There has been lots of frog sound coming from our garden pond this week – a sure sign of spring. We have over 150 frogs and the croaking is like a very loud cat purr. I love seeing them reappear every spring.
Some have no fear and you can get quite close – frogs are so photogenic.
It appears to get too much for some frogs – and they need time out – hanging out around the edge of the pond.
And sometimes even among the flower beds.
Many thanks to Donna for this week’s challenge – sound.
This week Jez at Photos by Jez is hosting LAPC – Seeing Double. I too like reflections, and it is always fun trying to get a good frog reflection when the frogs return to our pond in the spring. I still haven’t managed the perfect photo – but I will keep trying.
But I have added another “double” from our recent trip to Wales – this sign hung above a shop and I thought it pretty cool.
A mixed week but the last couple of days have been frosty and then bright. Feeling very like spring, and first pollinators are emerging so bit of a pollinator theme going on this week. Many thanks for our host “The Propagator” for hosting Six on Saturday. Check out the participation guide.
My first this week is a dandelion with the first of the pollinators, a hoverfly, which I think is Eristalis pertinax. It is really important that we leave dandelions to bloom as they are a very important food source for these early emerging pollinators.
Crocuses are another great food source for queen bumblebees that are emerging from hibernation at this time of year.
Willow catkins, again here being used by hoverflies, and they will also be used by bumblebees.
As will Hellebores.
I love daffodils – and the larger ones are also flowering now – bees will use them but only if they are really hungry and can’t find anything more appealing.
And finally this week the frogs have pretty much finished spawning in the garden pond (this photo is from earlier in the week). I hope the spawn won’t get too frosted.
Wishing everyone a great gardening week.
Winter in Ireland can bring low light challenges and even though there is what we Irish like to call “a stretch in the evenings”, the grey, windy weather this week has given me plenty low light opportunities.
The first image is from near Doohooma on the west coast of Ireland, as hail showers made their way rapidly from the Atlantic.
Back at home the frogs have returned to the garden pond and as Storm Dudley calmed for a couple of hours this afternoon it was dry enough to get out and get some photos.
And then this evening a beautiful moon. Thankfully my camera has a good IAuto function which sometimes works for me in these very low light conditions – needless to say there were some blurred images as well.
Many thanks to Sofia of Photographias for providing inspiration on this week’s Lens-artist challenge – Low Light.
Frog spawn – there is a lot of it in the garden pond.
They are over hundred frogs in the pond at the moment and they will start dispersing again soon. During the year, we come across them regularly in the vegetable garden, and in the long grass of the meadows.
It is wonderful to see them all together in the pond though, and they do make a lovely gentle croaking noise. The spawn will take anything from 10-21 days to hatch into tadpoles (it depends on the temperature). The tadpoles will take a further 14 weeks to grow into mini frogs. Of course many of them will become food for newts, dragonfly larva and other predators including themselves.
Inspired by this week’s Lens artist photo challenge -Subjects Starting with Letter S
One of the things that makes me really happy is the coming of spring.
A sure sign of spring is the arrival of frogs in the garden pond. They usually arrive around St Valentine’s Day and sure enough that is when the first ones appeared. Yesterday’s count was about 100!
At this point we also have the first spawn.
Thirdly this week are the crocuses. Despite all the rain they are coming through.
Flowers are just such bundles of joy. Here mini daffodils also coming out.
Even the first leaves are emerging – here some native honeysuckle and a great tit. The bird song is another sure sign of spring.
It is very wet though. We have had constant rain and everything is muddy. Garden jobs are well behind as it is just to wet too work the soil.
Thanks to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday and Sheetal for hosting last weeks lens artist challenge – Glimpse into your world.
Spring is my favourite time of year. Everything is returning to life. Daffodils bring sunshine to the garden.
As do dandelions and with them come the bees, bringing back the buzz of insects.
There are leaves starting to come on the trees and the birds are thinking of nesting and bringing with them songs.
The frogs return to the pond, and their chorus adds to the sounds of spring .
And my favourite wild flowers – primroses, bringing with them their delicate scent.
Spring brings so much to our lives and above all is hope and renewal.
Murtagh's Meadow 