We have a new garden pond and I was delighted to find fresh frogspawn there today. In the last week or so I’ve only ever seen a single frog at any one time. Do female frogs lay eggs in the absence of a male? To put it another way, can I look forward to tadpoles in a couple of weeks or could these eggs be unfertilised?
Not certain. But in a previous life (mine), the females laid spawn, on the grass, where the pond WAS in a lawn, for SIX subsequent years. I cannot be certain whether males were present but I never saw or heard them. I always moved the spawn to the nearby river It did not appear in the 7th year.
Here, I dug a pond afresh in early winter. Viable spawn was present 2 months later. Now it is drying, I am not sure what to do.
For you, time will tell but do give us an Ob… https://www.ispotnature.org/communities/uk-and-ireland/view/observation/758246/enough-is-enough
Thanks. That’s interesting: I had heard that they tended to go to traditional places to spawn which was one of the reasons I was surprised and pleased to find the spawn this morning. So far only a very poor quality photo: it can be remarkably difficult to get pictures of what’s underwater when the camera tries to focus on the reflections in the surface.
pray for rain or help them out with the hosepipe…frogs (and frogspawn) don’t like flowing water - spawn needs shallow, warmer water in the pond margin to develop properly
I think sometimes mating takes place before the female frogs even make it to the pond, so there could be tadpoles on the horizon.
I think, Jo, that fertilization is external so what you suggest may not happen. But some of my ‘girls’ this year suffered anxiety and unloaded before getting to the pond - those clumps do not look normal as the spawn requires water to expand the outer protective layer.
I have never seen the embrace out of water but is must happen I suppose. My males are always IN the water a few days before the females arrive. There is some nice stuff in the main site on this, I’ll find it and link
Some - https://www.ispotnature.org/communities/uk-and-ireland/view/observation/230966/the-frog-oviduct-becomes-the-jelly
iSpot is a pretty good database of information IF you can find what you are looking for!
Mating will take place as soon as a male finds a female, maybe before the pond is reached. Google ‘Frogs mating on land’ to see it happens. In fact, it may be advantageous as most males wait in the pond. (The early male gets the ‘bird’). Fertilisation is external and doesn’t take place till the female lays. This should be in a pond… but if the pond has disappeared then the females will still have to lay the spawn, but the swelling that takes place in water is inhibited. Not ideal.
Regardless of all of the above, we look forward to some photos of nice plump smiley tadpoles in a few weeks time!
So do we!
We’ve also just seen a newt in the same pond so hopefully some newt tadpoles as well. I must look up about how to find newt eggs and to distinguish between newt and frog tadpoles. Anyone got any hints?
Frog life Scotland’s Urban Tails booklet is a good starting point. It includes how you can make your whole garden more frog friendly. I think newts eat tadpoles!
interesting…have always though both frog and toad tadpoles to be plump, cheerful little chaps - but the scottish toadpoles look downright grumpy in these photos?!
An interesting site, thanks. I think our garden scores quite well but, inevitably, with some room for improvement.
Aye. Dour Scots.
(Why must posts have >= 20 characters? This dour Scot can say all he wanted to in 15 characters.)
Both batches of eggs have hatched. We now have lots of tiny tadpoles. 
Frogpoles or toadpoles? V exciting news: congratulations on your myriad progeny!
I am delighted to report that the frogspawn has produced what I assume to be frogpoles. I shall be sure to let iSpot, and the wider scientific community, know if my assumption proves erroneous 
looking back to original post, am sure you can tell the difference. Frogs it is. Hoppy news!
Yes, grapefruit-sized “lumps” of spawn rather than strings.
Happy you, sad me. For the first time in History a pair of Shelduck came and cleared the pond - maybe in two visits. I think they also liked my snails. They do not seem to like pondweed. Life…
Do Magpies eat tadpoles? I suspect one this afternoon was having a little nibble along with his drink.