Kitchen Garden Forum

Was cleaning some dead leaves out of my minpond today when I came across a torpid newt mixed up in the weed. This surprised me. It's the first one I've ever spotted in there in winter. I thought they usually left the water late autumn to hibernate in dry ground.

Having said that I suppose it won,t be too long before we start receiving the first reports of early frogspawn. Today's sunshine, despite the bitter wind, has bought out two early bumblebees buzzing around some heather. Not much food around for them yet at this time of year

I was watching a newt in a part frozen ditch the other week, tough little critters.

Primrose you could direct your bubble bees my way - I have perfect plum blossom for them! Actually some may pop out in the next few days, temperature is rising to double figures and the wind has died down.

First year newts often stay in the water, I believe, like first year frogs, Primrose. We have certainly seen newts in our pond in winter and frogs are in there now although we won't get frogspawn for quite some time.