Saw our first frogspawn of the year today - two weeks earlier than usual
(last year was on 11th March). I think this is very early for this part of
the country. We went out just now with the torch and the big pond is teeming
with frogs. Quite lifts the heart.

Also newts already in the pond, which seems early to us although we haven't
kept a record of dates of those.

Mind you, they don't really need the pond since the ground is so incredibly
waterlogged it's difficult to walk on at the moment. They could just bask in
the puddles.




--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
bed and breakfast near Ludlow: http://www.stonybrook-ludlow.co.uk
Burne-Jones/William Morris window in Shropshire church:
http://www.whitton-stmarys.org.uk

In message et, Sally
Thompson writes

Saw our first frogspawn of the year today - two weeks earlier than usual
(last year was on 11th March). I think this is very early for this part of
the country. We went out just now with the torch and the big pond is teeming
with frogs. Quite lifts the heart.

My tiny pond (in Reading) could easily freeze over in March, but some
frog has laid a huge mass of spawn in a shallow place, with some of the
spawn sticking up above water level.

Also newts already in the pond, which seems early to us although we haven't
kept a record of dates of those.

I'd like newts. Would they be able to survive in small suburban gardens
if I could get some spawn?

--
Sue ]

No spawn here in the West Midlands yet but do have pairs of frog (if you
know what I mean)
Also newts which bred earlier than frogs. I understand that newts eat
frogspawn.

Will have to log in to check my records for last year, but it is rather late
now so leave it till tomorrow/today (sunday)
regards
Cineman


"MadCow" wrote in message
...
In message et, Sally
Thompson writes

Saw our first frogspawn of the year today - two weeks earlier than usual
(last year was on 11th March). I think this is very early for this part
of
the country. We went out just now with the torch and the big pond is
teeming
with frogs. Quite lifts the heart.

My tiny pond (in Reading) could easily freeze over in March, but some frog
has laid a huge mass of spawn in a shallow place, with some of the spawn
sticking up above water level.

Also newts already in the pond, which seems early to us although we
haven't
kept a record of dates of those.

I'd like newts. Would they be able to survive in small suburban gardens
if I could get some spawn?

--
Sue ]

Newts will survive in small ponds but they do leave water after spawning and
travel for miles during the summer, usually returning to their original
watering hole.
If you could find someone with newts they may let you have a couple, if
anyone close by has newts they may occupy your pond of their own free will.
One of my ponds is about 4 ft by 5 ft made with liner, deepest part is about
1 ft shallowing up to where ive placed old logs and cut down branches for
cover, its the first pond to have spawn every year.
No pump ever used. planted with watermint, and iris, and duckweed, which is
skimmed off during summer. That keeps water clear.

regards
Cineman

"MadCow" wrote in message
...
In message et, Sally
Thompson writes

Saw our first frogspawn of the year today - two weeks earlier than usual
(last year was on 11th March). I think this is very early for this part
of
the country. We went out just now with the torch and the big pond is
teeming
with frogs. Quite lifts the heart.

My tiny pond (in Reading) could easily freeze over in March, but some frog
has laid a huge mass of spawn in a shallow place, with some of the spawn
sticking up above water level.

Also newts already in the pond, which seems early to us although we
haven't
kept a record of dates of those.

I'd like newts. Would they be able to survive in small suburban gardens
if I could get some spawn?

--
Sue ]

First frogspawn found this morning in our pond, in North Kent....

On Sat, 24 Feb 2007 23:18:53 +0000, MadCow wrote
(in article ):

In message et, Sally
Thompson writes

Saw our first frogspawn of the year today - two weeks earlier than usual
(last year was on 11th March). I think this is very early for this part of
the country. We went out just now with the torch and the big pond is
teeming
with frogs. Quite lifts the heart.

My tiny pond (in Reading) could easily freeze over in March, but some
frog has laid a huge mass of spawn in a shallow place, with some of the
spawn sticking up above water level.

Also newts already in the pond, which seems early to us although we haven't
kept a record of dates of those.

