Signs of Spring: Frogs and Newts Return to Our Ponds
As winter loosens its grip and the first signs of spring begin to appear, our ponds across the UK start to burst back into life. March is a particularly exciting time for amphibians, and for anyone keeping an eye on their local wildlife.
Frogspawn Season Begins
During March, sightings of frogspawn become increasingly common. Female frogs lay their eggs in distinctive jelly-like rafts, each containing up to 2,000 eggs. These clusters float on the pond’s surface, soaking up the warmth of the spring sunshine.
Over the coming weeks, depending on local weather conditions, the eggs will develop and hatch into tadpoles. Warmer temperatures can speed up development, while colder spells may slow things down. It’s a delicate and fascinating process that marks the true arrival of spring.
Please Don’t Move Frogspawn
While it can be tempting to “help” frogs by moving spawn to another pond, this can actually do more harm than good.
Moving frogspawn may:
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Spread amphibian diseases to new ponds.
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Introduce invasive, non-native plants that could quickly take over.
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Overcrowd a pond that already contains frogspawn, leaving it unable to support a larger population.
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Disrupt natural balances: if a pond has no frogspawn, there may be a reason. It could be unsuitable habitat or home to many frogspawn predators.
If you’re interested in creating a wildlife-friendly pond, our Just Add Water booklet offers helpful guidance on how to do so safely and effectively.
Newts on the Move
March also sees great crested newts leaving their winter refuges and returning to breeding ponds. These protected amphibians prefer ponds without fish, as fish readily eat their eggs and larvae. Interestingly, ponds that dry out every few years are often ideal, as they are unlikely to support fish populations.
Palmate and smooth newts usually emerge slightly earlier and may already be well into their breeding season by March. Their courtship involves an elaborate and rather charming ‘dance’ performed by the male to attract a mate.
Once mating has taken place, female newts carefully lay their eggs individually, wrapping each one inside the leaf of a pond plant for protection. Both palmate and smooth newts can lay up to 300 eggs in a single season.
Need More Advice?
If you’d like to learn more about frogs, newts, or other amphibian species, visit our FAQs webpage for further information.
Spotted a reptile or amphibian? Remember to record them on our free Dragon Finder App. All data from the app is sent to the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas.
Potentially as early as January in the South East of England, and up to April in other areas of the UK, the common frog will emerge from their winter hideouts and head back to a pond. Male frogs will ‘piggy back’ on their chosen female using their nuptial pads to hold on tightly. This is a process known as ‘amplexus’. He will then fertilise her spawn as she lays it. Common frog eggs are laid in clumps, with up to 2,000 eggs laid in one single clump. Female frogs can lay up to 4,000 eggs over one breeding season.
Common toads will ritually return to the same pond for breeding each year where possible. They take advantage of warmer, damp spring evenings to leave their overwintering sites and return to their specific pond. This behaviour makes them notorious for crossing roads over night and putting themselves at risk of being run over. Our 
Once the warmer weather of spring hits, newts too will venture back to a suitable pond to breed and lay eggs. Males of each newt species will perform elaborate ‘dances’ to attract the attention of females, who will choose which male gets to fertilise their eggs. Newt eggs are laid in a very different way to toads and frogs. A female newt will lay each egg individually, she will lay the egg on the leaf of an aquatic plant and carefully fold the leaf around the egg to protect it, giving the leaf a very straight edge where it has been folded over. Newts lay less eggs than their toad and frog counterparts, but females will still lay hundreds over the season.
