It's Frog Spawn!

Today was an exciting day for us at humming-bird hollow. Not only are the Rufus hummers back, but we found frog spawn in our pond. Not one sac of eggs, but 6 sacs that we could find. While we see frogs in the pond each year, we have never seen eggs or tadpoles. Now we have them. We have been reading about whether our fish will eat them or not, and we still don't know - so far all is good. They take 6 to 21 days to hatch, depending on the water temperature. We have decided to remove one sac of eggs to a tub, and nurture the eggs into tadpoles and then release them. During this time, we can watch the eggs in the pond to see if they are eaten or not. We have no idea what kind of frogs they will be, but we are off to a great start this spring!!! Here is one cluster of eggs in the pond grass - they are in a jelly like sac. I am sooooo excited!

A Voyage from Winter to Spring

The ways in which nature gently transitions from winter to spring are subtle and slow. Typically, birds are returning from their winter migration. This weekend we had flocks of Canada Geese honking their arrival, and it is only a matter of weeks before the aggressive Rufus Hummers arrive at the feeders. Buds begin to awaken and sprout, like these pussies on my willow.

The daffodils and crocuses are beginning to stick their little heads up, some with flower buds already, and the Koi are starting to feed again in the pond. Even the vegetable garden is coming alive, with the rhubarb already popping up.

We sprang forward with our clocks this past weekend, and the days begin to lengthen now and the sun shone for a whole day today. It's staying light longer; and quite frankly, I'm getting a major case of spring fever. I am ready for it. Bring it on.