This year, I missed the stage where the tadpoles gained legs, shed their tails and turned into little frogs. I thought it had been a bad year for frogs, or that they had been eaten by all the newts I’ve been recording (which would also be a bad year for frogs). But it turns out that there are little frogs around, I just haven’t seen them. I may have been busy at work or away sailing perhaps. And recently it’s been so hot and dry that the surviving frogs have been keeping well away from the sun and mostly hidden in daylight hours.
Today I have some evidence, having spotted a few over the last week. They are no bigger than my thumbnail when sitting with their legs tucked in. Mostly a mottled dark green with even darker spots, although I did see a startling pale one jump into Tiny Pond a few days ago. As you can see from the picture, they’re easy to miss being not much bigger than a pond snail.
And here’s where I’ve been sailing. Evening shots of Rutland Water and Restronguet Creek, a tributary of Carrick Roads, best known for the famous Pandora Inn.
FROG BLOG 