Mar 12th, 2016

Author: donich_admin

Frog on the Blog

When R opened the front door today ready to set off on our morning walk, we found we had an unexpected guest.

He seemed quite fine, but I was concerned the cats might get him, so I carried him down to the pond. He sat up quite calmly on my hand and looked about him, and then when I put him down in the damp grass near the water’s edge, he hopped off quite unconcerned.

Actually I am not sure the cats would touch a frog. The only time I saw them encounter one was back in Livingston when I was sitting out in the garden. Suddenly there was a commotion behind the shed, and when I went to investigate, Schrodi was pawing at something in the leaf litter. Then the something suddenly jumped, and Schrodi jumped higher then turned and fled. So they may well be a bit scared of our amphibious friends.

Just as well really, because the two weeks of ‘frog madness’ has just started here. Our pond is alive with them and you can hear the sound of their croaking almost from the house. Already there is lots of spawn, and by the end of the fortnight, the pond will be choked with it. Then as suddenly as they appeared, the frogs will be gone, and won’t put in any substantial appearances until late July or August when they will show themselves again briefly. They are also all over the roads, sadly dead as well as alive. R does his best to avoid them, but sometimes it is just not possible, particularly on a single-track road where there isn’t a lot of room for manoeuvre.