One of my favourite pursuits during the early days of Spring is to watch for Frogs and Toads returning to their breeding pools. I have a particular fondness for the Common Toad (Bufo bufo) whose antics are a delight to watch as the males battle for females and paired couples venture off into the pond foliage to lay their strings of spawn.
I found this pair in mating clasp and enjoying the afternoon sunshine in a wealden pond this week.
Common Toad (Bufo bufo)
On Pevensey Levels this week, I came across a freshly emerged Orange Underwing moth (Archiearis parthenias) on a log, drying its wings. These day flying moths invariably take off from the ground before you spot them and it was nice to see just how beautifully marked their underwings are.
Orange Underwing (Archiearis parthenias)
I later found a fresh Minotaur Beetle (Typhaeus thyphoeus) scuttling through the leaf litter. The male of this species has three horns projecting from the front of the thorax.
Minotaur Beetle (Typhaeus typhoeus) (male)
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