Frogs!

 

Well hello there!

It's been a while, but was waiting for the tadpoles!

Just inside the woodland, where I go a-wandering, there is a little pond, where every year in the Spring, the local Frogs have a bit of a get together.  Frogs tend to return to where they were spawned, following a trail of familiar scents.  Adjacent to the woods are houses and we certainly have our share in either the front or back garden, as well as in our own little pond.  Often when it rains, they can be found hopping across our road or in our front garden.  In my back garden, there are plenty to be found around  the pond and during the summer we end up with lots of tiny frogs in the lawn.  

Back in mid-March, I went on one of my usual catch-up-on-the-local-patch strolls and had noticed a little bit of activity in the pond, which with slightly milder weather, had become smothered in chickweed.  On this particular morning, the chickweed was looking rather lumpy and moving, so I went closer for a better look.  

Staying as still as I could, or else they disappeared under the water, I could see lots of little eyes watching me, with a lot of little green heads (covered in weed) peeping up across the surface of the water.  Here and there, as the morning warmed up, a few moved into the clearer water and got brave and clambered out for a look  around.


Well after a further wander off around the woods, I went home  for a spot of lunch, but as it was a lovely afternoon, decided to pop out again for another  walk. When I reached the pond, the frogs were a lot more awake and a few were in the clearer water on the sunny side of the pond.  This one didn't dive for cover as I approached and seemed quite happy to float and sunbathe whilst I took some photographs.  

I wandered round to the other side of the pond and also managed a few of his friends who were also pleased to pose...

This one was even being kept company by an early ladybird!

The next day, I decided to see if more frogs had arrived and was met with the sight of a pond dancing with frogs.



They were swimming, diving, clambering on each other or having found a mate were clinging together for a certain 'moment', 

although, it appeared that there had been a quite a lot of 'certain moments' the night before!  

There were huge clumps of frogspawn all around the edge of the pond 

as well as more than a few tired, but happy looking couples!

A few weeks later, having noticed the emergence of tadpoles in the little pond in our garden, I paid closer attention to the pond in the woods on a weekend wander.  It was in the afternoon and quite a mild sunny day, so they had had a while to warm up and get wiggling :

Wherever the water was more shallow, tadpoles could be seen.


They all appear to have disappeared now, no doubt busy transforming and growing the in depths of the pond, before dispersing until next year! 

 Footnote:

I often share my images in the BBC Springwatch group on Flickr, including a few of the frogs - one of which I'd had a bit of a play with whilst post processing.  

Well much to my surprise (and amazement!) I received an email asking if the one could be used for a 'Photo of the Day' over on the BBC Earth website, so.....

Here it is!   


and the link to the article is here:

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150312-swimming-frog-style

 


 

 

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