I have heard of this post’s subject all my life. It was listed in the first books on British wildlife I read as a child, as in all such guides ever since; but how does one go about actually setting eyes upon Natterjack Toad? Great Britain’s scarcest amphibian is said to occur currently at up to 60 sites, mostly coastal sand dune systems, grazing marshes and sandy heaths; many of which are not generally accessible. It is largely nocturnal, concealing itself in shallow burrows through the daylight hours. Spawning occurs in April, when starting at dusk males maintain a night-long rasping chorus to attract females, and only the loudest succeed. And as a highly protected species, disturbing them in any way and unlicensed picture taking are illegal.

Given all those constraints, the only reliable way of connecting is by joining a licensed, guided walk. These are at present offered by Cheshire Wildlife Trust on the Dee Estuary (see here), the National Trust at this post’s location (here) and the RSPB at it’s Mersehead reserve in Dumfries and Galloway (here). All are expertly led, and the responsible use of torches and cameras is permitted. Of those north-western options the second most suited my own current part-time working schedule. It would be a long way to go, but this is something that had to be done if I am to record the remaining difficult Herpetora amongst other national wildlife I still need.

My locale of choice supports one fifth of the British Natterjack population at five different sites on Cumbria’s Duddon estuary. Sandscale Haws NNR (LA14 4QJ – SD 200756 see here) is an outstanding sand dune habitat (pictured above) containing around 40 shallow, seasonal breeding pools. In the event the logistics and expense of this exercise proved to be favourable. With searching online the return rail fare from Banbury to Lancaster was a mere £70 (surely less than the petrol cost), and from there an hourly local service runs to Barrow. Parking in Banbury, a £50 room to put my head down in overnight, and a local taxi fulfilled the trip agenda for less than £175. What was there not to like?

Hence the appointed evening found me striding out from Dalton-in-Furness rail station, around three miles to my destination. By some time after 7:30 pm a dozen participants had gathered to be briefed by our NT ranger hosts. Then we were led out into the 3000 year old dune system, and its dynamics were explained to us. For myself, in the failing light the setting seemed both that primeval and evocative in equal measure, and I felt glad to have taken the opportunity to be here. This was an interesting experience.

At what was cited as a likely dune slack pool we were shown spawn and tiny black tadpoles. Spawn is laid in 1 – 2 metre long strings, with just one row of eggs per string. Then we waited for the fabled Natterjack chorus to commence … and waited longer … but it didn’t happen. There was just the sound of drumming Snipe and occasional quacks of Mallard, and I began to feel disheartened. Males can be quite mobile between different pools, depending on where the females might go. So the decision was taken to check two other locations, and on we all tramped, torches in hand in the dark.

On the way to the first stop a faint though intermittent chorus became audible from the pool ahead, and one of the rangers went in to look things over. She emerged again a little further on to say she had found one male toad, and in we all went. Scanning again by flashlight our guide relocated it, which seemed quite amazing to me, though she was well practiced. Proof perhaps of the likely futility of searching for such things unaided. I was one of the first to reach the specimen in question.

This male Natterjack Toad (pictured above) seemed small to me but was apparently an adult. They are indeed somewhat smaller and shorter-limbed than Common Toads, normally around 6-8 cm in length. There is a prominent bright yellow stripe down the centre of the back, and males have a bluish or purple throat. Colouring is otherwise brownish, grey or olive-green, and the skin is covered in red and yellow warts. The lead ranger then lifted our quest from the pool edge to present it to the group. Both of our hosts are licensed to do that. It is strictly forbidden for the general public to handle or otherwise disturb these creatures in any way, and visitors to Sandscale Haws are requested not to enter the pools.

The sighting gained was mission accomplished. We next moved on to the nearest pool to the reserve entrance (pictured above), from within which a louder chorus was rising. When we got there it stopped and we could not locate any more subjects. Things it seemed were quite fickle on this evening of my intent. It was now 10:15 pm and mindful of the booked taxi to take me into Barrow for the night, I left the group at this point. Two other torches had also been searching out the collective quest from other points around the pool.

The most notable British Natterjack populations now range from Merseyside through the Cumbrian coast to the Solway Firth, but this amphibian was formerly resident on Surrey and Hampshire heaths, and also around the coast of East Anglia. In each of those southern locations very few colonies now remain, though re-introduction schemes are in progress. My original plan had focused on Norfolk, within which Winterton Dunes NNR (TG496201) held a major colony, but no breeding has occurred since 2018. Just two individuals were recorded there in 2022 and none at all in 2023. At NWT Holme Dunes (PE36 6LQ – TF714449), where they were introduced in the 1970s, the local chorus is said to be audible from the sea wall at Thornham harbour; but there is no guided access. That left the inland site of Syderstone Common (PE31 8SE – TF834318) near King’s Lynn, but when the time came the nocturnal task seemed just too daunting to attempt alone.

The eventual longer-range exercise I opted for, described herein was far more difficult even than I had imagined. I am a little disappointed the occasion yielded just a single sighting, and more so with the chorus itself. Having read in advance that it starts at dusk and continues all night, being audible up to 2 km away, it actually began much later at around 9:30 pm, seeming fainter and sporadic. But hey, I have now done Natterjacks and a lifetime’s wildlife ambition has been realised.