We found the pond looking like this:

We couldn’t understand what had been going on until we realised that all the frogspawn was missing. We’ve worked out that the foxes had been wading around in there eating it. I so wish I’d got a video. And there was a huge amount. Not only was there the stuff that had been naturally laid there, but I’d also transferred three great buckets full from a nearby pond that has got fish in it in the mistaken belief I was keeping it safe.

An internet search revealed that foxes do indeed eat frogspawn and they probably need to eat whatever they can get these days- theres not much food out there anymore and its cold and wet and they’ve got cubs probably now to bring up. And we are no longer putting out the jam sandwiches.

Anyway, 2016 is already looking like a bad year for frogs.