Thrown or Mown? “Does frog-lobbing serve any function other than self-gratification?”
Ok..
Thrown or Mown? “Does frog-lobbing serve any function other than self-gratification?”
I’ve a question for you to POND-er.. Forgive the pun-type-t’ing.
I’ve been coming across a lot of frogs during my mowing activities, and when they are in the most recently cut sward, fully endowed with allocated appendages still attached, and their insides in and their outsides out… so to speak… I have to make a decision, “thrown or mown?”
Now, it should be obvious that you can throw a big frog further than a small frog… so I throw small ones into the zone that has already been cut, on the basis that the turning process might not harm them. Big frogs might get damaged by the turning process, so I lob them…. You wouldn’t believe how far they’ll go…. I was shocked! So there's the first t'ing.....
Q? Are frogs aerodynamically designed for flight? They go further than you’d imagine.
Q? Given a weight/strength/leap-capability, are small frogs better equipped to penetrate grass and escape? Or is a bigger frog better equipped?
Q? Which size is likely to be minced larger or smaller?
Q? Which size is more likely to be spotted by me and therefore saved?
Q? Which size is more likely to be spotted by a predator?
Q? What is the optimal size for survival in a meadow-cutting operation? With me present and without me present. Do I make any difference?
Q? Is frog-lobbing justifiable under any circumstances? Or is this personal self-gratification?
Please post comments. If anyone would like to determine some formula to help me in my decision making, I would appreciate it…. Please base all calculations on fully intact frogs, as I have my own formula already for dealing with less intact specimens….
Slainté
Davy
posted by Davy at
5:30 PM
7 Comments:
My guess is that in the grand scheme of things it won't make much difference, but it would be a hard-hearted person indeed who didn't want to try...
Any news on the Corncrake survival/productivity?
Very few chicks seen so far... but we still have hell of a lot of grass left. Not a lot of cutting in key areas. SOme callows remain entirely uncut. Today I spent 4 hours (plus), watching a guy cut very carefully. Most guys would have cut it in 45 mins. We didn't see a thing. Not only would 1 day old chicks have escaped (all the frogs did), but eggs could have hatched and the chicks walked away.... Got plenty of good guys out there still...
so, the frogs are dead? I think a frog would be very flexible and suffer a lot of internal dmamge before "busting a skin". I wonder if hydration is relevent?
( sorry for the typos mate... )
:o(
No Simon.... The whole point of throwing them is to save their lives, not to prevent them from spoiling the hay.... There is no point in throwing dead ones, and they make a mess of your hands... Keep up!
oh! I see .. so they are thrown before they mow! I thought they are thrown by the mower....
Look.... The farmer is driving round in a great big spiral... starts in the middle and works his way out... cutting all the grass. He cuts up most things on his way. Things that escape tend to run into the next bit of uncut grass, the farmer gets them 2 minutes later. I walk behind the mower, picking up survivors and throw them into safety.... little frogs tend not to get cut up as frequently as big frogs because they are a little lower than the blades, but I can't throw them very far because they are too light... Oh, I give up, I'll just stamp on them in future and give them a swift death!
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