Fish and Frog Eggs

I have long suspected that the fish in our pond feasted on frog eggs and small tadpoles but I never had any proof, not until this week. After our rainstorms this weekend we had an orgy of frogs cavorting in the upper pond. Nothing new. This year they all gathered at the base of the leather-leaf fern, a six-foot tall plant with roots that extend several feet into the water.

These roots are very think, and the frogs are laying long strings of black eggs, like small black pearl necklaces, all tangled into the rubbery root spindles. If I were a fish, these would look very nice to me. Except I've never seen the koi interested in the frog eggs before.

But this year the fish went crazy; they rolled and splashed and jumped, and they fought their way through the roots, and not just for a few minutes. This craziness went on for a whole afternoon. Now the koi are fat and lazy and much less interesting in frog eggs.

If they were smart, they'd let the eggs hatch and wait for the tadpoles. But maybe they are smart. Maybe there are plenty eggs left (though I can see them). I am watching them...