Newts, alive and well!

With the weeks of dry weather and my ponds contracting rapidly, I was concerned to have observed no newts recently.  However, this evening, on slug patrol with new batteries in my torch just look what there was to see.

There were dozens of young newts, complete with external gills.

There were very few adults.  They will leave the water at night to roam the damp ground, or perhaps they are simply spent.  I don't know.

In any case it was very satisfying to see so many of this year's offspring enjoying the newly replenished pond after this week's deluge of close to 2 inches of rain in an hour - wonderful.  I might even get some runner beans now.
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