23 MARCH 2025 - FROG FEST & RED KITE

Continuing my previous post, I was lucky enough to have more than 26 pairs of frogs visiting my wildlife pond on one single day in March 2022, the downside of that being that only three were seen the following day. On 21 March 2025 there were at least 30 individual frogs in the pond, with at least 24 (though I’m convinced there were more) remaining on 22 March – though only one so far as write this on 23 March.

There was an intensity of activity with all those frogs - with some paired up or in ‘holds’ of three or more frogs - and it really was an incredible spectacle of Nature, that was doubtless repeated throughout the country in people’s ponds. But what made it even more special was the diversity of colour and size of the individual frogs, and more especially, that some of the (what I assumed to be) female frogs, were simply enormous – indeed, amongst the biggest frogs I’ve ever seen.

And with all that activity I was able to obtain some very pleasing photographs (and indeed video) that are amongst the best I’ve ever managed to achieve.

It must be said that when I approached the pond, all activity abruptly ceased, so I needed to be patient, and wait (for up to ten minutes or more) - I brought a chair out to make that process more comfortable - until the frogs emerged again, and the mating orgy and often quite loud male croaking recommenced.

I was out in the garden for a couple of hours and observed a Red Kite appear in the cloudy sky on the horizon above the rooftops, but it was circling in my direction, so I watched it get closer and closer until it veered away. I could see the direction of flight it was taking so when it went out of view, I hi-tailed it to the front garden and watched it continue in a northerly direction over the rooftops until quite unexpectedly the bird veered again and took a more southerly flight back towards my house, eventually coming quiet close, from where I could get a few shots - some of which were probably the closest I’ve yet achieved at this location.  As the skies were rather grey and dull, I’ve replaced the skies with a more favourable option, to bring out the plumage details more readily.

14 COMMON FROGS

COUPLET

ENTANGLED 

RED KITE

RED KITE

RED KITE