Plate II. A mass of frogs' spawn and mating frogs in a pond at Hawkswood,
Chingford. Photo David Corke.
and Blackweir ponds. It was recorded as common by both Fitter and Stubbs
earlier in the century. My own notes on the Buckhurst Hill ponds showed that it
was more common in Knighton Wood lake than in Lords Bushes the former
pond being deeper and more suitable for toads, the latter silted up and shallow
was favoured as a frog spawning site. Toads were very common in Knighton
Woods in the 1953-1959 period and on several occasions I witnessed toad
migrations from winter quarters to the water to spawn in spring. In 1953 I
counted 50 toads as I saw a migration on the night of March 25 and heard many
others hopping through the dry leaves. On the same date in 1956 I saw 70 toads
marching towards Knighton pond this number included ten pairs already in
amplexus, the female carrying the male. The toads spawned in the deeper parts
of Knighton pond and being laid in strings the eggs survived well. Whereas the
frogs used very shallow places often near the edge resulting in damage to spawn
clumps by numerous children. This is one very important point when one
considers how either of these two amphibians will fare in the future. More
recently I recorded one toad in Baldwins Hill pond on March 7 1976 although it
was very cold and rather early for the year. The usual time of movement ot the
ponds to spawn is March 20-30 and spawn is laid during the first week of April.
In 1971 The Conservation Centre found toads spawning in small numbers in
their ponds and recent notes show of their occurence there each year to date.
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