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RAUK - Archived Forum - GCNos found in water garden

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GCNos found in water garden:
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Jayemsee
Member
Joined: 16 May 2010
No. of posts: 2


View other posts by Jayemsee 		Posted: 16 May 2010
Hello, I garden for a couple in E. Sussex and was told to scoop the old leaves out of the bottom pond in their water garden - well having taken a lot of leaf and sludge out (don't think it's been done for a while!) one scoop with the fork brought up a black newt, about 5-6ins long with very spotty yellowy orange belly. I picked him/her up, fascinated, had a look then placed her gently back in the pond. When I came home I found your site and indentified her as a GCN - what do I do now ..................... ?
I obviously did no more scooping after I found her and now I gather I'm not allowed to clean up their pond!! Help!!!
Chris Monk
Senior Member
Joined: 21 Apr 2004
No. of posts: 157


View other posts by Chris Monk 		Posted: 16 May 2010
Hi
You did the right thing in stopping work & putting the newt back in the pond - don't worry you can carry on but not at this time of the year.
Now you have found a great crested newt in the pond, Natural England's guidance is that if you do the de-silting at a time when great crested newts (all life stages) are not usually in the pond then you do not need a licence. Therefore, you can clear the leaves and sludge out of the pond if you do it in the winter period (November/December/January). However frogs are often found hibernating in the mud in the bottom of ponds so clearing the sludge out in early November is probably the best time to do it.

Adult great crested newts are in and out of the water in spring and early summer but for the rest of the year they are terrestrial. The law protects all life stages, so the eggs and tadpoles are also protected. If newts are breeding in the pond then the tadpoles will turn into juvenile newts and leave the water from late August through to October.

Chris
Derbyshire Amphibian & Reptile Group
www.derbyshirearg.co.uk
Jayemsee
Member
Joined: 16 May 2010
No. of posts: 2


View other posts by Jayemsee 		Posted: 23 May 2010
Thanks Chris, I'll mark my diary for end of the year 

- GCNos found in water garden

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