I'd like newts. Would they be able to survive in small suburban gardens
if I could get some spawn?



My understanding (and gut feeling) is that if the conditions are right, the
newts will come (same with the frogs). We did not introduce them, they just
arrived, and we were of course thrilled when we first saw them. They have
multiplied since so presumably they are happy there. This pond is only three
years old, so my best suggestion is to try to make a newt-friendly
environment for them. My son had an absolutely minute pond in South London,
and he had frogs in it which appeared from nowhere - so they do find homes in
unlikely places.




--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
bed and breakfast near Ludlow: http://www.stonybrook-ludlow.co.uk
Burne-Jones/William Morris window in Shropshire church:
http://www.whitton-stmarys.org.uk

In article , MadCow
writes
In message et, Sally
Thompson writes

Saw our first frogspawn of the year today - two weeks earlier than usual
(last year was on 11th March). I think this is very early for this part of
the country. We went out just now with the torch and the big pond is teeming
with frogs. Quite lifts the heart.

My tiny pond (in Reading) could easily freeze over in March, but some
frog has laid a huge mass of spawn in a shallow place, with some of the
spawn sticking up above water level.

Also newts already in the pond, which seems early to us although we haven't
kept a record of dates of those.

I'd like newts. Would they be able to survive in small suburban gardens
if I could get some spawn?

They do, along with the frogs, in our tiny pool and small garden in the
Black Country.
--
John Lloyd, West Midlands, UK.

MadCow writes


I'd like newts. Would they be able to survive in small suburban
gardens if I could get some spawn?


They like a lot of weed in the pond. They lay single eggs which they
wrap in the leaves of the pond weed - it's not easy to spot, so getting
hold of spawn might be the problem!

We were given four young newts by a neighbour who had a breeding colony
in a pond about 4ft long, and now have nearly a hundred at breeding time
each year.


--
Kay

I'd like newts. Would they be able to survive in small suburban
gardens if I could get some spawn?

They like a lot of weed in the pond. They lay single eggs which they
wrap in the leaves of the pond weed - it's not easy to spot, so getting
hold of spawn might be the problem!

A longtime ago when the kids were young we went pond dipping and got some
weed and snails and water beetles and things. Brought it all back and kept
it all in a smallish container on the window sill near the dining table. A
fair few weeks later, the weed had gone mad and the snails and things were
doing well. Then at one meal time we heard a "plop" from the tank, and
another. Upon investigation we discovered we had a young newt complete
with gills. We must have brought back an egg with the weed, and we'd not
noticed and we also hadn't noticed the young eft growing for many weeks
among the weeds!

It was a wonderfull thing to have. We returned the newt to the original
pond.

On 24/2/07 20:34, in article
, "Sally Thompson"
wrote:


Saw our first frogspawn of the year today - two weeks earlier than usual
(last year was on 11th March). I think this is very early for this part of
the country. We went out just now with the torch and the big pond is teeming
with frogs. Quite lifts the heart.

Also newts already in the pond, which seems early to us although we haven't
kept a record of dates of those.

Mind you, they don't really need the pond since the ground is so incredibly
waterlogged it's difficult to walk on at the moment. They could just bask in
the puddles.



I'm beginning to think we have toads with some kind of problem. They
arrived a while ago, we've had so much wet and mild weather that we're all
going rusty but there is NO spawn to be seen in our ponds. However, when we
went to Salcombe the pond was heaving with the stuff. It is always late in
our pond, however early the toads are. There must be something they know,
that we don't, about our pond/weather/water/prevailing conditions.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

In message et, Sally
Thompson writes

Saw our first frogspawn of the year today - two weeks earlier than usual
(last year was on 11th March). I think this is very early for this part of
the country. We went out just now with the torch and the big pond is teeming
with frogs. Quite lifts the heart.

Also newts already in the pond, which seems early to us although we haven't
kept a record of dates of those.

Mind you, they don't really need the pond since the ground is so incredibly
waterlogged it's difficult to walk on at the moment. They could just bask in
the puddles.

