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Spring Wildlife in North Devon: It's Bursting into Life

  • Writer: Dawn Fletcher
    Dawn Fletcher
  • Mar 20
  • 2 min read

Updated: Mar 25

Spring is in the air!


There’s something truly special about spring wildlife in North Devon - from croaking frogs to blooming hedgerows, nature feels wide awake.


Although the temperatures here remain fairly fresh, the sun has been a regular feature over the past few weeks, and it’s made such a difference. Much as I love the hibernation that winter offers, the dawning of spring brings with it a sense of freshness, hope, and inspiration.


And it's not just us humans who feel brighter and more active at this time of year. The Spring Equinox, when daylight hours are equal to the hours of darkness here in the northern hemisphere, marks the beginning of the breeding season for many species—none more so than our little green friends, the frogs.


A hand holds a brown toad. Other toads float in a pond with submerged twigs. The setting is outdoors with natural surroundings.
A few of the frogs in our fishing lake with bellies full of eggs

Spring wildlife in North Devon is always a joy to witness, and here at Newberry Valley we’ve been especially excited to see the abundance of frogspawn and frogs around the site. A few years back, our frog population was severely depleted due to a virus, so we’re absolutely delighted to notice loads of mating frogs and frogspawn around the edges of the lake.


Although, there's a cautionary note to all this spring fertility activity.


Traffic sign with a green frog inside a red triangle. Text reads: "SLOW Frogs & Toads Please Drive Carefully Thank You."

As avid nature lovers, we want to do our bit to help protect these fascinating amphibious creatures and the biodiversity they are a part of.


When it rains, the frogs often take to the pathways and roads, especially at night. This, of course, makes them vulnerable to injury and death from cars and other vehicles, so we’d like to put out a plea for extra care at these times. Please drive slowly and with care - not just here on site, but wherever you may be.


After all, they’re some of the best natural garden pest controllers. They eat slugs, snails, caterpillars, flies, and even mosquitoes, so it’s well worth taking extra care and attention to keep the frog population strong.



 

 

Gold David Bellamy Conservation Award badge, featuring a black bird and green leaf on a blue circle. The word "GOLD" below in golden text.

It’s not just frogs we care about here at Newberry Valley. We held the David Bellamy Gold Award for Conservation for over 10 years, and we continue to strive to protect and encourage the wildlife around us, doing our bit to support the diversity of nature.


Whether you're here for a weekend or a week, spring is the perfect time to unwind and reconnect with nature.



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