The Pikers Pit

davelumb wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 14:18 -

The frogs have been back in my pond for a while now but it takes warmth to get them to stay on the surface when I approach them. Numbers down on Peak Frog years of approaching 100, but 20 plus by my reckoning. I think next door have 'stolen' some by putting in a pond of their own!

I've seen a couple of newts too. Their appearance in the pond over the last few yearsseems to have coincided with the decline in frog numbers. I wonder if they're impacting tadpole survival rates?

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davelumb wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 14:18 -

The frogs have been back in my pond for a while now but it takes warmth to get them to stay on the surface when I approach them. Numbers down on Peak Frog years of approaching 100, but 20 plus by my reckoning. I think next door have 'stolen' some by putting in a pond of their own!

I've seen a couple of newts too. Their appearance in the pond over the last few yearsseems to have coincided with the decline in frog numbers. I wonder if they're impacting tadpole survival rates?

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Steve Dennington wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 14:36 -

davelumb wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 14:18 -

The frogs have been back in my pond for a while now but it takes warmth to get them to stay on the surface when I approach them. Numbers down on Peak Frog years of approaching 100, but 20 plus by my reckoning. I think next door have 'stolen' some by putting in a pond of their own!

I've seen a couple of newts too. Their appearance in the pond over the last few yearsseems to have coincided with the decline in frog numbers. I wonder if they're impacting tadpole survival rates?

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Funny you should say that! Mark H and I had the same conversation recently. I have loads of newts in my pond, but not a single frog or toad and haven't had for years. 10yrs ago, my pond would be stuffed with frog and toad spawn by mid-March.

Mark_Houghton wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 14:25 -

davelumb wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 14:18 -

The frogs have been back in my pond for a while now but it takes warmth to get them to stay on the surface when I approach them. Numbers down on Peak Frog years of approaching 100, but 20 plus by my reckoning. I think next door have 'stolen' some by putting in a pond of their own!

I've seen a couple of newts too. Their appearance in the pond over the last few yearsseems to have coincided with the decline in frog numbers. I wonder if they're impacting tadpole survival rates?

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Nice Ours have started spawning too, they began last week and are still at it. There are less frogs spawning in my pond nowadays too, similar numbers to yourself. I read somewhere recently that frogs prefer newer bodies of water for spawning and as ponds mature the frogs being to look elsewhere. That would explain the dwindling numbers if its accurate. Never seen a newt in my pond, I`d have expected them to turn up by now....Heres a pic i got last week, had to set the camera and trigger it with the remote, buggers are extremely spooky here when they spawn and as soon as the back door opens theyre underwater hiding

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Steve Dennington wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 14:36 -

davelumb wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 14:18 -

The frogs have been back in my pond for a while now but it takes warmth to get them to stay on the surface when I approach them. Numbers down on Peak Frog years of approaching 100, but 20 plus by my reckoning. I think next door have 'stolen' some by putting in a pond of their own!

I've seen a couple of newts too. Their appearance in the pond over the last few yearsseems to have coincided with the decline in frog numbers. I wonder if they're impacting tadpole survival rates?

_7824663.jpg
_7824656.jpg
_7824564.jpg

Funny you should say that! Mark H and I had the same conversation recently. I have loads of newts in my pond, but not a single frog or toad and haven't had for years. 10yrs ago, my pond would be stuffed with frog and toad spawn by mid-March.

davelumb wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 14:55 -

I haven't seen a toad in my garden since I pulled the shed down. There was one lived in it that I called Neville!

Mark_Houghton wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 14:50 -

I`ve since read that newts predate heavily on frogspawn Steve, so its possible the large numbers of newts present could have prompted the frogs to just give up and look elsewhere. Never found a toad in my garden either.....just frogs

Steve Dennington wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 15:02 -

Mark_Houghton wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 14:50 -

I`ve since read that newts predate heavily on frogspawn Steve, so its possible the large numbers of newts present could have prompted the frogs to just give up and look elsewhere. Never found a toad in my garden either.....just frogs

That would make sense. There is a pond about 100m down the road, created as part of the "green space" contribution to the 20 acre housing development that surrounded it. They've now decided to fill it in - presumably on grounds of elf'n'safety, but no bugger has drowned in there in the last 30yrs and would do well to do so in little more than a foot of water. It will be interesting to see if that has any bearing on the inhabitants of my pond, with that habitat being taken away.

Mark_Houghton wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 15:04 -

You`ll probably end up with even more newts if your luck is anything like mine Steve

Mark_Houghton wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 15:00 -

davelumb wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12 2024 14:55 -

I haven't seen a toad in my garden since I pulled the shed down. There was one lived in it that I called Neville!

I`m soooo glad i didnt have a mouthful of coffee when i read that

I checked the pond last night with the torch, and found 3 pairs still coupled together, but they seem to have turned their spawning activity to night time over the last few days. Just see the odd one in daylight now.

davelumb wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16 2024 19:16 -

Out on the moors at 1,000 feet today and saw this on the path. There were a couple of small pools nearby but no sign of any spawn in them.

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Mark_Houghton wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16 2024 22:06 -

davelumb wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16 2024 19:16 -

Out on the moors at 1,000 feet today and saw this on the path. There were a couple of small pools nearby but no sign of any spawn in them.

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Predated by something but no idea what the culprit could have been....

davelumb wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16 2024 22:19 -

Mark_Houghton wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16 2024 22:06 -

davelumb wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16 2024 19:16 -

Out on the moors at 1,000 feet today and saw this on the path. There were a couple of small pools nearby but no sign of any spawn in them.

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Predated by something but no idea what the culprit could have been....

I was wondering if that might have been the case. Could it have been a dog being 'walked'?

Twas a grand morning up on the tops. Almost like spring. Curlew, skylark, meadow pipit and possibly twite, but not sure on the last one.

Mark_Houghton wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16 2024 22:39 -

davelumb wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16 2024 22:19 -

Mark_Houghton wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16 2024 22:06 -

davelumb wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16 2024 19:16 -

Out on the moors at 1,000 feet today and saw this on the path. There were a couple of small pools nearby but no sign of any spawn in them.

_7818661.jpg
_7818663.jpg

Predated by something but no idea what the culprit could have been....

I was wondering if that might have been the case. Could it have been a dog being 'walked'?

Twas a grand morning up on the tops. Almost like spring. Curlew, skylark, meadow pipit and possibly twite, but not sure on the last one.

Possibly, but likely something else Dave. I dare say anything capable of eating it wouldnt pass up the chance of a bit of extra protein at this time of year. Without any other clues it`d be impossible to guess what was responsible though.

....frogs are still at it here, but only during darkness....two good sized clumps of spawn in the pond now, and likely more to come

ROBBO90 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24 2024 12:17 -

Be careful who you tell, you have newts, especially if you're having an extension on your property. The newt police will be on you like a ton of bricks wanting expensive surveys undertaking and will place exclusion zones around the pond and surrounding area's and I don't just mean a 10' zone around their pond.