With the improving weather this week it felt positively balmy as participants in KRAG's Great Crested Newt Monitoring Project assembled at Broad Oak House to practice their survey skills.  The site has three waterbodies that are all different in nature and between them they support four of the five native amphibian species in Kent.  The toads in the main lake now seem to be in full swing.

The site also contains a fish-free pond that supports a population of great crested newts and the mild conditions obviously suited the animals as we were able to spot 75 great crested newts.  This is clearly part of a larger metapopulation of great crested newts as pond density is very high in this part of Kent.  KRAG aim to investigate nearby ponds to try and assess the full size of this population of newts.  Many thanks to all those people who are taking part in this year's monitoring project and special thanks are due to Rosalind Riley and Tim Bull who have been such hospitable hosts at Broad Oak House.