Our first batch of frog spawn appeared on 13 February (South Devon).
This was 6 weeks earlier than last year. There have been 2 additional
batches so far. The toad and newt spawn tends to be several weeks
later. For the last couple of years we have had to remove the spawn
from the pond to protect it from the attentions of some very predatory
small flatworms that have moved in large numbers and seem to treat the
spawn as a delicacy.
--
Robert

On 25/2/07 15:29, in article , "Robert"
wrote:

In message et, Sally
Thompson writes

Saw our first frogspawn of the year today - two weeks earlier than usual
(last year was on 11th March). I think this is very early for this part of
the country. We went out just now with the torch and the big pond is teeming
with frogs. Quite lifts the heart.

Also newts already in the pond, which seems early to us although we haven't
kept a record of dates of those.

Mind you, they don't really need the pond since the ground is so incredibly
waterlogged it's difficult to walk on at the moment. They could just bask in
the puddles.

Our first batch of frog spawn appeared on 13 February (South Devon).
This was 6 weeks earlier than last year. There have been 2 additional
batches so far. The toad and newt spawn tends to be several weeks
later. For the last couple of years we have had to remove the spawn
from the pond to protect it from the attentions of some very predatory
small flatworms that have moved in large numbers and seem to treat the
spawn as a delicacy.

Every year I'm surprised at how long it takes for the spawn to appear in our
pond, given that the toads have been around for some time. I know
absolutely nothing about gestation with regard to toads, so how long DOES it
normally take for them to spawn? Do the females hold off until the weather
warms up a bit, or something?!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

Just been down the pond now, armed with a torch, and the randy pair are at it again....

In message , Sacha
writes
On 25/2/07 15:29, in article , "Robert"
wrote:

In message et, Sally
Thompson writes

Saw our first frogspawn of the year today - two weeks earlier than usual
(last year was on 11th March). I think this is very early for this part of
the country. We went out just now with the torch and the big pond
is teeming
with frogs. Quite lifts the heart.

Also newts already in the pond, which seems early to us although we haven't
kept a record of dates of those.

Mind you, they don't really need the pond since the ground is so incredibly
waterlogged it's difficult to walk on at the moment. They could
just bask in
the puddles.

Our first batch of frog spawn appeared on 13 February (South Devon).
This was 6 weeks earlier than last year. There have been 2 additional
batches so far. The toad and newt spawn tends to be several weeks
later. For the last couple of years we have had to remove the spawn
from the pond to protect it from the attentions of some very predatory
small flatworms that have moved in large numbers and seem to treat the
spawn as a delicacy.

Every year I'm surprised at how long it takes for the spawn to appear in our
pond, given that the toads have been around for some time. I know
absolutely nothing about gestation with regard to toads, so how long DOES it
normally take for them to spawn? Do the females hold off until the weather
warms up a bit, or something?!


No idea about the comparative gestation times of frogs and toads - based
on the fact that I found a very sleepy male toad still hibernating in a
heap of leaf litter yesterday perhaps they are just more laid back than
the frogs who seem to start mating when weather conditions are still
risky.

--
Robert

Robert writes
In message , Sacha
writes

Every year I'm surprised at how long it takes for the spawn to appear in our
pond, given that the toads have been around for some time. I know
absolutely nothing about gestation with regard to toads, so how long DOES it
normally take for them to spawn? Do the females hold off until the weather
warms up a bit, or something?!


No idea about the comparative gestation times of frogs and toads -
based on the fact that I found a very sleepy male toad still
hibernating in a heap of leaf litter yesterday perhaps they are just
more laid back than the frogs who seem to start mating when weather
conditions are still risky.

Frogs lay spawn earlier in the year than toads - our frog spawn is any
time from beginning to end of March, and I think (but am not sure) that
it's nearer May with toads.

Are what you seeing around now toads or frogs? Frogs have a dark patch
behind the eye, often spotted or blotched, and leap. Toads have no eye
patch, are very obviously fatter and squatter in shape, they waddle
rather than leap, and are warty so as to appear exactly like a lump of
clay soil.

--
Kay