Monitoring our rare natterjack toads through the breeding season
With some key volunteers moving on, and no warden until July, Senior Site Manager Peter Bradley was concerned about covering this year’s natterjack breeding season. Following on from an email he sent to staff at headquarters, Peter was bowled over by the great response from staff, which meant that the toads have been monitored and protected better than ever in 2015.
A threatened species
Natterjacks were present on the Greensand Ridge between Sandy and Gamlingay until 1900. RSPB carried out a successful re-introduction from a Norfolk site in the 1980s. Since then, we’ve provided a range of artificial ponds, carefully managed to offer the best survival for this very rare amphibian. To help get the management right, the species is monitored during each breeding season. The Lodge has the longest continuous recording data of any natterjack site in the UK.
What we asked volunteers to do
Following Peter’s request, he received over twenty offers of help from staff and HQ volunteers. He ran two training sessions at the end of April, when volunteers learnt the theory and then went onto site to hear natterjacks calling, and to see natterjack spawn strings. Because natterjacks are a European Protected Species, all volunteers need to be issued documents to show they are working under license and have had sufficient training to carry out the work safely and effectively.
Results so far
The volunteers are working in weekly teams to check the ponds and report their findings, so that we have a full picture of the natterjack season. So far, there have been 62 strings laid by natterjacks (the best year for some time), and many thousands of tadpoles in five ponds. By the end of May small toadlets began to emerge from the main pond at the top of the old heath.
It hasn’t been plain sailing. Water levels have had to be monitored and topped up due to the dry weather, and nutrients in the water have meant mats of algae formed on the main pond, making it difficult to count the tadpoles and strings, and more importantly making life difficult for tadpoles. We have also had children throwing stones and branches into the main pond, and removing parts of the bank; it has been really useful having a large team of volunteers to check on the ponds and deter anyone causing problems for the toads.
There’s always more to do...
The toads are pretty well covered by existing volunteers now, but there is always more to do at The Lodge nature reserve. We are always in need of wildlife records, and especially help from experienced birdwatchers to help monitor our breeding birds such as the elusive hobbies. Then there is work on the heath – there will be requests coming out for volunteers to help in the annual attack on birch, starting again in September. If you would like to help in any way, please contact Peter Bradley at peter.bradley@rspb.org.uk