After a very cold spell of weather during March, which saw many ponds ice-bound for most of the month, both frogs and toads have been late to spawn this year. However, a visit to a traditional spawning pool near Loch Garten on the 31st March revealed hundreds of common toads in amplexus in the warmer shallow margins along with a huge mass of frog spawn.

This site along with many in the country suffers from its close proximity to a road, which unfortunately accounts for many casualties despite the valiant efforts of volunteers who provide a safe passage for the amourous amphibians.