The Toads are here (frogs old news )

[nightshade]

Nice mild day here, Toads ambling by and heading for the pond, some strings already in the water, and more donors arriving (the fish look miffed)
Incidently many years ago I lived a few hundred yards away and had a pond I was also a great hunter and fisherman (reformed) I used to fish a local lake for perch and pike. One day I was surprised by hundreds of froglets heading inland from the water thinking "live bait" I popped a few hundred into a bait box with a blob of frozen sweet corn the low temperature immobilised them and I took them home and put them in my pond. They thrived, and according to the locals here formed the basis of the frogs in the gardens here nowadays.

[kevinb]

I had better check one of our local ponds then, normally I leave it until a wet night at the end of march to do a toad count. Over 500 last year around one pond on a nearby golf course.

[toadpole]

well only seen 1 small male toad a week ago in my pond when all the frog action was going on ...he seemed very bemused by it all have not seen him since...think he's gone back into hibernation as its sooo cold here in surrey what has the temperature been where you are nightshade and have you had rain as well and have your sightings been in the day or when its dark ...sorry for the interrigation but i am really interested ....thanks Marion

[nightshade]

We have had some very mild days and they have been active during the day,
the evenings have been cold. There are log pilesand straw along a sheltered wall
The Lioness tells me there has been no further spawing by the Toads but they are still all there marking time. It has not rained for a week here but the ground is wet. I have just fetched an extension lead from the garage and there are even Toads in there

[toadpole]

thanks for that info ....i thought toads allways emerged at night and thats why the toad patrols man the busy roads then....well well you learn something new every day wish i had toads in my garage .....been warm here in surrey for the last 3 days ..but v cold by night ..and i was told they need warmer nights with rain to activate them .....so am confused why you have toad movement in daylight hours in your area .. or is it that they have travelled by night to the pond and you have seen them at the last stage of their journey ...at the pond adge ?? .Marion

[nightshade]

The Lioness has been working hard (doing all the jobs I would normally do) around the pond pruning, planting and comes across the Toads regularly, so I have to rely on reports at present, until another six weeks are up and my back x-ray shows it is all doing what it should do.

[toadpole]

I had a bit of a rummage in my big log pile today (where the toads are all during the summer )and found 4 frogs that have recently left the pond hiding out there ...but no sign of the toads overwintering there at all ..i had i male toad 8 days ago in the pond but have not seen him since ...hope your back heals and gets better soon ..Marion

[nightshade]

Thank you Marion, our best toad logpile is composed of straw compost and circular slices 0f logs (almond tree) I rescued years ago the lower sections form almost sawdust like tunnels now and they seem to like burying themselves in it. Yes most of the toads have arrived from surrounding gardens, luckily not too many by road, but we do get them

[miranda]

I'm v interested to hear all this toad news:it's good to know when and where they are first appearing.I havnt seen any this year....yet. Usually I only find mature toads near the compost heap occasionally in the summer. Would so so love to have mating pairs and spawning in my pond.( I am so desparate I am even thinking of playing a recording of a toad-call on the first warm evening we get to see whether that attracts them!...How sad is that?!)
Meanwhile about 7 blobs of frogspawn so far...all laid in a temporary shallow container (a cat litter tray in fact!) which I put next to the pond and fill with pond water for this very purpose.The frogs always seem to prefer this to the pond for spawning though they seem prolific and happy enough in the pond for the rest of the time

[Za]

Just back from Bookham Common, there is quite a bit of frogspawn, but a lot more strings of toadspawn, and loads of toads in the largest pond.
I have just come out of hibernation as well.
Za