Signs of Spring?

[jukel123 8,786]

2 minutes ago, mackem said:

Same,snakes are the thing local nowadays,always flipping sheets of corrugated iron or plywood over to see what's under.

Yeah me too. Never , ever passed  a corrugated iron sheet without having a look.lol

[mackem 27,733]

6 minutes ago, jukel123 said:

Yeah me too. Never , ever passed  a corrugated iron sheet without having a look.lol

I picked a board up a couple of years back in ontario and found a nest of tiny newborn weasels,I had the board in one hand,my phone in the other,and the mother was running around my feet,no snakes under that board.

[jukel123 8,786]

I remember a while back the local paper ran a story about gangs of thugs snipping off the legs of frogs and toads at a local reservoir. The paper reckoned the legs were used in the restaurant business. I went to have a look and sure enough there were dozens and dozens of dead legless frogs and toads.

I wrote to Trevor Beeby, a professor who has written books on british amphibians, with photographs and asked him his opinion on what happened. He wrote back and said he had been inundated with similar letters as mine from various areas of the country. And that the culprits were  definitely otters. 

 

Edited February 12 by jukel123

[mackem 27,733]

9 minutes ago, jukel123 said:

I remember a while back the local paper ran a story about gangs of thugs snipping off the legs of frogs and toads at a local reservoir. The paper reckoned the legs were used in the restaurant business. I went to have a look and sure enough there were dozens and dozens of dead legless frogs and toads.

I wrote to Trevor Beeby, a professor who has written books on british amphibians, with photographs and asked him his opinion on what happened. He wrote back and said he had been inundated with similar letters as mine from various areas of the country. And that the culprits were  definitely otters. 

 

There's a fresh fish supplier near me that sells Kgs of frogs legs for £20?I have eaten them loads of times,not UK frogs though.Theres colonies of marsh frogs local,seen quite a few.

[Greyman 29,180]

6 hours ago, jukel123 said:

I remember pond dipping one day and I noticed some older lads had caught a great crested. The twats pinned it with needles in each leg and then ran a knife down the centre of its belly. Shower of b*****ds, I couldn't believe it. I'm still traumatised. Lol

I have an old property that’s not been lived in and the garden left untouched for years there were massive koi ponds in the garden which have also fallen into disrepair but are a haven for grass snakes and great crested newts will  try to get some pics in the spring when I go down there and start clearing it 

[mackem 27,733]

Loads of snowdrops and daffodils around Essex this morning,and saw maybe a hundred fallow deer in Epping forest.

[jukel123 8,786]

I've always loved frogs and newts. Wherever I've been living in the country, I don't think I've ever not paid a visit to a likely looking pond come springtime to check out the local population.

I've given over my garden to wildlife and have built two wildlife ponds.

There's been a gale here all day. Good conditions for amphibians. So as soon as it got dark, I had a wander in the garden. I counted 19 frogs in both ponds. But I came across this pair on dry land.Some males lie in wait for females outside the pond so they have first grab at returning  females. This wee guy was successful. He's clasped on to a female. Sometimes 5 or 6 males will grab on to a female and render her immobile.  I've read the female can sometimes be killed when this happens through lack of oxygen

 

Edited February 23 by jukel123

[jukel123 8,786]

Smooth newt on the move from hibernation to the pond. Lone male frog in shot too.I go out every 20 mins and there's a change in numbers every time. Better than telly.

Edited February 23 by jukel123

[Greyman 29,180]

Swans have started putting the nest together this week 

[tatsblisters 10,369]

A walk this morning with a ground frost on the fields and spotted this frog spawn. I know I had seen it earlier in previous years when we had mild winters. 

[Greyman 29,180]

First nest of the year and a frosty start 

[Arry 22,591]

Cracking morning out for a mooch at a farmer friends place.

Masses of Frog Spawn.

Also watch a Jackdaw struggling to get into somebody's roof space with sticks.

Cheers Arry

[jukel123 8,786]

47 minutes ago, Arry said:

Cracking morning out for a mooch at a farmer friends place.

Masses of Frog Spawn.

Also watch a Jackdaw struggling to get into somebody's roof space with sticks.

Cheers Arry

I've never seen frog spawn that thick in the water. Good to know they are thriving.

[tatsblisters 10,369]

7 minutes ago, jukel123 said:

I've never seen frog spawn that thick in the water. Good to know they are thriving.

The inlet of water i took the pic this morning if we have a good dry spell it tends to dry up and the spawn or tadpoles perish also in previous years i have often seen a pair of mallards on it that I have heard are partial to frog spawn. Despite these set backs frog spawn appears on the water every year. 

[Daniel cain 46,350]

Swans have arrived and started building on the pond I was fishing yesterday evening...last 2 days one has been caught up and had to be brought a shore twice , after eating people's fishing rigsall over the pink pop ups..don't help when the local dog walkers are sat filming it  and rang the Police.....