Nature watch: Bufo bufo

[callmemadam]

I’ve just done one of those garden jobs which leave me with wobbly legs and a sore wrist. Chop, chop, chop with the shears at a great mass of vegetation, in this case loosestrife growing under a small tree. The problem is that it’s all tangled up with tall grasses which have seeded in there; I had to chop the flower stems to see where the grass was so I could pull it out. I don’t know what to do with this patch as the tree roots mean I can’t dig out the grass. Anyway, that’s very boring. The interesting thing was that I’d just got down to the last stand, using secateurs by then, when, like a harvester reaching the rabbits, I saw an enormous toad. Why it chooses to live in a garden with no pond, I can’t imagine. I hope it’s been eating slugs. It crawled away slowly enough for me to get a good look at it but of course the camera was indoors. I’ve borrowed this image from Wikipedia. Always something new to see in the garden.

Comments

[gwendraith.livejournal.com]

Your must be lovely all year round. I'd love a large garden, or even a small garden, but I'd hate the gardening that goes with it. My patio and tiny patch of earth is enough.

What fun seeing a toad! Bring on Wind In The Willows!

[trixiebacon.livejournal.com]

We had trouble with the Biodisk (septic tank) last week, and while repairs and observation were going on, a frog was seen to be living there, eating flies! He wasn't the problem, but was removed as we couldn't see how he'd got in or how he'd get out.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Luckily, i enjoy gardening and would hate to be without a garden. It does get tiring, though.

I was more surprised than charmed, I admit. Frogs are more fun.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I'm glad out road was converted to mains drainage before I moved in! The old tank cover is still in the grass (I don't call it lawn).

In my old garden, I'd quite often find a frog which would 'boing!' out of my way. There was no pond there, either. The cats used to catch them, which was horrible. The other day I stuck my fork in the ground while I went off to the brown bin, then found I'd speared a dead one. Ugh! Thank goodness I hadn't killed it.

[gwendraith.livejournal.com]

*Giggles* I'm sure that your 'anything' is lovely :) Sorry, glad you could make out my weird sentence missing the vital word of 'garden' :)

Barney told me that he found a frog in the garden the other day :)

[lethe1]

Don't toads live on land and only take to the water to procreate? I seem to remember something like that.

I rather like toads (as long as I don't have to touch them)!

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I admit I don't know much about toads! It was the first I've seen in the garden.