Tadpoles

[Scrappy McSlap 6]

Those are some interesting pics! I don't believe we ever had tadpoles in those numbers, but we did have a small section of marsh on our property with a fair number of frog some years back. Interesting little creatures, they really make the place come alive at night haha.

[chattius 2,527]

Now we have tadpoles too.

Seems egyptian geese have a nest nearby. When I returned at 7am sunday morning after doing a walk with the dog I saw 2 geese doing a noisy shouting from the roof of our barn. Had to inform the bird watcher institute. They are a species which spreads more and more like a pest and isn't natural to our aera.

 

While doing that I also phoned the other birds I found:

4 breeding pairs of kingfishers, compared to 5 last year.

A pair of red kites is building a nest. The german name would be Roter Milan but in my area we name them Gabelweihe = forked harrier. Because you can easily differ them from the black kite by their forked tails.

 

I found remains of a dead common bussard and a magpie. Looked like an Uhu (eagle owl) got them. There is a small population of eagle owls just 25 kilometres away.

 

Also I found some mice spiked on thorns. Seems the red-backed shrikes prepare for their breeding. The german name for them is Neuntöter (killer of nine), because they often kill more than they can eat and spike the rest as reserve on thorns. The slang name for them is same as for tadpoles: Dickkopp, thick head. It has a large head compared to its size.

Edited April 26, 2010 by chattius

[Scrappy McSlap 6]

Now we have tadpoles too.

Seems egyptian geese have a nest nearby. When I returned at 7am sunday morning after doing a walk with the dog I saw 2 geese doing a noisy shouting from the roof of our barn. Had to inform the bird watcher institute. They are a species which spreads more and more like a pest and isn't natural to our aera.

 

While doing that I also phoned the other birds I found:

4 breeding pairs of kingfishers, compared to 5 last year.

A pair of red kites is building a nest. The german name would be Roter Milan but in my area we name them Gabelweihe = forked harrier. Because you can easily differ them from the black kite by their forked tails.

 

I found remains of a dead common bussard and a magpie. Looked like an Uhu (eagle owl) got them. There is a small population of eagle owls just 25 kilometres away.

 

Also I found some mice spiked on thorns. Seems the red-backed shrikes prepare for their breeding. The german name for them is Neuntöter (killer of nine), because they often kill more than they can eat and spike the rest as reserve on thorns. The slang name for them is same as for tadpoles: Dickkopp, thick head. It has a large head compared to its size.

 

Seems you have a solid working knowledge of the local wildlife. Myself, I don't think I could point out/name very many of the species here on the spot. I guess that makes me ignorant? Hmmmmm.... I do love wildlife though. So go figure.

[locolagarto 15]

Wow that is a boat load of Tadpoles you got there!

[chattius 2,527]

The family of my mother were either carpenters, forest rangers or salesmen in wood, traveling europe and buying wood. My grandpa always took me to the forest, teaching plants and animals and how to find a good tree for certain carpenter needs.

The grandma of my dad was fleeing from czech republic to germany after end of world war 2 and they survived by knowing the country and what you could eat. In summer breaks she often did something like a survival training: taking her grandchildren and collecting eatibles in the country and preparing a sunday meal with just what we found.

 

The only problem I had with biology at school were the slang/dialect names we used for the plants and animals:

The correct german name for a dandelion is Löwenzahn (lion tooth) because of its leaves. The french say dent de lion (spoken like dandelion) which means the same. The seeds each have a little parachute and form a ball. If you blow at it they fly away = Pusteblume (blowing flower). If you are good a ring of seeds remain, so it looks like the rasured head of a monk, so the plant is nicknamed Pfaffekopp (very vulgary for monks head).

Young dandelions give a fine salade, so Salatblume is added to the nicks.

You can make a tasty marmalade from its yellow blossoms, so Geleeblume.

You can use it as a drug, so people have to pee. So Bettnässer(bed wetter? ) is another name.

It's milk was said to cure warts, so Warzenkraut ( wart herb).

It's roots were roasted and then cooked with water as a replacement for coffee after the war, Kaffeewurzel = coffee root.

 

So when my grandma wanted us to collect dandelions she used the word for the purpose she wants the dandelion. If she said Kaffeewurzel , then she wanted the whole plant, including the roots

[Bondbug 32]

Sounds like you could set up a French restaurant at your place Arperum, though I find frogs legs a bit over-rated.

 

Tadpoles are fascinating, but the end product ...? My main objection to the things is that they bury themselves in the garden and reappear speared by the fork when I am digging.

 

Also in wet weather here at night they cross the road in large quantities and you have to drive through all these leaping creatures. Nasty.

Edited April 27, 2010 by Bondbug