1998

TOADS ON ROADS, IN CAR PARKS AND DOWN DRAINS

MARCUS & SUSAN PHILLIPS



ABSTRACT

Destruction of habitat caused by development and the particular hazard of drains for migrating toads are matters of general concern. A conference was held on the latter problem in 1996 but its proceedings have still not been published (!) so the following account seemed worthy of record.

INTRODUCTION

The site involved is a balancing pond at 'Saxon Gate', a new housing development just off the Al at Biggleswade in Bedfordshire. Until 1990 the whole area formed part of Kennel Farm and was 'arable desert' i.e. intensively farmed arable land and allotments inimical to most wild life. There were, however, ditches with adjoining scrub, the remains of an old moat and a pond whose area was given on the map as 0.3 acres (0.121 hectares). The construction of a housing estate began in 1992 but was slightly delayed when a medieval village was revealed on the site. In 1993 a circular 'balancing pond' approximately 50 metres across was dug on the site of (or close to) the pond to take surface run off. We noticed a few toad tadpoles there in the spring of 1994. Since this pond is steeply shelved it was fenced off with metal railings. This did not stop quantities of refuse being dumped in it. Some shrubs have been planted alongside which are regularly sprayed with glyphosate ("Roundup"). An indoor swimming pool and car ark was built in 1996 to the north of the pond. Raised flower beds, also sprayed, are a feature of the car park.

At present the pond is bounded by roads on the south and west which function only as access roads to the estate and car park. A boundary hedgerow running north to south has been retained. To the east of this is the site of a planned new road, at present still being archaeologically excavated. Building is continuing to the west and north but a linear wood some 45 metres deep will be planted to the east alongside the projected new road.

THE PROBLEMS

On the 9 March 1998 we were telephoned by Joel Carre, Project Officer of the Ivel Valley Countryside Project regarding toads trapped in a drain. He had been contacted by a resident of Saxon Gate housing estate who had heard the toads calling, had visited the site and released some caught in one drain. [drain A] The cover of a nearby one [drain B], which appeared to have far more toads in it was jammed on upside down and he had not been able to move it.


Next day one of us (MSP) went to the drain in the hope of being able to rescue at least some of the toads with a net. This proved difficult but a passing lorry driver from the building site kindly helped lever off the cover. A total of 98 toads, nine frogs and two Smooth Newts, all alive were removed. (Is this a record?) Since the drain was dry, and we were uncertain as to whether the road had been salted, all the amphibians were washed in two changes of water before being released near the pond.

Further visits to the site, carried out by both of us, indicated that this drain in particular was trapping a large number of toads though for a while we did not appreciate the extent of the problem caused by certain others. The results are set out in the accompanying tables.