Forsythia
When we pulled in the driveway at the farm this afternoon the first thing I noticed was the forsythia in full bloom.
The brilliant yellow flowers are noticeable from a great distance.
I always find them stunning – too beautiful not to share.
Jailbreak
The next thing I noticed was some of the chicks wandering around outside their pen. My husband had warned me that some of them had gotten out, so rather than spend a lot of time trying to catch them and put them back in he decided to open up the pen and let them all roam.
They have all stayed close to the coop throughout the day.
And seem to be having a great time exploring.
The chicks have not yet learned to get into the coop at night, but my husband used a trick we learned several years ago to round them up tonight. He placed a small (battery powered) light just inside the coop. As it got dark outside the chicks all migrated toward the light and went into the coop. He can use this method until the chicks figure out how to find their way in on their own.
Toads
As I stepped out of the van, I immediately heard the loud, high pitched, trill of the frogs, or was it toads? I remembered this sound from several years back when we witnessed hundreds of toads mating in our pond.
I eventually made my way to the pond and as I walked around the edge I was surprised to see only one toad sitting in the water near the edge.
The mating call continued on and off and as I returned to the pond edge a while later I noticed more toads had arrived.
I am not sure how long this mating ritual will continue or how many more toads might show up,
but I am certain that in a few days we will see nests of toad eggs along the edges of the pond.
Thanks for visiting.
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I love seeing Forsythia bushes, a sure sign of Spring and lights up the still-drab landscape. I can’t believe how big the chicks got and how big their feet are! As a kid, when we lived in Canada, there was a wooded area at the end of the street, still undeveloped land which later became a mall. We used to go down and dip empty glass jars in the Creek and get baby tadpoles and bring them home. My mom says “once thy grow legs, they go back to the creek where you got them.” 🙂
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It’s interesting to see those tadpoles grow feet then we see tiny toads leaving the water and hooping around in the grass and gardens.
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Yes it is – I have not seen tadpoles since we left Oakville and moved here when I was 10. I hear bullfrogs when I am walking at the Park, but I’ve never seen one.
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I always laugh when I hear the bull frogs. Sometimes they sound sassy.
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Yes they do – I love hearing them call one another – sometimes it is quiet and all of a sudden, I’ll hear the noise and almost jump out of my skin!
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Ruth, What does a nest of toad eggs look like? I have no idea if I have ever seen one, but it sounds interesting.
By the way your forsythia are lovely. thanks for sharing.
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It looks like a blob of clear gel with small black dots in it. I think it is really more like clear strings or tubes if you were to pick it up. If I see some I’ll see if I can get a decent photo.
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That would be great! From your description I haven’t seen them, yet.
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I didn’t see any in the pond today but we did have a lot of rain so maybe the pond came up over them. We should see tadpoles in a week or two if the eggs are there. Here is a picture I found online. https://mastadpoles.blogspot.com/2010/04/frog-eggs-and-toad-eggs.html
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I love forsythias too, so riotously bright in the early spring!
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YES, they are!!!
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Great pix! Our Forsythia bloomed in February, beating out the Azaleas.
Love to hear the froggies talk.
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Wow! forsythia in February would be amazing.
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Mom always said the frogs will freeze 3 times before spring arrives. I love hearing them sing.
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We have been hearing the frogs for several weeks now. This mating song is like an amazing chorus. We had front row seats. LOL!
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