In February we were invited to go down, after dusk, to Fulford's Cross, a busy road junction at the foot of the hill going west out of Castle Cary, where the town gives way to the open country of Cary Marsh and Cary Moor. Beside the road, and in the grounds of the Delaware veterinary hospital, there is a pond where toads breed each spring. The road layout is such that the toads must cross a wide expanse of tarmac to get to the pond. And as there are busy commercial premises nearby, attracting heavy traffic, Fulford's Cross is a potential killing field for toads in spring. They can breed at any time from late February to April, but need the right balance of warmth and moisture.
We waited through weeks that were either too cold or too dry. Hardly any toad movement was reported. But we were put on standby, and fully informed about the work of Castle Cary toad patrol. It started in 2007, with 27 active volunteers, who walk the roadside equipped with buckets, strong torches and reflective jackets, in two nightly shifts – sunset to 8.30pm and 8.30pm to 10.30pm. From 2007 to 2009 an annual average of 1,000 toads were rescued. In 2010 there were over 1,500 rescued, with 204 killed by traffic, while in the grounds of Crown Pet Foods nearby, 102 toads and 47 newts were rescued from drains by the firm's own people. Some obliging lorry drivers slow to walking pace, or even stop, climb down from their cabs and rescue toads themselves.
It was not until well into April this year that we heard that there had been some activity and that we might see toads on the move. We met the organiser of the patrol after dusk. He and a colleague had seen a few toads but not many. With his help, we spotted just one female crawling slowly towards the pond, with a male, much smaller, mounted on her back. They were lifted into the bucket and taken safely to the edge of the pond.