Topic: Identification!

[honeybee]

Hubby and I had a lovely few days in the Lakes last week celebrating my birthday.

On our first day we went for a lovely lunch and walk in the little Hamlet of Troutbeck, when I noticed what appeared to be frogspawn attatched in abundance all over the trees?

It was odd, exactly the same size, consistency and appearance of frog spawn, it really puzzled me and research has not really answered my questions so can any of my lovely A4A friends identify this for me?

[honeybee]

[Unwashed]

It does look very like frogspawn doesn't it.  My guess would be some kind of snail.

[Bugloss2009]

Tree frogs  8)

[honeybee]

Tree frogs but be the perfect answer, but I have researched and as expected cant find any proof of tree frogs in the Lakes.

[tonybloke]

was this last thursday, perchance?

(someone having a larf at your expense)

[honeybee]

Nope it was March 30th, my birthday and I took the picture my very self  :)

I only took a close up to identify but know that had I took the pic from a distance you would have been amazed, the trees were covered in this 'frog spawn'

[tonybloke]

Nope it was March 30th, my birthday and I took the picture my very self  :)

I only took a close up to identify but know that had I took the pic from a distance you would have been amazed, the trees were covered in this 'frog spawn'

kids having a laugh, I reckon.

[Baccy Man]

The only tree frog you are likely to find in the UK spawns in water some are deliberately introduced others escape from greenhouses (lots of people keep them in greenhouses rather than secured in vivariums).

There are 2 more likely explanations I can think of 1 is kids messing about, kids throwing frogspawn or live frogs about is certainly not unheard of. The other possibility is birds such as ravens, crows etc... catching frogs & flying up into the trees to eat them there are still plenty of pregnant frogs & toads about & the spawn would spill everywhere while they ate them as they can't swallow them whole like herons do.

[SamLouise]

Where is Mr Brenchley when he's needed? LOL  ;) ;D

[Rosymacposie]

Could they possibly be mistletoe berries...eaten by birds and then 'planted' from their droppings.   :-\