Love is in the air, or at least amplexus!

So not long after valentines day theres still a little loving going on, well i say loving primal instincts! (don't worry its not me) its my population of Common Frogs that have been in my garden for well over 10 years since i put in a pond and last year i extended it have a gradual decline and deeper area for hibernation. I also put plenty of water plants in which provides cover and keeps the water clear.

Ponds are without a doubt the best way to attract wildlife to your pond

Rocks provide shelter for the frogs and the bare patch of soil behind the pond has been sowed with wild flower seeds so in the spring and summer plenty of inverts for them to eat.

The frogs tend to be mainly nocturnal so going at night often means you see more 

On some of the rainy nights i could find them in Amplexus (latin for embrace) where the male holds on until the female releases the frogspawn which can be a few weeks depending on temperature.

The reddish skin colour is one of many colours they come in

Despite there name common frogs aren't all that common any more with a estimated 1 million ponds being lost in the last century in the UK these frogs prefer shallow weedy areas to hide from predators and give there young the best chance. One point with my frogs is a good few are reddish in colour a genetic quirk, these frogs come in all kinds of colours from black, brown to greenish tints.

Once together the frogs become very approachable with all thoughts on breeding

I have fond memories as a child keeping tadpoles in a tank and watching them grow and each year still get like a little kid watching them grow in my pond.

BBC Wildlife Local Patch Reporter
Jack Perks

@JackPerksPhoto
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