05/05/2023
If you missed the Coast column in the Visiter this week, you can read it online here.
"After a few poor breeding years, it was something of a relief to hear the singing of male Natterjack Toads drifting over the dunes before we’d even set off on the first Green Sefton Natterjack Walk of the year.
Phew!
There is a magical quality about the otherworldly noise carried on the night air from out of the velvety blackness.
Europe’s loudest amphibian can make quite a racket when a group of males start competing for a mate – in Victorian times, the population was much bigger, and the sound of singing toads on the coast could apparently be heard up to three miles away.
At one site on the coast good numbers of Natterjack Toads have been singing this spring – but that is no guarantee of a successful breeding season.
Indeed, although the diminutive males were easy enough to find, betrayed by their loud croaking, there was initially no sign of any larger females as I led a guided walk at a suitable site.
(Thankfully females have since been recorded at several locations).
Dry weather and brisk winds can also mean that even if the Natterjacks do spawn, pools and flooded areas can evaporate long before tadpoles have time to metamorphosise into toadlets and secure another generation of this rare species for the dune system.
The little toad with the narrow yellow stripe on their back needs all the help it can get.
And that is before spawn, tadpole and toadlets have to survive predation by everything from dragonfly larvae to Carrion Crows.
This is of course, part of the natural cycle of life in the dunes.
The Natterjacks also face a struggle with climate change – even a warmth loving species can struggle in periods of drought, which are regular along the coast now.
The best favour anyone can do for these engaging beasts though is to keep dogs out of all pools and flooded areas on the coast.
Our four-legged friends may have no interest in the toads, but by going into even the smallest of pools, dogs cause disturbance and can drag spawn out of the water, entangled in their fur.
Spawn tends to sink to the bottom of pools where it is invisible in the sediment, so dog owners may be completely unaware of the damage they are causing.
Natterjack Toad tadpoles are warmth loving and congregate at the edge of pools – even the smallest ripple caused by a dog entering or leaving a pool can wash them out of the water, leaving them stranded.
Fipronil, a chemical found in some flea treatments, may also enter water bodies.
A strong insecticide, it can wipe out insect food sources for the Natterjacks too.
Whether pools are fenced or not, please keep dogs out of all water in the dunes.
If you value the priceless heritage of this spectacular coastline and its protected nature reserves, it’s not too much to ask.
Respect, protect and enjoy the Sefton Coast".
Sefton Council Natural England Dynamic Dunescapes Sefton National Trust Formby Amphibian and Reptile Conservation North Merseyside Amphibian & Reptile Group
