Spawning of Common Toads in March 2014. Part I: March 14–15. No Spawning Yet

Spring this year was early. Already in mid-March, by most of the signs we use, spawning should have begun. But alas, it did not... In a typical year, common toad spawning occurs when bluebells are still in bloom, coltsfoot is flowering, and the ponds are freeing themselves from ice. We arrived and confirmed that: [IMG_1] ...Iskov Pond is freeing itself from ice (this is one of the small remaining patches); [IMG_2] ...coltsfoot is in flower; [IMG_3] ...bluebells are in full bloom... ...but there is still no toad spawning! [IMG_4] We searched for common toads very diligently but found nothing. We did, however, have a pleasant walk [IMG_5] Iskov Pond in spring [IMG_6] On these grassy shallows, amphibians should have been spawning... But they remained lifeless [IMG_7] It was warm but not too warm — you can tell by the zipped-up jackets [IMG_8] A typical "Banderite" came with us — Taras from Lviv [IMG_9] Am I the only one who sees something African in this photograph? [IMG_10] Two groups of cranes flew past us — beautifully, with their calls. Magnificent! [IMG_11] [IMG_12] [IMG_13] After Iskov Pond we headed to Koryakov. Along the way — a spot that surprises year after year with the abundance of lichens on the branches [IMG_14] Koryakov Pond is almost entirely under ice... [IMG_15] ...only on the sunnier shore do thawed edges begin to appear [IMG_16] And this is already the next day. We went to look at the remains of the Alanian fortress built during the Khazar Khaganate. An excursion for our guest from Lviv... [IMG_17] View from the fortress onto the Seversky Donets [IMG_18] The artificially constructed "wing" of the fortress, which stretches along the river [IMG_19] "Alanian beach". This was where the pier was located [IMG_20] Olya and Taras. Appreciate the composition! The shot is natural, not staged [IMG_21] The previous photograph can be seen as a variation on the theme of Picasso's "Girl on a Ball"... [IMG_22] A formal photograph above the river [IMG_23] On the second day the composition of our group changed a little [IMG_24] Albino bluebells... [IMG_25] ...and the process of photographing them [IMG_26] A wing fragment was lost in some autumn or winter adventures [IMG_27] Smoking is harmful! [IMG_28] Self-assured [IMG_29] A true Ukrainian woman! [IMG_30] View from the hill on which Zmiyiv stands, onto the Seversky Donets floodplain [IMG_31] When I returned from this walk, it turned out that the screen of my new laptop (for which I am still paying off a loan) had been cracked. When it happened — I have no idea. Possibly at the moment when I decided to sit down next to Alik and leaned on my backpack. So it is painful for me to recall this moment of our walk. Why couldn't I have rested after the climb a little more carefully! [IMG_32] Running after the camera [IMG_33] Seems to be afraid I'll take it away... [IMG_34] All done. Time to head up, walk to Zmiyiv, and drive back to Kharkiv