saving the frogs for further predation, or do we
just let nature take its course?

Garden Pond, Frogs, Crows, Magpies
 

"Jupiter" wrote in message
...
This morning I noticed 3 lots of frogspawn in my pond. Not there
yesterday so it's a sign of Spring at last!

2 magpies turned up and started poking about in my newly turned
vegetable beds. The local resident crows quickly turned up and chased
them off.

As the day went on, a horror story developed. My wife noticed a crow
skulking around near the pond. Then she sees it throwing something
around and pecking at it on the ground. I go out, chase away the crow
and find an adult frog dead on its back, badly pecked and bleeding
from the head. In the afternoon, I was out working in the garden,
under intensive crow surveillance from nearby trees. Came in to make
a cup of coffee and Lord Crow descends back to the pond. In the
course of the 10 minutes or so I was in the house it snatched 2 more
adult frogs out of the pond and injured both. One, bleeding, managed
to make its way back in on its own. I had to pick the other one up and
place it in the water - it did start to swim. I suppose once the lily
pads and duckweed get under way the horrible things won't be able to
see the frogs, assuming there'll be any left, as the crows get up
before we do.

I wouldn't have thought frogs were usual food for crows. Might it be
that the extended cold and dry conditions have meant that normal food
sources have been limited?

I contemplated netting the pond to keep the crows out but realised
this would also keep the frogs in!

....

As a temporary measure, net the pond but give the frogs somewhere
to sit etc make a temporary floating platform maybe ?

After a few days of frustration the crows may move elsewhere to
better pastures.

At the moment they've got a guarenteed food source* in which they'll
continue to take an interest, whenever your back is turned.

*Anything of the right size moving around might interest them.



michael adams

.....

....







Is there any way of saving the frogs for further predation, or do we
just let nature take its course?

Garden Pond, Frogs, Crows, Magpies
 

"Jupiter" wrote in message
...
This morning I noticed 3 lots of frogspawn in my pond. Not there
yesterday so it's a sign of Spring at last!

2 magpies turned up and started poking about in my newly turned
vegetable beds. The local resident crows quickly turned up and chased
them off.

As the day went on, a horror story developed. My wife noticed a crow
skulking around near the pond. Then she sees it throwing something
around and pecking at it on the ground. I go out, chase away the crow
and find an adult frog dead on its back, badly pecked and bleeding
from the head. In the afternoon, I was out working in the garden,
under intensive crow surveillance from nearby trees. Came in to make
a cup of coffee and Lord Crow descends back to the pond. In the
course of the 10 minutes or so I was in the house it snatched 2 more
adult frogs out of the pond and injured both. One, bleeding, managed
to make its way back in on its own. I had to pick the other one up and
place it in the water - it did start to swim. I suppose once the lily
pads and duckweed get under way the horrible things won't be able to
see the frogs, assuming there'll be any left, as the crows get up
before we do.

I wouldn't have thought frogs were usual food for crows. Might it be
that the extended cold and dry conditions have meant that normal food
sources have been limited?

I contemplated netting the pond to keep the crows out but realised
this would also keep the frogs in!

Is there any way of saving the frogs for further predation, or do we
just let nature take its course?

If it's a fairly small pond you could use metal mesh supported on a few
bricks.
I know it's upsetting but the loss of a few frogs to Crows is just part of
the way things are.

Garden Pond, Frogs, Crows, Magpies
 

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Rupert" contains these words:


I know it's upsetting but the loss of a few frogs to Crows is just part
of
the way things are.

I hope you're right.

Janet

I think I am but if I is wrong -then what?
Is this an aberration where we have killer crows devastating the whole
world? AFAIK crows/rooks do have a go at eating anything, living , dead or
dying.

Garden Pond, Frogs, Crows, Magpies
 

Rupert wrote:
"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Rupert" contains these words:


I know it's upsetting but the loss of a few frogs to Crows is just
part of
the way things are.

I hope you're right.

Janet

I think I am but if I is wrong -then what?
Is this an aberration where we have killer crows devastating the whole
world? AFAIK crows/rooks do have a go at eating anything, living ,
dead or dying.

"In behind yon auld fail dyke..."

--
Mike.

Garden Pond, Frogs, Crows, Magpies
 

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
Rupert wrote:
"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Rupert" contains these words:


I know it's upsetting but the loss of a few frogs to Crows is just
part of
the way things are.

I hope you're right.

Janet

I think I am but if I is wrong -then what?
Is this an aberration where we have killer crows devastating the whole
world? AFAIK crows/rooks do have a go at eating anything, living ,
dead or dying.

"In behind yon auld fail dyke..."

--
Mike.


In auk.rec.gardening -The nominations for the parts of the taw corbies
a-?

Garden Pond, Frogs, Crows, Magpies
 

"Jupiter" wrote in message
...
This morning I noticed 3 lots of frogspawn in my pond. Not there
yesterday so it's a sign of Spring at last!

At least the spawn has arrived her in Cambridgeshire at last.

The toads AND frogs were, ahem, "at it" all day yesterday and the pond is
now well-stocked with clumps of spotty jelly.

--
Brian
"Fight like the Devil, die like a gentleman."

Garden Pond, Frogs, Crows, Magpies
 

Rupert wrote:
"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
Rupert wrote:
[...]
I think I am but if I is wrong -then what?
Is this an aberration where we have killer crows devastating the
whole world? AFAIK crows/rooks do have a go at eating anything,
living , dead or dying.

"In behind yon auld fail dyke..."

--
Mike.


In auk.rec.gardening -The nominations for the parts of the taw
corbies a-?

My lips are sealed. Don't even _think_ about it, Rupert!

--
Mike.

Garden Pond, Frogs, Crows, Magpies
 

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
Rupert wrote:

In auk.rec.gardening -The nominations for the parts of the taw
corbies a-?

My lips are sealed. Don't even _think_ about it, Rupert!

Anyway, it's "twa" corbies.

:-)

--
Brian
"Fight like the Devil, die like a gentleman."

Garden Pond, Frogs, Crows, Magpies
 

"Jupiter" wrote in message
...
This morning I noticed 3 lots of frogspawn in my pond. Not there
yesterday so it's a sign of Spring at last!

2 magpies turned up and started poking about in my newly turned
vegetable beds. The local resident crows quickly turned up and chased
them off.

As the day went on, a horror story developed. My wife noticed a crow
skulking around near the pond. Then she sees it throwing something
around and pecking at it on the ground. I go out, chase away the crow
and find an adult frog dead on its back, badly pecked and bleeding
from the head. In the afternoon, I was out working in the garden,
under intensive crow surveillance from nearby trees. Came in to make
a cup of coffee and Lord Crow descends back to the pond. In the
course of the 10 minutes or so I was in the house it snatched 2 more
adult frogs out of the pond and injured both. One, bleeding, managed
to make its way back in on its own. I had to pick the other one up and
place it in the water - it did start to swim. I suppose once the lily
pads and duckweed get under way the horrible things won't be able to
see the frogs, assuming there'll be any left, as the crows get up
before we do.

I wouldn't have thought frogs were usual food for crows. Might it be
that the extended cold and dry conditions have meant that normal food
sources have been limited?

I contemplated netting the pond to keep the crows out but realised
this would also keep the frogs in!

Is there any way of saving the frogs for further predation, or do we
just let nature take its course?

Once the pond is stocked with spawn, the adults have probably served their
primary purpose. It is perfectly natural for larger predators like crows to
feed on smaller predators like frogs. However, if you temporarily put nets
or mesh over the margins where the frogs are congregating, that should make
things more difficult for the crows etc.