Signs of spring

The world is waking up. Birds are singing all day staking claim to territories and advertising for mates. Daffodils are sprouting forth. My pond is full of froggy activity.With the sun shining today the window has been open and the constant croaking from the pond has been a background noise. As soon as a bird flies over the twenty or more frogs splashily dive for cover and the normal hum of the day returns - for a while.

Last year I caught a brief glimpse of a newt in the pond. Yesterday I saw something white in the weeds which I took for a drowned slug. Closer inspection revealed it to be an expired newt. I fished it out and wondered what had been the cause of its demise.

This morning, prior to the racket from the frogs, I saw the first frog spawn of the year. This being a few days earlier than the last two springs when I first spied spawn on the 7th of March. Also the hopping amphibians have chosen to spawn on the south side of the pond away from the gravel shallows where they've spawned previously.

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