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2017... and so it begins

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Suzi View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Feb 2017 at 11:59pm
Funny that I next to never see slow worms basking in the open, although I do look. With the number of cats about I'm glad I can offer the slow worms some safe places. From time to time though I do find dead ones with claw marks on them.
Suz
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chubsta View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chubsta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Feb 2017 at 6:30pm
Plenty of frogs in the pond each night, unfortunately it is still pretty much devoid of weed after the big clear-out a few weeks back so will they still spawn, and without weed for it to sit on/attach to will it just sink to the bottom and die?

Off-topic but still Spring related, saw my first hedgehog running across the garden last night so Spring is definitely here!
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will View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote will Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Feb 2017 at 7:32pm
I would say:

1) yes they will still spawn
2) yes it will sink and die if the water is deeper than about 30cm
3) well done on the hedgehogBig smile although those frogs had better watch out..
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Caleb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Feb 2017 at 9:38am
Originally posted by Liz Heard Liz Heard wrote:

How about up north Caleb?

I saw spawn at 3 sites at the weekend- about a week earlier than last year. 

Don't forget the "Nature's Calendar" map!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Caleb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Feb 2017 at 11:26am
Forgot to mention- altitudes of these sites were roughly 15m, 40m and 250m above sea level- yet frogs spawned at all three within a couple of days of each other. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Mar 2017 at 8:32am
3 clumps of fresh frog spawn in the clay pond this morning!

Does that make all that back-breaking work a couple of years ago worth it?

It sure does. 

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GemmaJF View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Mar 2017 at 4:31pm
Now 6 clumps Smile I wonder if there will be more in the morning.

Watching some interesting behaviour today. All the unpaired males seem very attracted to the fresh spawn. Jumping about all around it, climbing on it. I think maybe they are hoping they can fertilize some of it too? I told them, boys you are too late lol.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Iowarth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar 2017 at 8:43am
Hi Germma

As you say in your post re the first three clumps - of course it makes all the hard work worthwhile. I am up to 9 clumps now - not an enormous amount but coninuing growth showing the frogs come-back from the dreaded ranavirus a few years ago.
Chris
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GemmaJF View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar 2017 at 12:08pm
Hi Chris, 12 clumps this morning! 

It doesn't seem a lot but it is only two years since the introduction of frog spawn to the pond. The books generally state the females take 3 years to mature (some clearly only take two!!). So perhaps if the average of 3 years is correct, this is only a beginning and next year we could get more. Counted 12 unpaired males last night. Smile

Have to set up the cat squirters today, once again a happy day was marred by finding a badly injured animal, male frog with all the signs of a cat mauling. 

Glad to hear your population is recovering from ranavirus, must have been awful when it struck.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Iowarth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar 2017 at 3:03pm
Hi Gemma

It was indeed - took me a while to suss what was going on. There used to be so many but the numbers plummeted. Now slowly but surely making a come-back - loads of young ones around last year so the next couple of years should see a bumper comeback.

In the meantime, several slowworms up and about basking in the grass and one female common lizard as well.

This time of year cheers me so much!

Chris
Chris Davis, Site Administrator

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