2006 is comino to life!

For anyone who might be interested in simply divulging the latest on their gardens herp' activities & how 2006 is gradually getting underway for them in different parts of Britain.

It suddenly occured to me last night we're already into the third week of january & so i'd best get outside with my torch (which has an amber lens on that doesn't startle anything to hide from) & see whatever might be going on. I live on a housing estate in the north-west part of Banbury, north Oxfordshire, & here, although we're shortly due a chilly spell, it's lately been rather mild & damp. As i stepped outside last night it was around 9c, damp & calm,..so, fairly ideal for some early in the year amphibian activity. As amphibians get all over the place in my garden i always need to tread very carefully, & sure enough, halfway up the garden path, there was an adult male Smooth newt taking a breather. Nearby, on a weedy, vast sprawling, rocky mound (dug out years ago for a bigger pond i've still not made) i spotted at least half a dozen adult newts along with about half a dozen youngsters. (They seemed all Smooths, but i've got long introduced Palmates about as well.) They all appeared to be out for a bite to eat, although i suppose one or two of the adults might've actually been gradually meandering their way with reaching the pond more in mind. Anyway, i spotted a couple more adults in places before i reached the pond, situated at the top end of my almost 80f't garden. First newts into my pond (only 5'x3',x2'deep) always seem to be Palmates & this year was to be no different as i found several already in there, along with at least a handful of Smooths. I usually get at least one, or two, Cresteds as well, but there didn't seem any yet, although it's usually difficult to clearly see what might be lurking deeper, especially with there also being bits of pond weed impeding my scrutiny. Any frogs or toads are rarely out'n'about on land in my garden before march but in the pond there's nearly always several alert eyed male frogs (which will have hibernated in there) surfaced around the reeds in the corner, as was the case last night. Without fail, newts are always the ones to get the show started in my garden, well in advance of any amorous frog & toad activity. There'll be lots more newts (peaking at possibly 100 adults) to arrive into my pond yet between further cold snaps & practically all adult newts will be back & long re-established in the pond by the time toads & land based frogs get on the march to it.  

So anyway, that's me & what's already going on in my neck of the woods,..what about elsewhere in the country, guys'n'gals?

Hi Mick, I caught today's temperature and weather on the radio this morning.. needless to say we'll be doing our first spawn spotting around the local ponds today and the garden pond will be torched tonight.. I let  you know if we get anything 

They are fantastic Al,  you know I had plans to hide in our shed this winter and get some shots of the bird table... guess what S.A.D beat me and I've done practically nothing since I stopped working in November

Still springs here now (OK I KNOW it isn't official, but one newt or a frog will do it for me!! )