Evening stroll with the toads

Been rather busy of late so time to catch up with the world.

Enjoyed a lovely evenings stroll on the beach at Holme a few weeks ago on an organised walk looking for Natterjack Toads. Given going to Norfolk coast fish and chips from Hunstanton was a compulsory add on of course and very nice they were too.

Sat eating them looking out over the reserve at Holme listening to birdsong and a few early common frogs calling. The walk itself had been organised by the resurected Cambridge and Peterborough Reptile and Amphibian group otherwise evening and night time access to the reserve is a no no.

Walked slowly into the reserve and we were met by a lovely churring call comprising a number of Natterjack males calling at the same time, very reminiscent of Nightjar it was. Closer to it was obvious where the calling males were located around a pond and eventually one was seen, one of not many that evening to be honest, best guess the cooler weather has held them back.

A pretty little fellow with the characteristic yellow back stripe. They are very rare in east anglia Holme being perhaps the best place to see them if you are lucky. Their love of shallow temporary ponds and pools to breed in is there undoing, they need them to reduce competition from other amphibians and predators of their tadpoles. There are references to them being found much closer to me in old county flora and fauna and even in the occasional story; Polly Howats story of the old horsemen, but what with drainage etc all we have left is Holme and a couple of other small sites in this part of the world.

While we were listening though for a short while we also had that other reclusive night caller the Bittern booming away from the reedbeds. So a very pleasant and enjoyable evening out.