OK I will own up. I am now spending a little time each night with a torch, looking at just what is going on in my pond. At the moment, the tadpoles are doing less swimming around in the shallow shelf at night. This could be because the Palmate newts (the count has been going up all week and I'm on 14 plus tonight) are canoodling in the shallows. I have never seen so many together. The rather plump ones are the lady newts. The male newts apparently have orange on the tails. Tonight I could see which ones were males as several were having nose to nose confrontations, obviously one will win the eyeballing competition and the other will eventually back down. I was smiling as I watched them, thinking of what they might be saying to one another: "I'm tough I am." "Well, I'm real 'ard I am. I was brought up in the East End of this pond, I'll 'ave you know." Do you think newts do Glasgow handshakes?! Tomorrow I will attempt to take a flash photo at night of their goings-on.
Meanwhile, I am beginning to understand P G Wooster's Gussie Fink-Nottle and his passion for newts . . .
Nothing wrong with having a passion for newts. You're lucky to have a pond, it's something that I've never had for some reason.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it's not just me, we had a huge pond 2 houses ago and it gave us endless pleasure watching the newts and I confess, they had names!
ReplyDeletetadpoles and newts--watching the pond--all so much more interesting than the tv!
ReplyDeleteenjoy your posts
Tadpoles I understand, newts I do not, even if Gussie did love them. they look like undressed lizards.
ReplyDeleteThey might just be very short sighted!
ReplyDelete(sorry - I couldn't resist that)
: ) : ) : ) Sorry - too tired to comment, but your comments are much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteUndressed lizards . . . . : )
I have to admit to grinning at the thought of you out at night with a torch looking into the depths of your pond. Too cute!
ReplyDeleteDid you read Trixie Belden, girl detective as a child?
Yes, I can understand why you might be a wee bit tired.