Day 74/183: Lockdown Excitement: smol frens (2/2)

[nanila]

Humuhumu and Keiki look into a big Kilner jar full of canal water, algae, and about 20 tadpoles.

There has been almost no barge traffic in the canal since lockdown began. As a result, the water has gradually cleared at the surface from its usual murky brown, and the wildlife are using the full extent of the waterways for their activities. For example, we’ve never seen tadpoles at the canal’s edge, although we can sometimes hear frogs in summer. Now, though, we can see several inches below the surface, and everywhere there’s sufficient algae, the water is teeming with tadpoles.All you have to do to catch them is dip a jam jar into it.


Closeup of tadpoles in the algae at the bottom of the jar.


Humuhumu and Keiki peering into the bottom of the jar.


Keiki looking delighted over holding a jar of tadpoles.


The bit where tadpole-fishing gets so exciting, you almost lose your trousers.

Watch on YouTube

[YouTube video, 00:13 long] Keiki reacts with great excitement when the tadpoles are transferred from the little jam jar into the big Kilner jar.

Comments

[annofowlshire]

Love it. Excited to do these things with my Enting when he’s a bit older.

Hopefully not in Lockdown >_>;

[nanila]

Yes, it would be preferable to reach a point where lockdown wasn't the reason for tadpole discovery. :/

[kotturinn]

I love all your smol frens. Was Newton from the canal too?

[nanila]

Newton was from a log near the fence in a dark area of the garden. He was returned there after we apologised for disturbing him with our activities (laying concrete slabs for the new shed). :)

[kotturinn]

💚

[askygoneonfire]

This is so wonderful - the photo of the two of them looking at the big jar is *just wonderful*

[nanila]

Aw, thank you. The daily checks on the tadpoles are lovely to watch.

[ironymaiden]

I loved doing this as a child! Please remember (as I did not, to my sorrow) that once they start budding legs it's time to provide a way for them to crawl out of the water.

[nanila]

We will! We have a plan to transfer them to the basin of a disused fountain which we're temporarily moving to the back of our garden. This should allow them an appropriately shaped container to practise their clambering.

[brainwane]

AWWWWW.

[nanila]

:D It was a rather magical day.

[worlds_of_smoke]

I am so jealous!!!

[nanila]

Tadpoles never stop being fascinating, do they!

[quoththeravyn]

Very cool.

My one-time significant other, when I met her, was living in NC near a storm-drainage catch basin engineered pond thing. It had bullfrogs living in and around it.

Her youngest cat was fascinated. They all went in and out, and cat Silas undertook a science project of presenting to his mama the complete life cycle of the Carolina Bullfrog, dead on the mat.

Watch where you put your feet if you get up in the night...

[nanila]

How generous of Silas. I vividly recall Telstar performing similar services with mice, rats, and wood pigeons in his younger days. :/

[st_aurafina]

So exciting!! I am excited for them! Tadpoles are amazing and weeeeeird!

[nanila]

Yes! They are being examined minutely every day.

[cmcmck]

Eeeh! Taddies! :o)

Home schooling at its best!

[nanila]

Ha! I hadn't even thought of it as schooling, but I guess it is!

[gwendraith]

What fun for them and a good learning experience. I'm reminded of a young me going off to the local brook with jam jar and fishing net in hand. Happy days.

[nanila]

Keiki has requested that we acquire better bug collecting kit. I think he would probably be satisfied with a pond-dipping net and a larger jar, but have already started eyeing up fancy butterfly nets!

[silveradept]

Tadpoles so close by! Very neat, and it looks like it's fascinating for both smalls and smols.

[nanila]

Yes, they seem to be everywhere there's algae along the banks of the canal. A bonanza year for frogs!

[novel_machinist]

Awww that's a great shot. I love how delighted they look

[nanila]

Thank you! Yes, it's pure joy when they spot tadpoles.

[corvidology]

Right back to the days of my youth when we caught tadpoles and sticklebacks!

[nanila]

Sticklebacks! We really do need to get a good pond-dipping net.

[pbristow]

STICKLEBACKS!!! <3

I remember the words "tadpole" and "stickleback" from back when the twins (i.e. my elder-but-not-as-elder-as-the-eldest siblings) were doing things with biological entities [SHUDDER] in the back garden, where I only went when Mum told me to, or I was so bored I couldn't think of anything else to do. =:o}

And then just as now, I had no idea what the hell a "stickleback" is or ever was... but now I'm determined to find out! (*HIC*!) =:o]

[pbristow]

[READS YOUR LATEST POST]

[COMES HERE AND BELATEDLY REGISTERS LOVE OF THE ABOVE PICTURES]

[SENDS YOU A LARGE PACKET OF ANTI-WHELM, TO OFFSET YOUR CURRENT SURPLUS OF WHELM]

[nanila]

Thank you. ♥ That's very kind of you.

[omnipotent]

*gentle hugs*

[nanila]

*hugs back* I had hoped to be in a calm state this weekend but apparently it's not to be. :/