Frogs

The masses of frogs in my pond appear top be surfacing early this year, of course it could all change if it gets colder, but at this rate they will be up and croaking away in January.
The pictures are not good, a lot of reflection, but you can see them all just raring to go.

 

I've got fish as well Armandii, its just always, from day one almost, been full of frogs as well.
I know they are not supposed to get on well together, but I've never had problems until this year, I cut back a few overhanging trees last winter and have been plagued with a heron which must have taken about half my goldfish.
Still got more than the pond can take but they hide up all the time now.

I hate the net but cant think of an alternative at the moment.

 

The frog population is strange.
I've heard many people say they struggle to get frogs to live in their garden ponds.

Mine has never been without masses of them, even though I do find quite a few dead ones each year, mostly in April or May.
I guess they get worn out.

 

I had heaps of frogs in my garden when I moved in, but I only knew that because I had to totally clean out a neglected pond. I don't see them often, but come mating time there have been plenty of piggy back rides going on!

My fish have all been taken by heron gulls

Once the froglets are out and about it's my chickens they have to watch out for; seeing a hen running around with frogs legs either side of her beak and being chased by 10 others and making such a racket:
"Bwok, bwok, bwok! I got a FROG bwok, a frog bwok; it's mine, mine, mine bwok!" .... totally reminiscent of the final Benny Hill sketch

 

Nice piccies.

Just wondering. How do the frogs get out? (Obviously they do.) Do they clamber up the stone walls?

 

But lousy cardigans

 

Well in the summer I'll remove the net and put some pot plants around the pond to deter the herons, but I find the frogs rarely leave the pond during winter, they can get out if they want to, and are very good at scrambling up the stone work at that end of the pond.