Frogs

OldRio

We live near a lake and the land nearby is full of ponds and small channels leading to the water. Location is Leitrim.

The last two weeks I have noticed frogs on the move. We have moved a number from our back door and pointed them towards the wetlands nearby.

Great to see and hear (later in the spring)

Anybody else notice any increase in activity?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

OldRio wrote: »

We live near a lake and the land nearby is full of ponds and small channels leading to the water. Location is Leitrim.

The last two weeks I have noticed frogs on the move. We have moved a number from our back door and pointed them towards the wetlands nearby.

Great to see and hear (later in the spring)

Anybody else notice any increase in activity?

It's that time of year alright. Frogspawn has been recorded since January. It seems the good weather last year suited them and the winter was relatively mild. So, here's hoping for a good year for them in 2015.

Woodville56

Have seen frogs on the move here in the midlands also but no spawn in the regular local pond sites yet !

Cork boy 55

seeing tons of them about and huge amounts of frog spawn more than last few years anyway
took some photos here in the photo thread
I Guess weather conditions are perfect, relativity mild winter +
wet mild warmish? February.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=94360369&postcount=4984

Tigerandahalf

I am seeing a lot of them this year too. More than other years. Funny how there seems to be fewer daffodils this year. Last year they were everywhere. I wonder is it a predictor of future weather or is it just a case the frogs will spawn when there is lots of lying water and the daffodils come with dry weather.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

I am seeing a lot of them this year too. More than other years. Funny how there seems to be fewer daffodils this year. Last year they were everywhere. I wonder is it a predictor of future weather or is it just a case the frogs will spawn when there is lots of lying water and the daffodils come with dry weather.

Daffodils are here in abundance and indeed have flowered 4 days earlier than last year. (Sad I know but I record such things)

Just as an aside. Nature does not have any way of predicting future weather conditions. Think about it - if it did you would not get plants or flowers destroyed by late frosts. Frogspawn would not be ruined by early droughts, clutches of nestlings would not die due to adverse weather setting in. The behaviour of plants and animals is down to daylight, temperature, food supply etc as it pertains right now.

Birdnuts

I came upon some mass spawning myself today in a forestry plantation outside Blessington. Last night was incredibly mild which probably kicked it off. However it looks like the weather during the coming month could be very wintery with harsh frosts and heavy snowfall likely. Just wondering how ice resistant is frogspawn?? Does anyone here know??

Zoo4m8

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

I am seeing a lot of them this year too. More than other years. Funny how there seems to be fewer daffodils this year. Last year they were everywhere. I wonder is it a predictor of future weather or is it just a case the frogs will spawn when there is lots of lying water and the daffodils come with dry weather.

Both the ponds in my mothers garden are heaving with frogs and spawn, in one pond tadpoles never survived thanks to the fish and diving beetle larvae, for some reason the second, fish free pond , was never used so for the last few years I would transfer spawn from the first pond to ensure tadpole survival and last year at long last the frogs started using the second pond.
Very few daffodils here as well, a neighbour has clumps of them in one of his sheep fields, for some reason the sheep leave them alone, and in a week or so when he lets ewes and lambs out of the lambing sheds the lambs playing between the flowers is the perfect stereotypical spring picture...:)

fleabag

A few daffodils here in mid Waterford and the frogs have been at like .. well like rabbits actually for the last 4 days and the garden pond is half full of frogspawn. We only moved in here in September so don't know how this compares with last year. There are also goldfish in the pond - will they eat the frogspawn?

Zoo4m8

No, but unfortunately they will eat the tadpoles ..

fleabag

Oh no! There is absolutely nowhere I could move the frogspawn to either, this is the only decent pond for miles.
I'll just have to kill the goldfish so ... . Only joking! Will they eat ALL the tadpoles? A lot of the goldfish are tiny little things.

Hondo75

http://www.ipcc.ie/help-ipcc/hop-to-it-national-frog-survey-irelandcard/

its running over at the IPCC

Cork boy 55

Ever wondered how many frogs there are in Ireland (26/ROI)? An NPWS-funded survey estimated there were 165 million of them!

http://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM%2058%20frog.pdf

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Cork boy 55 wrote: »

Ever wondered how many frogs there are in Ireland (26/ROI)? An NPWS-funded survey estimated there were 165 million of them!

http://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM%2058%20frog.pdf

That is why protection measures are so important. Numbers across Europe are falling so it is vital we maintain the strong population in Ireland.

Jayzesake

Marlee Uninterested Insignia wrote: »

That is why protection measures are so important. Numbers across Europe are falling so it is vital we maintain the strong population in Ireland.

It seems to be a worldwide phenomenon, with lots of species going extinct over the last few decades. The cause, as usual, appears to be complex, and a skin fungus has a lot to do with it. But at the root of it all is undoubtedly the impact of our species (for e.g., the fungus was probably spread by global trade).

wildlifeboy

pond full of spawn this morning. heard tham at it last night so went out with a torch. i counted 4 but there could have been more.