Ian,
Just to clarify for readers outside the UK I'm going to assume we're talkin=
g
about Common Frog (*Rana temporaria) and *Common Toad (*Bufo bufo*) - the
other scarce/introduced UK species may well have different behaviour, but
these are the ones I'm familiar with (having a pond full of them outside th=
e
back door!) and the ones you're most likely to encounter.
The frogs here start croaking around mid-February as their breeding season
begins. This rises to a peak of activity towards the end of the month when
we get 30+ pairs mating. These are probably some of the earliest frogs in
the country since we're on the South Devon coast, in London your frogs may
be days or weeks later. As soon as they've spawned they fall almost silent
and only croak sporadically throughout the summer, usually just before or
during rain - hence why overcast days are best.
The toads usually spawn a few weeks after the frogs. They're much quieter,
even at the height of their breeding period we only hear 1 or 2 calls a
minute - nothing like the continuous wall of sound the frogs can produce.
Again, they go on calling through the summer, mostly in the late evening.
Hope this helps!
Tom
On 30 March 2010 13:02, im_rawes <> wrote:
>
>
> I'd like to record the croaking of frogs and toads around London. There a=
re
> a few marshy areas where I'm pretty sure they can be found.
>
> But what's the best time of day and year to hear them?
>
> Oddly enough I can't seem to find a clear answer to this elsewhere, excep=
t
> that overcast days are more promising than sunny ones.
>
> Ian
>
> - -
>
> London Sound Survey http://www.soundsurvey.org.uk
>
> Supporting Deafness Research UK http://www.deafnessresearch.org.uk
>
>
>
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