This was quite a pleasant surprise. I have been seeing frogs in the garden all year, and this was my first toad this morning. It was only a young one, but beautifully coloured, perched almost on the edge of one of my planters. Double-click to zoom in closer.
It is as the title states but after the event. This fairly large toad was found in one of my garden watering cans, and I can only guess it hopped in there when the can was on its side at some stage. Thankfully it was released unharmed near my garden pond where it hopped away and swam for cover.
Click once to expand view, click again to get that little bit closer
Common Toad Bufo bufo, June 2018, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
This little one gave me quite a start as I was sweeping up some fallen leaves in the back garden this afternoon. It must have been hiding under a pile when I disturbed it with my dustpan and brush, and it suddenly emerged and hopped across the patio. It found a gap under my gate post to peer out of.
Common Toad (Bufo bufo), October 2017, rear garden, Staffordshire, England.
For the last three nights and days I have heard something akin to a very old rusty wheelbarrow being pushed along coming from beneath a bush on the edge of my garden pond. It sounds like the male mating call of a frog or a toad, which one I don’t know for I haven’t seen it yet, despite my efforts getting on hands and knees peering under the bush. About four days ago I discovered a toad under a step, which can be seen in the images below, and I thought he might be the one making all the noise, if it was in fact a he. Yet when I lifted the loose slab to the step this morning I found not one toad, but two hiding under there. I thought aha! here we have them, a courting couple, yet as I observed them the rusty wheelbarrow noise started up again by the pond! So I guess I am still none the wiser at present as to what is making all the noise.
Nature Journeys 