...frogspawn. I get really excited if I manage to see any at this time of year, because it brings back so many memories.
As a country child, I had frogspawn. In jam jars, in tanks, wherever I could find to put it. I loved watching all those tiny full stops growing into commas, and then into minute frogs. If I missed the frogspawn, I would catch the read-made tadpoles with one of those white nets, taking them home in a jam jar with a string handle. Sometimes, the tadpole jar got knocked over, and believe me, trying to picky up slippery, wriggling tadpoles in time to save them is a tricky job. It's a real race against the clock.
My mother wasn't impressed. She also had to put up with newts, which escaped, and (when I was very small) snails, which I put in a bucket under my bed and which all got out in the night.
A local friend has just emailed to tell me the frogspawn has arrived in her pond, and I'm welcome to come and help myself. I probably won't, as I have no pond to release them into when they're bigger, but I have to admit that I'm sorely tempted.
I too used to breed frogs at home. A wonderful way of passing the time.
ReplyDeleteI've grown up now and am happy just frog watching.
Adrian, where exactly did you breed these frogs? In the bath? I'm intrigued.
DeleteI was fascinated by the whole tadpole-to-frog process, too, and loved frogs (still do) and toads and newts. At my parents' allotment is a tiny pond where every year we have strings of toad eggs appearing over night, but it mostly gets eaten by the newts who live there as well.
ReplyDeleteMeike, I suppose it's because it's one example of egg to foetus to adult that we can actually see.
DeleteI have been known to spend whole days watching tadpoles hatch.
ReplyDeleteYou're my kind of woman, Z.
DeleteTadpoles are called polywogs here. At least frogs are frogs:) Many a shoe lost in the mud gathering living treasures of the streams.
ReplyDeleteI love the word polywog. It sounds so friendly!
DeleteOur pool cover has about 8 inches of rain water on it, and the Toads started to arrive about a week ago. If left, they produce long strings of dotted Toad spawn, so I fish them out and remove them to a nearby pond. I'm sure they're happier there.
ReplyDeleteWhat a kind man you are, Cro.
DeleteI do love nature, Frances, but never got into frog spawn!
ReplyDeleteIt was probably school puddings that put you off, Rsemary.
DeleteI dug a pond last year and we had a few frogs hop in, so I'm hoping for frogspawn.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that, Patsy!
DeleteMy childhood was sadly lacking frogspawn. I suspect my mum said I had to leave them in the pond or they would die, and I was a very obedient little girl!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't, Maggie. Bad girls have more fun!
DeleteIt is years since I've seen frogspawn or tadpoles anywhere. No one i know has a pond these days. :-(
ReplyDeleteHappy memories Frances.
How sad, Maria!
DeleteMy mum had a new pond a couple of years ago and nothing seemed to be in it apart from the water plants. Imagine her excitement when she found the first frog spawn last year.
ReplyDeleteSo they should come back again this year, Wendy?
DeleteWhen I was about 10 I kept some taddies in an old white sink in the garden, with water on one side and my Dad made a sort of beach at the other……..one actually made it to being a frog, but I think it died from lack of food. I don't remember feeding them anything!! I love watching the progress of the frogspawn in our local lake, but last year many died as little frogs when they tried to climb out and get to the nearby river as the lake is an irrigation lake for the golf course and a couple of years ago it was dug out and lined with black butyl and they were trying to cross 5 ft of it in the very hot sun…so sad!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I fed mine, either, Frances. Oh dear.
DeleteWell, well, well. I have some friends staying and miss a week in Blogland and what happens? Two posts on frogspawn come along at the same time. Well almost the same time. I've always been fascinated by it but not to the extent of taking it home. Having said that though, and on reflection, I think I did watch tadpoles in a jam jar. Hmmm. Interesting. Anyway now they are right outside my window in my pond so I don't have to.
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