The rarest amphibian in this country is the
natterjack toad, a protected species.
Common frogs and common toads spawn much earlier than the
natterjacks and their tadpoles can eat the smaller
natterjack tadpoles.
The two groups came together in early May to try out some
Natterjack Toad predator protection designs.
Royal Birkdale is one of the most ecologically sensitive courses on the Open rota, a site of Special Scientific Interest, the protected home of orchids and other special plants, the sand lizards and the
natterjack toads.
The conservation scheme has proved such a success that the number of
natterjacks at The Wirral course has grown to more than 6,000.
One of our species which has been affected are our
natterjack toads.
A short walk along Hoylake shore lies an area known as Red Rocks where pools support a small population of
natterjack Toads.
As I walked through the dunes a sound stopped me dead in my tracks - it was like a
natterjack toad male "singing".
We have gone from very wet and windy to hot, dry and windy and I hate to say it but now what we could do with is some rain, especially our
natterjack toads.
Taylor explains: "A survey was carried out and a report produced on the likely impact of the golf event on the toad habitat area and although, following a series of exhaustive searches, no
natterjacks were found on the course, a comprehensive programme of impact mitigation was still developed.
I'M looking for Pat Jennings whom I met at
Natterjacks back in 1998.
``After four hard weeks of moving sand the team can now look back and see what they have achieved by helping these
natterjacks, providing the perfect breeding ponds, '' he said.