First return of the season?

morg · Jan 4, 2004

While cleaning out dead leaves from my largest garden pond today, I was very surprised to see an adult male T cristatus in full breeding condition.
Anybody else in the UK got newts returning to garden ponds yet?

john · Jan 5, 2004

Ain't no newts here'bouts.

Sorry, couldn't resist. I have no idea if the newts are on the move here in Ireland yet (not that it would help if I did).

mike · Jan 5, 2004

I've just "torched" my local pond for GCN's (under licence from English Nature), and found four males in breeding condition.
No sign of females as yet.

morg · Jan 6, 2004

The male cristaus has now been joined by a T vulgaris all crested up n ready to go.
My back garden amphibian reserve is up and running early this year.

coen · Jan 6, 2004

Agreed, I have a new pond in my backyard (especially 'customized' for newts ofcourse) and I've seen some T. Vulgaris in there already, however not in full breeding attire yet, let's say halfway

I'll attach a pic of my new pond:

Not a good pic but oh well, it was a cloudy day, the pond is just new, and the digicam only costed me 50 euro's and is mainly a webcam...

alan · Jan 6, 2004

"Work in mid-Wales revealed much movement between land and water throughout the winter with the exception of periods of hard weather. Newts are extremely tolerant of low temperatures and remain active doen to temperatures of 0C."
Wisniewski, Newts of the British Isles, Shire, 1989.

damian · Jan 9, 2004

Hi Morg
I've checked my brothers garden pond tonight and all I could find was a male Palmate Newt,not quite in full breeding dress yet

Damian

morg · Jan 10, 2004

No more returns here yet, but there's a nice fully crested T marmoratus male swimming around the pond area of my outdoor enclosure.

alan · Jan 10, 2004

Well it has been mild for several weeks now. This data from the Met office is interesting:

morg · Jan 13, 2004

Yes its gonna catch a lot of things out when the weather turns cold again.
I know have a male T helveticus and my first female of the season returned, the female being a vulgaris.

I fully expect to be out there thawing ice from above the swimming newts soon though.

Will stop with my updates now as it must be boring people.
Its just that Im a sad old man who gets very excited at the sight of newts in his garden.

ralf · Jan 13, 2004

Hey Morg, what's that? Mid-winter depression? Thanks for sharing your observations, I always suspected a lot of things going on in the caudate world in winter, especially at these mild temps. If getting excited upon seeing a newt in my garden makes me a sad old man, I am probably the saddest Gilgamesh you've ever seen, hehehe.

Ralf (not bored)

a · Jan 13, 2004

I haven't seen any adults yet. I expect to see many smooth newts, and 2 crested newt females next spring.
A few weeks ago, i found a baby smooth newt under bit of wood, it must have been less than 2cm in total length

AJfr0ggy

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