Yay! Our first frog :)

Countrylass · #1 (**permalink**) 06-11-2011, 05:47 PM

I've only ever seen frogs in books or on the net so I was wildly excited

to find this little frog in my greenhouse.

We've got plenty of toads in all shapes and sizes (we have to keep rescuing them from the chickens clutches) but we thought our garden was unsuitable somehow for frogs as we don't have a pond yet - nature has a way of throwing little gifts for us to enjoy

JaySteel · #2 (**permalink**) 06-11-2011, 05:53 PM

Well done! It's quite strange. Despite having no pond near me I have frogs living in my garden all year round and yet I never get any toads.
At work we get toads all year round and yet no frogs! And yet in some places near me they live side by side in complete harmony.

Jason

Billabong Karen · #3 (**permalink**) 07-11-2011, 11:27 AM

What a nice surprise! Presumably your visitor frog is looking for a damp, safe place for its winter rest.

GCN lova · #4 (**permalink**) 07-11-2011, 03:29 PM

hi

i think they prefer dry areas to hibernate as the water will freeze and could kill them though they will hibernate at the bottom of the pond because it doesnt usually freeze.

GCN lova

PS: congratulations on the frog, i only have one which i rescued and two froglets and some toadlets which sounds like a lot but i only really see the pond.

davedotcom · #5 (**permalink**) 08-11-2011, 06:34 AM

Nice one Countrylass

Our first frog was a visitor that seemed to be just taking advantage of the veggie patch. I put a little pond in to try to encourage them - best thing I ever did as more frogs meant a better crop, and they're fantastic creatures.

Well done!

Billabong Karen · #6 (**permalink**) 08-11-2011, 07:53 AM

So, Countrylass, will building a pond be your project for next year, then???

We love giving advice on building ponds...

GCN lova · #7 (**permalink**) 08-11-2011, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billabong Karen

So, Countrylass, will building a pond be your project for next year, then???

We love giving advice on building ponds...

yes at least once a month someone starts a thread on their pond

Countrylass · #8 (**permalink**) 08-11-2011, 05:30 PM

I've been meaning to build the pond for the last 4 years - I even collected a load of guides on building the ideal wildlife pond. Then after discussion with other family members, the pond has grown into a mini stream with the pond as overflow. My boyfriend came up with an idea of how to do it, then he promptly forgot! I've spent the last 2 years trying to nudge him into remembering to no avail. We have a ready made ditch at the edge of the wooded area at the side of the garden which has a semi decomposed stump of a tree on one edge of the ditch which we need to design round. The plan was to turn the ditch into the stream and have the pond in the natural curve round the trees. If anyone has any idea of how we are going to achieve this (and keep everyone happy) I'm open to suggestions

Jersali · #9 (**permalink**) 08-11-2011, 08:39 PM

[We have a ready made ditch at the edge of the wooded area at the side of the garden which has a semi decomposed stump of a tree on one edge of the ditch which we need to design round. The plan was to turn the ditch into the stream and have the pond in the natural curve round the trees. If anyone has any idea of how we are going to achieve this (and keep everyone happy) I'm open to suggestions[/quote]

Hello countrylass, congrats on the frog.

have undertaken a similar project, this is what we did.
The pond was dug with the water level a tad lower than the pumped "stream".
The stream pump took water to a small waterfall at one end to generate a flow
There was a ramped weir overflow from the stream down to the pond, rainwater would occasionally top up the pond from the stream.
The pond pump could divert water back up to the stream if required (hose to filter, then filter hose back to pond - or stream).
Use a hosepipe filled with water as a spirit level (in a U shape) to get your levels right.
Hope that helps, clear as mud in my own mind lol
Al

Billabong Karen · #10 (**permalink**) 09-11-2011, 01:47 PM

Good luck with your project, Countrylass. Just remember that a pump can be detrimental to wildlife, especially newtlets and tadpoles. You will need some kind of protection or net to stop them being sucked into the pump.

You could just go ahead and do the pond now (autumn being a perfect time), then leave it to fill up with rainwater over the winter, so that it will be in a great state for the first frogs / newts / toads to find it in the spring. Then you could go on with the stream design next year, if you still wanted to.