2012 season off with a bang!
Printed From: Reptiles and Amphibians of the UK
Category: Herpetofauna Native to the UK
Forum Name: Common Frog
Forum Description: Forum for all issues concerning Rana temporaria
URL: http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4072
Printed Date: 16 Apr 2024 at 8:49am
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Topic: 2012 season off with a bang!
Posted By: ErikPaterson
Subject: 2012 season off with a bang!
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2012 at 4:39pm
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Hello folks, Had a wee wander at one of my local spots today thinking there wouldn't be aught about when I heard that beautiful noise, Frogs croaking. Boy am I glad I went! I counted at least 60 heads of adults in one 2 meter by 2 meter marshy pool. Crazy stuff. Anyways, to the good part - I did snap a few shots. http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikpaterson/6792235080/">  http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikpaterson/6792231700/">  http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikpaterson/6938347507/">  http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikpaterson/6938345521/">  Sixty is the highest number I've ever recorded in one spot before, I have the distinct feeling that the rest of the local sites will fail to top that! Erik
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Replies:
Posted By: Iowarth
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2012 at 6:42pm
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Hi Erik Welcome to the forum - and thanks for sharing the superb pics and excellent results Chris ------------- Chris Davis, Site Administrator Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme (RETIRED) |
Posted By: ErikPaterson
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2012 at 6:51pm
Hi Chris, Sorry it never even occurred to me to introduce myself properly! Ah well. Cheers - this spot is good though more rural so the Frogs rarely see people, aiming at heading to a very much more urban breeding site where I should, hypothetically get a few better shots from 'tamer' Frogs, I hope! Cheers, Erik
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Iowarth wrote:Posted By: tim hamlett
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2012 at 7:02pm
lovely pics too...what camera/lens to you use? tim
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Posted By: ErikPaterson
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2012 at 7:11pm
Cheers Tim, These were all on a Canon EOS 1000D with the Canon EF 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 lens - most at the 300mm zoom! I think I was using 1/320 with ISO 400 and F8.0 for these. Erik
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Posted By: GemmaJF
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2012 at 7:22pm
Excellent Erik, didn't see a thing today in the gloom here in Essex so nice to see a big healthy frog population and really great pictures 
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Posted By: ErikPaterson
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2012 at 7:31pm
Thanks Gemma! I'm interested to hear - is 'Frogging' season drawing to a close down that far south? Erik |
Posted By: Suzy
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2012 at 10:41pm
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Not at all, still waiting here in south-east Devon! My neighbour had 4 clumps of spawn appear in her pond last night and I'm still waiting. Lovely pix and I know it's wrong to even think it but that frog seems to have a lovely expression. ------------- Suz |
Posted By: GemmaJF
Date Posted: 28 Feb 2012 at 11:05pm
| Unfortunately Erik in my bit of the world I don't see many frogs at all, so we don't have much of a Frogging Season. Was at a site today where there should be some frogs and not a sign of life. Still time though as Suz says because I don't think we've even really got started down here this year. Some of the few frog ponds I know locally are dried up completely, talk of a major drought here this year. |
Posted By: ErikPaterson
Date Posted: 29 Feb 2012 at 7:27am
That's strange really, but then I've just remembered you guys had a cold snap where we remained comparably mild - it all kicked off really quickly, a week ago - there was not a single Frog to be seen, means I need to get my act together with regards to recording etc - thought I had another week at least!
