Toad patrols started along Coombe Road on 4 February 2024 and finished on 16 March 2024. A total of 813 toads were found (497 males, 194 females and 122 squashed toads) and most were successfully moved across the road and placed near the pond. There was a significantly lower number Read more…
This year toad patrols on Coombe Road commenced on 4 February, this is nearly two weeks earlier than last year. A combination of mild weather and heavy rain has encouraged the common toads, palmate and smooth newts to start their migration to the spring fed pond to the east of Read more…
The Toad Patrols on Coombe Road finished on Sunday 26 March. It has been a different year to last year, with a long period in the middle of the patrolling season devoid of amphibians due to the cold dry weather. However the numbers of toads are comparable to last year, Read more…
The 2023 Toad Patrol Season progresses. Now, towards the end of their migration to the breeding pond we are finding more female toads than males. Click on this post to view a video of males toads hitching a lift on the back of females,. This allows them to be in Read more…
Last evening, Thursday 9th March, was a big night for the 2023 Toad Patrol. The weather had rapidly changed from dry/cold to wet/mild, encouraging the toads and newts to get moving to their breeding pond. 102 Toads were moved to safety, with the loss of 6 squashed ones. 96 newts Read more…
With the mild (9C) and damp weather toad patrols commenced on Coombe Road last evening, 16 February. 25 toads rescued, 3 squashed toads found. Also 16 palmate newts rescued, with 3 squashed ones found. Please drive carefully on Coombe Road at dusk and beyond, there will be patrols on the Read more…
Yesterday, 28 February, was a warm (9C) and damp evening, this followed nearly a week of cool dry evenings. The toads must have thought this is the time to get going and move to their breeding pond next to Coombe Road. The patrol helped a record 131 toads and 5 Read more…
With the return of the rains and the very warm October weather, it seems to have spurred on the toads in the Coombe Road area to move back to their winter hibernation areas. We have spotted ten squashed toads on Coombe Road in the last 2 days. Please keep a Read more…
The toad patrol continues to find and move toads across Coombe Road. To date this spring, 17/03/21, we have moved 376 toads, with the added bonus of 74 newts. Unfortunately we also found 14 squashed toads and 9 squashed newts, but these numbers would be much higher if the patrols Read more…
After six cold and dry evenings, the weather changed on Wednesday 3rd March to damp and misty with light rain and a mild 9C. The toad patrols had not found any toad movement at all in the previous six evenings, then suddenly it was all go. The patrol moved 111 Read more…