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Early Toad Movements: |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090  View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 22 Jan 2004 Hi all, Some may have heard on the email grape vine that toads are on the move in Chobham Surrey already. Anyone else seen our warty friends yet? Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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Caleb Forum Coordinator Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 448  View other posts by Caleb |
Posted: 23 Jan 2004 I've not seen any amphibians yet in County Durham- I was out last night, but no sign even of frogs yet. I've heard on another forum that all 3 newt species are out in breeding condition in garden ponds in Doncaster, and palmates are out in Scotland (don't know if it's west or east side, though). |
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MORG Member Joined: 13 Aug 2003 No. of posts: 15 View other posts by MORG |
Posted: 15 Feb 2004 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 Morg love punk-hate racism |
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Wolfgang Wuster Senior Member Joined: 23 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 326 View other posts by Wolfgang Wuster |
Posted: 16 Feb 2004 We've had the first frog spawn clump in our pond in the last couple od days (N. Wales). Cheers, Wolfgang Wolfgang Wüster School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor http://sbsweb.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/ |
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calumma Senior Member Joined: 27 Jun 2003 No. of posts: 351 View other posts by calumma |
Posted: 16 Feb 2004 I've already sent this info to Gemma for inclusion in the KRAG newsletter and its on my blog, but hey what's wrong with a little recycling?! In my garden pond, both smooth newt and common frog have been active on a regular basis since Christmas (probably earlier, but I didn't look that much). And when i say active, I mean full breeding condition. My first toad was seen on the evening of February 5th (fresh roadkill at Hernhill). Several palmate newts were observed during daylight active in a pond at Kingswood on 11th February. The same pond also produced the first crested newt egg of the season! Common frog spawn has been reported, but most spawn starts to appear from the 14th onward. Must be something in Valentine's Day after all... Lee Brady Kent Herpetofauna Recorder | Independent Ecological Consultant |
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TVFrog Member Joined: 18 Feb 2004 No. of posts: 31 View other posts by TVFrog |
Posted: 18 Feb 2004 Dear All, Some sightings last w/e - Sunday 15/02/2004, early PM, - ponds near Crimp Hill Cemetary, Old Windsor, Berkshire - literally on the edge of Windsor Great Park, close to a Wardens residence. One solitary adult Toad moving in the fringes of the main large pond - about a metre out. Water depth c. 20cm No other activity. Unfortunately two dead adults found next to the pond - recently dead too. I thought perhaps if they had been attacked by animals they would have been dragged-off or eaten etc. but these looked as if they had been pierced or stabbed - no other injuries. Leads me to think (perhaps) that this was the work of a person or persons. There was a bad incident involving youths near Maidenhead in 2002 - the RSPCA prosecuted. We also searched other ponds in the same part of Windsor Great Park on the same day - no amphibian activity. The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead have just posted this the other day: http://www.rbwm.gov.uk/press/32303_beware_toads.htm I know I have an adult Common Frog overwintering under bark chips next to my garden pond (turned up last year and spent the entire Summer there - last sighted early October 2003) - but as of 17/02/2004 - no activity... (as yet) Best regards, Mark. |
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j gaughan Senior Member Joined: 04 May 2003 No. of posts: 57 View other posts by j gaughan |
Posted: 24 Feb 2004 Hello all The first 'frog spawn' to come to my notice was for feb. 5th reported from two sites _ on the South coast at Portsmouth (North End), Hants. and 100 km NE in South London (Sydenham), the later being 2 clumps in my mother-in-laws small, plastic-lined, shallow and sheltered, garden pond. I also had a road-flattened 'toad' (not fresh) in Portsmouth _North End again, on Feb. 18th John |
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MORG Member Joined: 13 Aug 2003 No. of posts: 15 View other posts by MORG |
Posted: 17 Mar 2004 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. Morg love punk-hate racism |
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Colin Dunlop Member Joined: 15 Mar 2004 No. of posts: 20 View other posts by Colin Dunlop |
Posted: 17 Mar 2004 First Toads in amplexus in glasgow... but frog spawn since 13th of Feb... Palmate newts in ponds but havnt seen others yet |
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Moderator Admin Group Joined: 14 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 21 View other posts by Moderator |
Posted: 17 Mar 2004 Estimated 200+ common toads in essex on 16th March. Many in pairs but no toad spawn spotted. 3-4 clumps of newly laid frog spawn but only common frog spotted was in amplexus with a common toad. From observation last season of emerging froglets I would expect a lot more frogs at this site, so maybe for once the toads beat them to it. Should have some pictures of the toads in next few days. Moderator |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 19 Mar 2004 Essex toad pictures as promised
Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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Colin Dunlop Member Joined: 15 Mar 2004 No. of posts: 20 View other posts by Colin Dunlop |
Posted: 20 Mar 2004 Has anyone else noted regional variations of iris colour on toads? Gemma's bottom picture looks really red and some of the sites i have are like this but on other ponds the toads have a striking yellow iris... |
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AJfr0ggy Member Joined: 08 Aug 2003 No. of posts: 28 View other posts by AJfr0ggy |
Posted: 20 Mar 2004 Heres a few photos from last year, of some youngsters
The ones i saw near skegness of the same age were more greyish
AJfr0ggy |
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Caleb Forum Coordinator Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 448 View other posts by Caleb |
Posted: 06 Apr 2004 First sightings of toads in my part of Co. Durham this year at the weekend (though I haven't been able to get out much in the last few weeks). No sign of spawn yet- we still have frogspawn though! |
- Early Toad Movements |