That's a shame! Frogs and Toads is about all I find in my neck of the woods - wouldn't mind a few more Newts & lizards or Adders, of course. Plenty of time yet I guess! Erik
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Posted By: Iowarth
Date Posted: 29 Feb 2012 at 8:27am
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Going back to your original post Eric, I know what you mean by that "wonderful sound". We first heard it this year while laying abed about 10 days ago - and every night since. Sent both of us to sleep with a happy smile on our faces. One of the advantages of a big garden pond ony about 15 metres from our bedroom! It always is a wonderful sound - not least as for us, it is the first harbinger of Spring! Incidentally, we are right on the south coast and just one spawn clump so far. Chris ------------- Chris Davis, Site Administrator Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme (RETIRED) |
Posted By: ErikPaterson
Date Posted: 29 Feb 2012 at 8:54am
Aye Chris, Sadly I don't have a garden - just a second floor balcony complete with glass tank filled with water, midge larvae and 2 species of pond Snails that showed up unannounced. Though whenever I'm out for a walk at this time of the year, I keep an ear open - always have my Wee pen, pad & GPS device quick to hand for a record or two haha! Only the one clump? How strange! Erik
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Posted By: Caleb
Date Posted: 29 Feb 2012 at 9:11am
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I've seen spawn up here in Gateshead, and quite a few other north-easterners have had spawn too. I'm sure I post this every year... but 'Nature's Calendar' (from CEH/The Woodland Trust) have an interactive map of all the spawn sightings they've had reported so far this year: http://www.naturescalendar.org.uk/map/current.htm?rsid=172&reid=12&ry=2012&rs=S - http://www.naturescalendar.org.uk/map/current.htm?rsid=172&reid=12&ry=2012&rs=S I contribute my records to this, I'd encourage others to do so too. |
Posted By: ErikPaterson
Date Posted: 29 Feb 2012 at 6:17pm
| Cheers Caleb, I've popped my records in for there! |
Posted By: Shawit
Date Posted: 29 Feb 2012 at 10:50pm
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Frogs in my central Bristol garden spawned on 24th Feb. Numbers had decreased significantly during the Winter of 2010/2011 . This year there looks to be a bit more spawn ( approx. 12 clumps )compared to last year .Strangely, I've not been able to count more than 15 frogs in the pond in the last month. Work colleague estimated a minimum of 100 spawning frogs in the moat in front of the prairie dogs at the zoo!
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Posted By: ErikPaterson
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2012 at 7:23am
Yes, the last few years I had only ever seen some 30 Frogs present at any given time - lots of spawn (usually 2 large groupings approx 1m square + some extra clumps here & there) at this site over a few weeks, then there has typically been a c old snap and due to the shallow nature of the marshy pools - most of that spawn freezes, with any luck (touch wood!) there will be no cold snap this year and we'll have baby frogs galore in the Autumn! 100? That I'd like to see! Erik
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Posted By: Dave1812
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2012 at 9:13am
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The sound of frogs is nice, but I have to say the Natterjack much is better by far, and a lot louder!! Haveing said that I am biased towards the Natterjjack. ------------- mailto:field.herper@outlook.com" rel="nofollow - David Hind D&G ARG ARC - Natterjack Toad Monitor |
Posted By: lalchitri
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2012 at 10:45am
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Two clumps yesterday, 1st March, in my garden pond. 3 more this morning. Roughly 2 weeks earlier than last year. ------------- Reformed Teetotaller |
Posted By: Noodles
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2012 at 2:21pm
| I love that second picture, it reminds me of the hallucinatory images the mind conjures when made to stare long and hard at the chop on a windy lake (or loch!). Crackin' |
Posted By: ErikPaterson
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2012 at 6:55pm
Sadly, I have never actually heard Natterjacks calling - not in person anyway, been to Caerlaverock NNR at the right time of year, but wrong time of day.
Nice one, yeah It's about 2 weeks earlier for myself too.
haha, thanks! I suppose it does, could barely look anywhere in this wee pool without there being a frog! Brilliant stuff to be honest.
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Posted By: Suzy
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2012 at 11:10pm
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Are there still natterjacks on The Lots in Cumbria? I used to go to dances there in the 1960s - an old tin hut as I recall.
------------- Suz |
Posted By: tim hamlett
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 12:07am
oh suz...you make it sound so romantic  tim
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Posted By: Paul Hudson
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 10:05pm
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Hi Suzy ,Where are the Lots? ------------- Paul Hudson |
Posted By: Suzy
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2012 at 10:59pm
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God it's a long time ago but was it Askham? If not I will have a look at a map. It was dunes, marram grass etc. as I recall. ------------- Suz |