Bullitoad #2011-1

I've been watching the area in the pond where the eggs were laid.  As I stated in my previous post some did not hatch and I was thinking most were doomed.  It has been cold and rainy and that clearly has had an impact on the speed of the eggs maturing into toadpoles.

Every here and there I would see the wiggle of a tail on these little eighth-inch long creatures.  This was nothing like we saw in previous years.

While awaiting the outcome of these newly procreated (or is that procreants) toad minnows the algae has been growing like there is not tomorrow.  Maybe the algae didn't get the memo that the world was NOT going to end on Saturday, May 21.  Regardless of the reason the algae is way out of control and the pond is getting kind of green. 

I was counting on the pollywog's to emerge en masse and start eating the algae.  So I decided I needed to decide what I was going to do.  I figured I had two choices; 1. Let the pond go as is and hope the little creatures get with the program and start eating or 2. Administer the magic chemicals to the water and clear up the algae but possibly kill any toadlets that have hatched.

I'm here to tell you the toadlets won.  No chemicals... at least not yet.  I took my net and stirred up the water in the area where the eggs had been laid.  I was quite surprised to see lots of future toads swimming in the eddies I created. 

It was a warm day today so maybe we're past the "I'm too cold to move" stage and we can get on with growing up... and eating algae.

So that's the news from Red Tail Ridge today. 

More bullitoads as these guys get on with the program.

Think LIFE!  Yea!!!

Whoohoo!!!