Froggies!

About a week ago I went out to clear the over-growth of algae out of one of our backyard ponds. It had been neglected this winter and guilt was tugging at me. The plan was to clear out the mess, replace the waterlilies that had sadly died and maybe invest in some fish. I knew several frogs frequented this pond but I hadn't seen or heard a peep from them for some months. You usually know when they're about because of their distinctive call -they're not known as motorbike frogs for no reason. I'd come across a few hiding in the base of self watering flower pots and several had set up home in a pile of empty pots near one of the garden taps - they ranged in size from not much bigger than my thumb to full grown adults - so I knew we still had some residents but I hadn't seen any others even in their favourite sunbathing spots near the pond.

So I pulled up the first clump of algae and started checking for frog spawn since we're heading into the frog breeding season - and the whole base was speckled with tiny tadpoles, some still in the egg. I checked another couple of clumps and they were the same. There must have been several hundred altogether. Of course I abandoned the pond clean up and left them to their own devices. They've now all emerged and are feeding on the algae, because unlike the adults the tadpoles are technically herbivores. I say technically because while they're still very tiny there are so many that I wouldn't be surprised if some at least turn cannibal, something that happens when a pool is over crowded but that's up to nature to sort out and, although the pond has a netting cover to make it child safe and keep out predators, I know from experience that the majority won't reach adulthood. Sad but probably just as well or we'd be overrun with frogs.

Motorbike frogs are also known as Western bell frogs, Western green and golden bell frogs and Western Green Tree frogs (the last is something of misnomer because, although they are adept climbers, they are really terrestrial).