After enjoying watching toads on Tuesday, I returned to the pond with my underwater camera. The results were good. One loan toad chased the camera and attached himself, confusing it with a female toad. The other fact that I did not expect was that they communicated underwater. The soundtrack shows this.
Toad Spawn is formed as a “string” of eggs, while Frog Spawn is in “clumps.” I have shown both in the clips.
Toad is holding onto my camera!
Today was the best nature spot of the year so far. Nature never fails to surprise me. Even today, new sightings of events or species are thrilling. I have been viewing nature and the environment for a long time. Since drawing my pension, I have more time to conduct my observations.
I have only ever seen single Common Toads in the wild in the past. Today, we took a chance walk around a New Forest pond. It was off the beaten track. We came across a mass of mating toads.
Several 1st :- mating toads, toad spawn, toads in a pond, toads calling, frog mating with a toads
Toad spawn is in long strips rather than clumps as seen with frog spawn.
A Common frog mating with a Toad! Records show this happens but they can not hybridize.
On the downside of this event was seeing probably a hundred toads. The same amount piled up dead. It seems a Heron stabbed and then fished them out, not fully consuming them.
Muscovy Ducks are found at scattered locations across England. These ducks are usually found close to habitation, they are semi-domesticated or feral. This duck appeared on a pond in the New Forest last week. He is fairly tame, suggesting he is used to people. I suspect he has been dumped at the pond, due to bird flu. There are increased restrictions on fowl ownership in the UK.
The pond also has a good population of another non-native duck – The Mandarins.
A flash of yellow in the New Forest draws one’s eye to this Gray Wagtail in the grass.
Another deer stalk in the New Forest looking for some handsome Fallow Bucks. A few shots of the best lookers.
Today (3rd February) in the New Forest we spotted our 1st Frog Spawn of 2025;
A few big Fallow bucks gave me the eye. They seemed to be without any obvious care in the world. Then they wandered off deep into the forest. It is always a treat to see these animals at close quarters and have eye contact with them.
First sprinkle of snow in the New Forest of the year.
Seeing one of the white Fallow Deer in the New Forest this morning was nice.
Lymington Quay on the Beaulieu River on the edge of the New Forest hints at its fishing past but now meets up with the modern leisure sailing world.
