Along the Woodland Edge in March

 There were numerous sunny days during March but often accompanied by a cool easterly breeze. Sunny and sheltered corners in my local woods have seen multiple numbers of butterflies waking from hibernation. The Brimstone males have been too busy to stop for a photograph but the Commas and Peacocks have been more obliging.

Comma (Polygonia c-album)   

Peacock (Aglais io)

Common Frog (Rana temporaria)

Whilst walking along a woodland track, I heard the sound of a croaking frog and on checking the trackside ditch, I found a female spawning in a muddy pool. She was accompanied by a male.

Common Toad (Bufo bufo)

This male was at rest on the trackside verge.

Toad Spectacle

 One of the great natural spectacles that I look forward to every spring is the return of toads to their breeding ponds. One of the best sites that I know is just a ten minute drive from home, where I can rely on watching the antics of at least a hundred toads. At this particular site, the toads arrive and depart in little over a week.

The following images were taken over a couple of days at the height of their activities.

Common Toad (Bufo bufo)

This female had probably been carrying these two males for some time and had not yet reached the millpond in which they breed. She had decided to have a rest in the middle of a footpath. The male in prime position eventually managed to eject the interloper.

These pairs of toads have successfully moved away from the general melee in order to spawn.

These males were basking in the occasional sunshine.

This turmoil of toads is where the main action takes place.  Every male is highly charged and is trying to push the other males away and burrow their way to the female in the centre. She will already have a suitor in prime position and if all goes well, they will manage to get away to spawn. Occasionally, sadly, a female can be accidentally drowned if she cannot extricate herself. I came back the following day and there was no sign of any tragedies having occurred.

Now and then you may witness a strange pairing. In the following image, a male Common Frog (Rana temporaria) is in a mating clasp with a female Common Toad (Bufu bufo). I have seen this behaviour on several occasions over the years. Frogs and Toads share similar habitat requirements but they are not closely related and cannot produce hybrid offspring. Any spawning from this pairing is destined to fail.

Great Diving Beetle (Dytiscus marginalis) (male)

The only insect activity that I saw in the millpond was of this male Great Diving Beetle (D.marginalis). He had been trying to climb up onto a constantly turning piece of twig and eventually rested side-on in the sunshine, giving a view of his yellow underside.

Along the Woodland Edge in Early Spring

 The weather during March has been changeable and there have been some prolonged warm and sunny spells to bring out plenty of hibernating butterflies from their long sleep. Common Toads have also been on the move, making their way to and from their breeding pools. 

Here are some images taken during the month.

Peacock (Aglais io)

Comma (Polygonia c-album)

Common Toad (Bufo bufo)

Bog Beacon (Mitrula paludosa)

Spectacular Toads

Although I am always on the lookout for early season butterflies and moths, the occasion that I look forward to most of all in early spring, is the spectacle of toads returning to their breeding pools during March. 

They are one of my favourite creatures and I enjoy watching their antics as males battle with each other for females. Whilst these tussles can be entertaining to the human observer, they can be violent and occasionally fatal.

The males are highly charged during the breeding season and you can often see a writhing ball of male toads fighting for one female. During these tussles, females can sometimes be accidentally drowned.

Common Toad (Bufo bufo)

A male interloper is attempting to supplant another male from his prime position but eventually gives up.

Established pairs can eventually find a quiet place to get away from the melee.

A lone male basking in the sunshine.

Pairs often gather together in prime spawning areas

Back in the Woods

The last couple of weeks have been fairly dry which has allowed me to get some jobs done in the wood.

 The main task is to get some bonfires lit before the birds start to use them for nesting. I stack plenty of brash piles for Blackbirds, Robins and Wrens to use but the heaps of rhododendron waste must go.

I haven't seen any butterflies yet but I have seen my first moth of the year. Judging by its colouring and size, I think it was probably a Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria) that I disturbed from the undergrowth a couple of days ago but I lost sight of it before I could see where it settled.

During the last week I have spotted a Common Toad and also an interesting fungus.

Common Toad (Bufo bufo)

Green Elf-cup (Chlorociboria aeruginascens)

A recent sunset over the distant South Downs

A Tangle of Toads

A few days ago I visited one of my local National Trust properties where I am guaranteed to find plenty of  toad activity in the garden pond during March.

The main entertainment occurs when males tangle with each other in order to gain prime mating position on the back of the female. The successful male forms an almost unbreakable clasp with his forelegs around the chest of the female.

Common Toad (Bufo bufo) 

Breeding Toads

Despite having to scrape the windscreen yesterday morning, it was a bright and breezy day and I set off for a walk on the downs to check one of my favourite dewponds for any signs of toad activity. 

Usually by the first week of March, this pond is heaving with breeding toads but on my arrival it looked very much like the main event was nearly over. 

This should really be no surprise, as the winter has been unusually mild.

 I normally expect to see dozens of breeding toads but I only saw about five pairs. However, the pond side was absolutely clogged with spawn, signalling that many pairs had already been and gone.

Common Toad (Bufo bufo)

During the breeding season, the highly charged males will fight each other off in a frenzied attempt to grasp a female and she can disappear into a ball of writhing males. Occasionally, sadly, females are accidentally drowned. I think that this is what has happened to the female in the following image. There were no signs of her having been predated upon.

Back on 5th February, Bob and I saw our first Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) of the year whilst we were walking on Ashdown Forest.

Essentially a migrant to our shores, this species has only relatively recently been able to survive the winter in Britain. It is a continuously breeding species and does not have the ability to hibernate. Many fly south in the Autumn but some overwinter as adults or larvae. Adult butterflies need to roost during inclement weather and they must go in search of food during sunny and mild spells in order to stay alive.

The heathland of Ashdown Forest provides plenty of thick insulating layers of dead bracken in which to roost and plenty of winter-flowering gorse to nectar upon.

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)