The East Meon Nature Group has started a regular early evening patrol on Coombe Road to monitor the number of toads and other amphibians, and help them across the road. This will last until the spawning season finishes in a couple of months. They are moving to their spawning pond which is situated just to the east of Coombe Road and north of Duncombe Wood. In previous years there has often been a toad massacre as they get run over by passing traffic. Currently the most numerous species being found are common or smooth newts, we think this will change to toads as we get closer to the full moon.
The intriguing picture shows a number of common newts in the bottom of a plastic bucket taken in the dark, this was taken by Emma O’Driscoll one of the patrollers.
