Frogspawn

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 My first sighting of frogspawn was on 24th March last year. I saw my first frogspawn today this year - 3 days earlier. As I approached the pond I could hear the frogs croaking and see mating couples "clamped" together. The noise always stops and the movement ceases if you don't approach the pond stealthily - they always seem to sense my approach.


Diary
There was a frost last night but the weather has been warm and sunny during the day. I saw a couple of small tortoiseshell butterflies on the wing. (Earlier in the week I saw a brimstone butterfly and a peacock butterfly in Skipton about an hour South of here.
Several buzzards in flight above the house and a female sparrowhawk patrolling the bird feeder.
The redpoll I saw (last thing I posted) was confirmed by the on line birding community as a "common or meally redpoll" which is sufficiently unusual for them to want me to report it as a "record" to the Cumbrian Bird Club. Local birders are reporting chief chaffs as the first of the returning summer migrants but I haven't seen any here.
The people who own the old railway line where I regularly set trail cams have been cutting down trees affected by Ash Dieback fungus. Its a scene of devastation and has proved a deterrent for wildlife in the most recent camera traps.


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