Pond Diary -- May 2009 (and May 2010 at the bottom)

May 12, 2009 -- Average high temperature about 70 degrees and low about 40 degrees.

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Garden planted and the pond alive with life.

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On April 25/26 the temperature went to 90 degrees (setting a record high) and there was a frog mating frenzy in the pond. Above you see the main character (the frog), then the frog cherping (calling for a mate); and in the third photograph you see two frogs mating and a double string of eggs. These frogs were together for about one hour and during that time a double string of eggs about twelve feet long was produced. In this double mucous string there were about 2,000 eggs. We put a small piece of the egg "string" in an aquarium for observation and in three days all of the egg specs had turned into tiny tadpoles. From the small bucket of pond water containing the frog-eggs also developed one crayfish, three snails, one fast-swimming waterbug and many pinhead-sized "water bugs." On May 10th we also added twelve five inch sucker fish to the pond quite probably for blue heron snacks.

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May 21 -- Frogs, turtles and tadpoles. About 100,000 tadpoles!

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Cattails about three feet high on Xavier Island and a swallow occupying the nesting box. Also a mallard duck sitting on eggs on one of the small islands.

May 20, 2010

The Pond -- Going Wild (and at least 10,000 tadpoles swimming around)

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The Garden -- Doing well but lost many plants due to May 12th freeze!

Back to Pond Diary -- March/April 2009
Go to Pond Diary -- June, 2009