Thursday 28 February 2008

Prehistoric mini monsters

And so the clumps of spawn are increasing. I honestly don't ever remember seeing so much of the stuff; it seems that the frogs are in hyperactive mode and as each nucleus grows from a dot to a dash, more eggs are laid just to make sure. And in the warmest spots, there are tadpoles, those strange black spermy wrigglers that headbutt each other in their frenzied acknowledgement of life.
It's incredibly hard taking a decent photo of tadpoles - not just because they are in constant movement - but because the surface of the water reflects the photographer from most angles in preference to the beasts below. But there they hover, in primordial gloop, safe from the jam jar if not from natural predators.

12 comments:

Whispering Walls said...

I love that phrase, "the primordial gloop"

Swearing Mother said...

It's ages since I've seen tadpoles. Nice photo.

rilly super said...

no mopsa, please reassure me you are not using much higher magnification than you admit to and those really are tadpoles, otherwise can you give me that chap's phone number please

Anonymous said...

Fab - clever you!

Mutterings and Meanderings said...

Cor! Yours are so far ahead of ours. It's cold up north ya knaa

Mopsa said...

WW - I love a phrase to get your mouth round!

Thank you SM

Rilly. That chap is unlikely to turn into a prince even if you kiss him - but he is prolific. And they are very lively.

Paula - I had to take so many photos before I got rid of my reflection!

Hardy old frogs in Devon M&M, but yes, it has been incredibly mild for February, so I am expecting blizzards for lambing time.

mountainear said...

I was just going to write something reassuring about the probability of mild weather continuing when I checked on one of my t'interweb weather sites. Yikes! They're predicting light snow showers tomorrow! Watch out you frogs....

Uncle Dick Madeley said...

Urgh! Repulsive. If there's on creature I absolutely hate it's frogs. Well, Alan Carr runs them a close second but frogs are my number one pet hate. I need to sit down. I feel a bit ill after looking at that.

James Higham said...

Spawning time is here.

Mopsa said...

M'ear - they were right - heavy frost this morning.

Dick, you are a sensitive wee flower.

Bretwalda - when isn't it?

Eurodog said...

Hello, Mopsa.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Yes, it must have been difficult taking the tadpole photo, but you have achieved it.