Lucky you!!!

I went home to Liverpool for a week and when I got back there were four massive dollops of frogspawn in the pond. I rescued some and put it in a plastic pedalbin liner which has oxygenators in. Hopefully some will be safe from hungry jaws in the pond.

I was watching out of the kitchen window a couple of days ago and I saw the plastic football on the pond (to keep ice from forming all over) bobbing about madly. Thought my frogs had taken up footie, but when I checked, two of them were playing happy families right beside it. They were obviously quite shy and wanted some privacy, so I tiptoed away and left them to it....

Big Kid

Hmmmmm.
Cats eat frogspawn!
I was watching my frogcam, when they all went berserk and disappeared. Then a cats head came onto the picture. It started reaching out for the 2 remaing visible frogs. They moved, and it hooked frogspawn out and started eating it. I left it for a while, then charged outside and it ran off.
I put some pots of water where it was sitting.
A little while ago it was back, but sitting a bit further away.
...oh no, it's got i again....
I've just chased it away again and put another obstacle in place.

Frogs do find a way---our activity is now all over for the season and seemed to be spread out over 5 weeks. The first and second lot have already hatched , and the ones who have been looked after by the neighbours kids indoors will soon have legs! I do miss the croaking sound in the evening.

Didn't realise cats could go for such a varied diet--or that it would actually tolerate the gooey frog spawn on paws. Is there anything you can put on the bank to make the spawn harder to reach?

Good luck, I do like cats a lot, but going after frogs and spawn is not on!!

Chip

I now have a row of watering cans, pots of water etc along the plank bridge it was reaching from. I don't want to remove the plank because the frogs like to shelter under it.
It's icy this morning, but hopefully some will survive.
8 clumps now.
Have you reported your dates to UK phenology? Website below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Record first frogs, tadpoles and newts etc here

Thanks for the site--I entered the dates and they don't believe me unless it is verified!!

Feel a bit like going for a scan..."but doctor, I am sure of the dates!!!"

have you tried bubblewrap if it is going below freezing at night? I have found it works a treat, hardly lost any to freezing.

It does feel a bit like tucking them up in bed though...hope the neighbours don't hear me saying 'nighty night'!

Chip

They didn't believe my dates for newts either, but I haven't looked today to see if they have accepted it.

They have accepted the date now, so I have a dot on the map.

Here is a link that might be useful: maps of this year's sightings