The One That Got Away

Once upon a time there was a frog and a heron…

Thyme Out is experiencing a glorious summer with lots of sun and very little rainwater as a result. This means that the water levels in the pond are currently quite low.

But nature seems to be thriving in adverse circumstances because we have hundreds of tadpoles growing in the large pond.

They seem to like sticking to the sides of the pond where the water is lovely and warm and they grow well.

Some have quickly progressed from wee little tadpoles to frogs that hop in and around the bog plants.

However, we discovered last week that I wasn’t the only one keeping an eye on these lovely creatures.

I was lucky enough to catch a heron in the act, stopping by the pond to tuck into a big meal of unsuspecting frogs and tadpoles.

As soon as the heron saw me with the camera, it quickly flew away.

However, due to the abundance of food in the pond, it couldn’t resist coming back again the following day.

So when Frans managed to catch a beautiful little speckled frog in the side garden the next day, I thought that this must be the one that got away.

Did the little guy sense that he was next on the menu or did he just have a bit of an adventurous nature and wanted to see what life was like away from the pond?

Either way, we decided to help the little frog out by placing it in a smaller pond away tucked away in the side garden.

It’s a fair way away from the big pond and we are crossing our fingers every morning in the hope that the heron hasn’t found that little spot yet.

— Miranda