Thanks for your very quick response about using soil. I have incorporated a pebble beach but was concerned about a long section where there is exposed liner.
Your advice about the sharp roots is the practical sort of guidance I need, thanks.
I will try and post some photographs, thanks for your help.

Best regards

Well! The lads have started to gather easily a dozen clearly visible, but not much croaking yet. Very territorial, as some with very definitive markings are always in the same spot! A couple of practice clinches amongst the lads. However, there was a couple in a clinch where I think I recognize one as a female from last year. Not easy to tell!

I don't think there will be much real activity for at least a couple of weeks yet. I get worried about the very cold weather we always get in February down here--after spawning. It is so mild now.

Anyone else hearing the patter of tiny flippers?

I haven't seen any here yet, but it is colder here than in Devon and usually I don't see them till March. They seem to come in small numbers for a few days staying on the bottom of the pond and then suddenly it warms up and they just appear from nowhere. I never see them come into the pond, they just seem to be there.
Alison

Nope!
Big Kid

I don't see any activity until March but I have quite a few frogs living in the pond over the winter. They overwinter in the liner folds and on the bottom.
My ponds are fully netted and it always amazes me how frogs manage to find their way in and out of the ponds at spawning time.
I've read somewhere that it's the males who stay in the pond all winter so they are 'available' when the females are ready to spawn.
Can't wait until the 'croaking' starts. Roll on Spring!
Sue

There is now a lot of embracing going on, as the girls have started to hop by. Still very quiet though, not heard a croak yet. Counted 20 in the pond that I could see.

All very genteel so far...

Saw my first frog in the bottom just splayed out upside down as they do. Soon the rest will appear. You are right about the males staying in the water. The females and juveniles stay in the rocks nearby but the males can stay in the pond all winter.
Alison

I still haven't seen any at all.
It reminds me though that I need to skim off the azolla that is still there before I get spawn or tadpoles.
Don't forget that you can enter your first "spring dates" on Springwatch on the BBC site, and a wider list of events on the phenology site.

Here is a link that might be useful: springwatch

Nope, no frogs here yet. I'll expect some nearer the end of the month, still a bit nippy oop north.

Melanie

Working late and still have some writing to finish, but thought I would take a break and see how the pondlife is. The croaking has started (love that sound), and a dozen lads were in a row on the pebble beach seemingly on sentry duty! Last year there was a few days of this and then the spawning started--in fact there were two spawning episodes last year one month apart.

Well that has perked me up...back to the keyboard.