RAUK - Archived Forum - Posts by MORG:

Yes all three newt species along with common frogs have been active in my garden ponds since late January.

No newt eggs or frogspawn yet though, although there are frogs in amplexis and tail wafting newts a plenty

Well its taken a while, but at last toads are on the move around the Doncaster area.

Checked a local pond last night and hundreds of toads were heading towards the pond.

Then today I saw the first toads in ponds near Rotherham that I had been keeping an eye on.

Frogs are late spawning this year though with lots of amplexing couples in my garden ponds, but no spawn as yet.

Both T cristatus and T vulgaris have been seen laying eggs though.

Clearing out one of my garden ponds this afternoon, I came accross a fully crested up male Triturus cristatus swimming around.

They returned early last year, but although weve had a mild December, this seems rather early to me.

Trouble is, Im going to be out there every chance I get now looking out for any more returning newts.

After what seems like a very long wait for more returns, it looks like the single male cristatus has at last been joined by another male cristatus, also theres a single male vulgaris swimming around in my smallest pond.

Cant see any females as yet though.

Well they are back early again this year.

First sighting in my garden ponds was the 2nd of January 2007.

This sighting was one fully crested up T cristatus, so last night I spent some time out there pond watching and in one of my small gardens ponds I saw 3 male cristatus, 1 female cristatus[being persued by one of the males tail wafting, and a male T vulgaris.

It looks like its back to pond watching every night from now on for me lol.

I have just tried searching out  my notes kept the last two years as to the dates that a localish pond started filling up with toads,but cannot fing the notes.

I love being there on those first few nights with a torch, and watching the toads turn up from the surrounding fields and woodlands.

Does anybody have any dates of the start of migrations to their local ponds the last few years? I really dont want to miss this years spectacle.

cheers

herpetologic2 I tried pm ing you but your inbox is too full.

Feel free to email me at punkrocknewtman@hotmail.com

Hello suzi

Yes exactly, Im a punk rocker who just loves everything about newts.

Ive had a soft spot for newts since my childhood days[long long time ago]

Much to the amusement of most of my punk friends lol

A bit late  returning this year, but it has been a terrible winter

Ive spent the last few days clearing dead frogs out of my garden  ponds[14 in all] that died during the big freeze, but these few days and nights of warmer weather have started the returns

This is the lastest Ive seen returning cresteds since I started recording it though

Ben

 pic was taken at about 8pm

 Demob have now split, but I agree no room for you is a classic

No more newt activity seen here these last few nights, but its cooled down  again and isnt very damp.

Im sure there will be more activity next rainy night we have

You are lucky, I have now found 22 dead altogether in my 3 ponds, Im definately not expecting lots of spawn this year, thats if I get any at all

 I have just  spotted 1 live frog in my smallest pond

Ive no idea how many frogs my garden amphib sanctuary supports in all, and honestly didnt think it was that many frogs

I really cant see there being many frog returns now as it looks like almost all decided to overwinter in the ponds rather than the logpiles and specially created underground hibernaculum where they would have been safe from the weather.

Thats going to upset the newts as they usually feast on frog tadpole

each springtime

They will float in the end, but only 1 of the ones I found was floating, all the others I found moving plants around or fishing around the mud at the bottom with a net.

went out to my ponds this morning and all three smell terrible, fished around the bottoms with a net again, and the grand total of dead frogs from my garden ponds now totals 29, they are  small ponds so Im going to have to keep fishing about in them or they will be too polluted for the returning newts.

I reckon thats the end of my frogs though with that many found dead