Still no frog spawn

[goosey]

Paul mentioned his mating frogs on 15th March. Last week and the week before I checked out a couple of places where I found frogs and frogspawn last year and I found no sign of either. Today I went back and at least found the frogs, no mass orgy this year . Some were already in the water but others were making their way down the sand bank and out of the under growth.
This pair couldn't wait until they got to the water.




When do you think I will find the spawn now?

Last year I found frog spawn 03-04-2009, so perhaps we are not behind at all and I am just impatient (doesn't mean it hadn't been there alot longer though )
That was the same day I found my first mating toads though in a different pond.

Do frogs and toads spawn in different ponds or was that just a coincidence?

[goosey]

There were quite a few clumps of frog spawn today when I returned, large clumps, small clumps and some looking slightly more mature than others.
Not one frog in sight though, and there wasn't any frog croaking either, apart from the spawn there were no sign of frogs at all.

[paul m]

Originally Posted by goosey

......Not one frog in sight though, and there wasn't any frog croaking either, apart from the spawn there were no sign of frogs at all.

The parents retreat some distance from the pond (or other laying area). It avoids them eating the tadpoles when they emerge .... Generally the larger, mature frogs won't return to the site until next winter/spring.

[goosey]

Originally Posted by paul m

The parents retreat some distance from the pond (or other laying area). It avoids them eating the tadpoles when they emerge .... Generally the larger, mature frogs won't return to the site until next winter/spring.

That makes sense then, I thought it was odd.

My next mission is to find some toad spawn - I don't think I have found that before but I know the pond to check out going on last years notes.

[goosey]

I came across a regular occurance this time of year on a tree close to water again - more frog innards after being predated by something or other.



For those who haven't been around for so long and has missed this gem of a thread on how we eventually got to identifying what is depicted in the image -
New year,same problem ID needed!
It makes interesting reading

[goosey]

Two weeks on and ther is a big change in sone of the frogspawn. The water looks very thick and glupy and the spawn looks to have expanded and more laid. You can see the change in some of the spawn, some are still black dots but others the black is more elongated and there are now tadpoles to be seen in the water.

Originally Posted by goosey

My next mission is to find some toad spawn - I don't think I have found that before but I know the pond to check out going on last years notes.

I went today and there was no sign of toads or any chains of the spawn.

[goosey]

I was passing this spot today so checked on the tadpoles and frog spawn. There are hundreds and hundreds of very fastly developing tadpoles, there was no frog spawn left as far as I could see.
What I saw though seemed a little odd, frog spawn caught up in some iris leaves. I doubt it is still viable.