41
POND DIPPING MEETING FOR AMPHIBIANS,
EPPING FOREST, 20th April, 1986
A party of six assembled in pouring rain
at the Epping Forest Conservation Centre.
The object of the meeting was to dip certain
ponds to record Amphibians as part of a
survey being undertaken by an M.S.C. Ecology
team. The results of the survey will be
used to assist in the Epping Forest Manage-
ment Strategy.
As the party moved off by car the rain
stopped and a pleasant day was to follow.
The members who supported the meeting were
rewarded by a rich array of three Newt
species, Common Frogs and Toads.
The first call was at Fairmead Pond, where
large numbers of Toads were assembled,
paired for spawning. No spawn was laid
as yet, due, no doubt, to low temperatures.
Netting produced Smooth and Palmate Newts,
together with one Crested Newt. Frog
spawn was seen in the pond in a nearly
hatched state and a few adult frogs were
still in the water. Four small bomb
craters in the area revealed good numbers
of all three Newt species.
The second area was Earls Path Pond, where,
as before in 1984, Palmate Newts were the
sole species present in good numbers.
Over-wintered Newt tadpoles were caught.
Just beyond was Strawberry Hill Pond (the
first of the two) and here we saw two
batches of frog spawn and several mating
toads out in the middle: no Newts were
seen as the pond was rather devoid of
weed. The second Strawberry Hill Pond,
which is to be cleared out, revealed six