Frogspawn?

[Neal 1,875]

I'm sure that a year or so ago, somebody suggested a thread where we could note down when we'd seen first sightings of particular things like frogspawn, swallows, cuckoos, snowdrops etc but I couldn't remember if it had materialized or not.

Anyway, I saw my first load of frogspawn today. Not certain, but I think this might be the earliest I've seen it. It always used to appear in my local wood on or near St Valentine's Day but I've not seen any in the wood (apart from the main pond) for several years. This year's lot was over on the farms and a heron was standing on the same corner. Do they eat frogspawn or was it just looking for the frogs?  

[TOMO 27,190]

Seen a bumblebee today ...and some flowering daffodils on a roadside

[tatsblisters 10,516]

Noticed a lot more bird song this morning and a skylark up in the air singing. Though the woods I walk through are usually crawling with grey squirrels this morning I only spotted half a dozen. 

[mel b 2,964]

1 hour ago, TOMO said:

Seen a bumblebee today ...and some flowering daffodils on a roadside

Snap . Spotted a bumble bee outside the house earlier today,  and flowering daffodils when I went for a walk along the canal.

[DIDO.1 22,851]

Daffodils just opening here. 

 

[DIDO.1 22,851]

15 minutes ago, tatsblisters said:

Noticed a lot more bird song this morning and a skylark up in the air singing. Though the woods I walk through are usually crawling with grey squirrels this morning I only spotted half a dozen. 

Squirrels usually have there first lot of young about now so that may explain why you are seeing less 

[tatsblisters 10,516]

2 minutes ago, DIDO.1 said:

Squirrels usually have there first lot of young about now so that may explain why you are seeing less 

I thought that myself mate and I think lad's with air guns have been thinning them out a bit. 

[mackem 28,259]

January 20 Chiswick west-London.

 

[Neal 1,875]

Not just here then.

We've got the swords of daffodils in the front garden but they're right by the front door and it's almost north facing so it always takes them longer than usual. I'll check out some other gardens.

We nearly had a squirrel today. They marked one in a solitary tree. I couldn't see it but accepted their mark. I've sometimes found that, if I pretend to climb the tree, it'll panic them into jumping, but I couldn't get that close because of a ring of brambles around the base. I found a big stick and hit the trunk a few times instead (sorry tree). Next thing I know, a flying squirrel came gliding down, legs stretched out wide. It managed to land a fair way from the tree. Unfortunately, Maud had given up on me and was marking a pheasant on the other side about thirty yards away.

Edited February 4, 2024 by Neal

[ands 561]

First frogspawn here today too. High up on a mountain, i'm sure the shallow pond would have been frozen solid not to long ago.

[dytkos 17,861]

Plenty of daffs down here but I checked my usual frog spawn place a couple of days ago and nothing.

Cheers, D.

[tatsblisters 10,516]

I used the merlin bird app yesterday morning with earing more bird song and a white wagtail came up I am no ornithologist but I have never heard of a white wagtail or it's another name for a pied wagtail. 

[wildman 560]

8 minutes ago, tatsblisters said:

I used the merlin bird app yesterday morning with earing more bird song and a white wagtail came up I am no ornithologist but I have never heard of a white wagtail or it's another name for a pied wagtail. 

Ya pal just another name for a pied wagtail as grey, and yellow  distinguish  other 2 species  of wagtail, pied is more of a nick name more  than  anything