Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Fifteen

As the world shuts down around us the uplifting role that wildlife plays in our lives becomes more vital than ever. So, for my own sanity as much as anything, I’m going to keep a daily diary of what I find around my garden. Photograph the wildlife you can see from your window or in your garden and post your pictures on the ‘Sussex Wildlife Trust Nature Table’ page.

Day Fifteen

As I mentioned in my diary on day five I have two ponds in my back garden. One, of an unusual and vaguely erotic shape, was here when we moved in. The other pond (which is not so saucily shaped) was once my pride and joy – however it has now become overgrown and clogged with vegetation and pondweed. It’s something I need to sort out this year. It’s only a few feet long but I’ve seen all sorts of wildlife in that pond; a Grass Snake, lots of dragonflies and even a Grey Heron! There’s one thing I’ve never seen in it though: a frog.

(The only frog I've seen in my garden, although now I look at it even this may actually be a toad and not a frog)

I was inspired to put in a pond after seeing the garden pond of my old friend Alf when I first visited his house in Partridge Green many years ago. Alf passed away at the start of the year. He loved Sussex and he loved wildlife but Alf’s real passion was amphibians: newts, frogs and toads. Alf loved them so much his funeral service ended with that Paul McCartney Frog Chorus song (click here to be reminded of it). That’s commitment for you. I spent the rest of the week with that annoying ‘bom-bom-bom-aye-e-aye’ tune rolling ‘round my head. And now so will you. (I’m sure Alf will be laughing about this somewhere). While I was helping Alf’s family clear his house, I was honoured to be given one of his prized possessions: a clock which chimes each hour by playing a variety of frog croaks. While it still told the time it had been silenced long ago by Alf’s wife Iris who had made him take the batteries out because the hourly croaking was unbearable.  

But there was no silencing Alf’s garden pond each spring. Each year it would come alive with the sound of a real frog chorus. Alf was proud of his pond. He always told me that creating a garden pond, no matter what size, is one of the best things you can do to help wildlife in your garden. If you’re lucky in spring it will turn into a hotbed of sexual activity as Common Frogs return to mate and lay their eggs. After spending the winter hidden away in the garden, it’s time to go a-courting. 

(Common Frogs, photo by Derek Middleton)

In the spring, if you approach the pond quietly at night with a torch, you can observe the mating frogs. Look closely and you may be able to identify the male frog (darker with a bluish tinge to his throat) and the female (white granulations on her flanks). But if you can’t notice these features then the males are on top and the females are on the bottom. The lustful male will hop on the female and grasp her as tight as he can. He even develops special extra-grip pads on his forearms so she can’t get away and he’ll use those powerful legs to boot off any rival males who try to muscle in. In theory males with the longest and loudest croaks are the most attractive, but with females sometimes outnumbered ten to one by males the pond party can get loud, chaotic and confusing. Amorous male frogs will grasp anything, a log, a fish, even another male (males have a special croaking signal which politely informs other males there has been a misunderstanding).

(Common Frogs, Photo by Derek Middleton)

Female Common Frogs can lay up to 4,000 eggs, although 1000-2000 is more normal. These are fertilised by the male as they emerge and form into those familiar clouds of jelly spawn.

(Frog spawn, photo by Dave Kilbey)

In tribute to Alf I decided to restore his croaking clock to full working order. I re-installed the batteries and nailed it proudly on my office wall. After two hours I turned it off. Iris was right - that croaking was unbearable!

So, as I couldn't fully restore the clock, in tribute to Alf I'm going to try and fully restore the garden pond to full working order.