Spring surprises
But they are so intent on breeding that they can put
themselves in a different kind of trouble when they travel. It is our roads
that are a danger. I have even seen red triangular road signs in North
Shropshire with a toad on, which reminds us to take care. I presume frogs are
included in this warning but how do you take care? I slowed down but if frogs
are on the road then they would not have much chance.
These little creatures are in decline in this country and,
apart from trying not to run them over and putting ponds in our gardens, there
seems nothing we can do. But some people are doing more, they go out at night
in organised groups to collect frogs and toads from the road and take them to
safety.
Our frogs have been hidden away under stones or anywhere
safe from bad weather and now they are out in force with their mission in mind.
I was told when I was young that they come back to breed to the very place
where they hatched. So, I sit there on my pond seat and I hear the call of the
male frog. It sounds awful to me but not to the female frog – she likes it and
comes to see him. Sometimes she is almost underwater, squashed by male frogs
wanting to fertilise her eggs. He fertilizes them as she lays them.
All that must have happened here in the night because this
morning when I went down to see my little pond there were two clumps of spawn.
They were floating like pumped up semolina (does anyone eat that these days?). It
is one of the incredibly special signs of spring and it always excites me.
This weekend is the spring equinox which means ‘equal night’,
the daylight hours will match the night-time hours. Next week our days will
gradually get longer than the night. Maybe our lives will lighten as we move
towards the lifting of lockdown.
Here, we have been shielding for a year. I decided to go
into isolation early as I thought that it was too much of a risk for me to
wait. So, we have come full circle, we are back where we started last year,
except that this year, we can expect new life. And I will soon be watching
tadpoles.
(Taken from my column in the Shropshire Star on Thursdays)
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