Frog time

It's breeding time for the frogs again. The pond is very active with them, and it is very interesting to see and hear them in the evenings.

  The frogs emerge from hibernation usually in  late January / February. Since we made the pond about 10 years ago  the frogs have appeared in our pond each year and spawning has always started  this month.

Frogs are often mistaken for toads. The toad is larger than a frog which  prefers to hop, whereas the toad generally walks. The toad  has a warty skin and does not have the distinctive dark patch behind the eye. The under side of the frog when peeping out of the water is white. This is a lovely sight when viewed by torch light when it is dark and when the most activity starts in the pond.

Frog spawn is always laid in clumps, whilst toads spawn comes in long chains like strings of  pearls.Usually draped over pond weeds.

What has confused me this year has been to find quite a lot of spawn on one of the open bird feeding tables near the pond. What has scooped it up and placed it there? I suspect either herons, buzzards, possibly even ducks.
 

                                  Many frogs in the pond