Toads on the move
By Paolo Oprandi
from Issue 97 Summer 2025 of The Round Hill Reporter.
Dry Skies, Silent Steps: Amphibian Activity Plummets in Brighton’s Driest Early Spring For those who don’t know, the Round Hill area has always been a special place in Brighton for amphibians. We are the only area in the City with its own active Toad Patrol! Amphibians traditionally hibernate on the Downs during non-breeding season and then go to lower ground to breed in marshes and ponds. In this area we believe, historically, they used to visit a pond at the bottom of Sylvian Hall to breed.
When I innocently joined the Roundhill Society Toad Patrol in 2021, I had no idea I would end up leading it and proudly hold the badge: The Roundhill Toad Officer. But nor did I expect to be the one to have to report such sad news.
Despite our victory in stopping the ecocidal Labour Brighton Council spraying Round Hill pavements and streets with glyphosate, we have not been shielded from this era of rapid biodiversity collapse. A year marked by record-breaking dryness and unseasonal warmth, the Round Hill Patrollers in Brighton have observed another year of decline in amphibian activity during February and March 2025. The data paints a stark picture: only 151 toads and 13 Newts were recorded—continuing a worrying downward trend from previous years.
A Season of Silence
The Round Hill steps, typically bustling with Toads during early spring migrations, have grown quieter each year. This six-year decline represents a 64% drop in Toad sightings since 2020. While natural fluctuations are expected, the consistency of this downward trend is alarming.
This year’s counts are the lowest since records began, and the cause appears to be clear: the weather. Amphibian numbers also haven’t been helped by good meaning people removing harmless plants from the edges of the steps which provide shelter for our wildlife.
Since becoming Toad Officer I have revamped my own wildlife pond and created another in my small garden. Although I have noticed a marked decrease in the Toads at the front and back of the house, nowadays I am more likely than ever to see a Frog. And although they haven’t bred in my ponds, for most of the Summer and Autumn I had 3 or 4 Frogs sheltering in them, as well as slow worms around the edges.
Looking Ahead
As climate change continues to reshape the seasons and natural habitats continue to be lost, long-term monitoring like the Round Hill records will be crucial. But the message from 2025 is already loud and clear: without rain, the Toads don’t come to Cat’s Creep in numbers.
Volunteers needed for toad patrols
Would you like to learn more about amphibian behaviour? Or just join a local community-run project? Join the Cat's Creep 'toad patrol' with your neighbours! It involves no more than 20 minutes of patrolling on any night(s) you’re available across February and March.
See Winter 2023 issue of The Round Hill Reporter for contact details.
Search the Round Hill Community Noticeboad FB Group for photos of toads on the move.
For those new to things, what's involved is popping out to the Cat Creep (the stepped alleyway that links Roundhill Crescent at the bottom, and Wakefield/Richmond Rds at the top) anytime after dusk and counting the toads/frogs/newts you see, and letting the public know of the marvellous migratory spectacle occurring literally at their feet (amphibians emerging from winter hibernation and trundling off towards their breeding ponds to find a mate - often with the male toads hitching a ride on the back of the females en route and sometimes fighting & singing!). While it's usually rare at this site to need to move any amphibians out of harm's way, what's key is to encourage the public to use a light and 'check before you step'!. (I've attached some guidance on best practice biosecurity measures and handling/moving amphibians.)
In previous years we've had between 700-800 sightings over a migration period, with numbers above 50 being seen in a single trip on the busiest nights! So it's a great excuse for a winter evening wander; kids welcome.
What you'll need: a TORCH! (the brighter the better, but don't shine it on critters for too long), note-taking equipment.
This year, I'd like to coordinate our records and site visits at THIS LINK: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_SBltNb0hOtIzhJCQmN05J7g5fWOwLzpKaCOC-DUAdE/edit?usp=sharing - please open it up and take a look :)
This will act as both a bit of a 'rota' (so folks can pop themselves down for 'slots' they can offer / let others know when they might head out, so they can team up with others if they like / and we can easily see evenings that look in need of a volunteer) - And it will also be the central place to record your sightings on return from your visit! - Just click back into the link and fill in your data! (You will all be able to edit the spreadsheet and it saves automatically, so just close it when you're done - or leave it open as you please!) Then we can watch the numbers and share tidbits as the season progresses.
Feel free to pop over to the Cat Creep as much or as little as you fancy! (e.g. we can have multiple counts on an evening if some folks would like to take a look earlier and some prefer to head out later in the evening).
Many of us are also in a WhatsApp group - please let me know if you'd like to join.
Feel free to start checking as soon as you like (though it might be a bit cool still just yet) and we'll see via the Google spreadsheet (and/or WhatsApp) when the first sightings start coming in!
Watch the YouTube video on Amphibian ID and Ecology.
This page was last updated by Ted on 30-Jun-2025