Toads are on the move. The recent balmy weather was the starting pistol for one of the greatest wildlife phenomena in Britain, when thousands of toads come out of hibernation and waddle their way to ponds for breeding. Toads always return to the ponds where they were born, and warm and moist nights are ideal for their mass migration. Unfortunately many of the migration routes have to cross roads where toad casualties are high, but the charity Froglife uses reports of the mass casualties to get special road signs put up, warning motorists about the toads crossing. Volunteer toad wardens also carry the creatures to safety, and last year gave 73,000 toads safe passage — a national map of over 800 toad crossings can be found here. And in Oxton, Nottinghamshire, one particular road is closed to all traffic in March for the toads to cross safely.
Frogs are also making their way to ponds for breeding, but they go to any nearby water they can find, which is why having a pond in a garden encourages frogs.
Fortunately the cold spell this month was too short to do much harm to pond life. But the worsening drought in southern Britain could dry up ponds, and newts may be especially vulnerable because their breeding season only begins later this month. On the other hand, dry ponds later on could help the larvae of toads and frogs to survive, by avoiding being eaten by fish.