All those Frogs and Toads and Newts that you see in your pond - where do they all disappear to after the breeding season?
I've got my regular Toad in my compost heap, but that doesn't account for all the others that visit.
I got part of my answer this week when I removed a Fig plant that has been struggling in a rather shady corner.
It was planted in a large tub to contain its roots and stop it going rampant, and I had then buried the tub buried in the soil so that it was hidden.
As I levered the pot out of the ground, I realised that there were little faces peering up at me from the hole.
In total there was one Frog, one Toad and three Common Newts. They had all managed to shimmy down between the outside of the pot and the soil, where there must have been tiny gaps all around the outside.
The Newts and the Toad were right down underneath where the pot had been, 18 inches underground.
Now I would never have guessed that there ws enough room down there to accommodate such a band of amphibians. But it was presumably very sheltered, damp and safe down there.
It just goes to show the kind of places they like to hide out in.
And the thing that amused me the most? It was barely 8-feet from my pond. I guess these guys hadn't travelled far!
If you want to drop by my RSPB wildlife gardening blog, it is updated every Friday, and I'd love to see you there - www.rspb.org.uk/community/blogs/hfw
Hi Wildlife Friendly. Personally I just try to give them somewhere near to where I found them (in case they are familiar with the local territory) and like you put them somewhere that approximates to the type of location I found them. I think that is absolutely the best you can do, and it sounds like you're doing it. But I would say that I would think that the microclimate in amongst a dry stone wall, anywhere that the sun doesn't reach, is probably really quite moist - I always have faith that creatures know where is good for them and where isn't.