Just seen newts in my one year old pond!

dappledshade

I’m so excited, I was hopping up and down 😁
We only built it last May/June so I wasn’t really expecting much.
Seen two of them, one about 10cm long and the other a bit shorter - how on earth do they find us and get to us, I wonder?
I’ve been reading a bit about them and it seems that their larval stage is super predatory, so no chance of any frogs spawning in there’s any time soon?

GemmaJF

The larval stage won't be free swimming when there is spawn in there. Some ponds have a mix of both frogs and newts for decades.

It is more a case that adult newts like to munch the spawn and tadpoles, but over years of observations, if a pond has shallows so the newts can only nibble the edges of spawn, there is a good chance of frogs and newts thriving side-by-side. 

There is a very good chance the newts were already there!

Amazing as it seems, they disperse widely and spend 2-3 years on land before they breed for the first time. In those years they can wander for miles, living on land and hiding in gardens. As soon as a pond appears, they are ready to colonize it. 

Bijdezee

I'm jealous, was just saying to my DH today that I wish we had newts here.

Our pond is only small and we put it in last April, we had a few fish but the heron ate them 😔. There is a very small frog that sits on the rock sunbathing so I will keep hoping. 

dappledshade

@GemmaJF that’s really interesting, thanks. I’d love to have frogs as well, but I’m patiently waiting...
@Bijdezee I’m envious of your frog 🐸 so we’re quits 😁
My pond isn’t large at all - only about 1.20m at its longest/widest point.
I had no idea newts could move around on land for so long, then hop into a pond and claim it, once it is created!

Bunny ...

We rescued some tadpoles from drying out track yrs ago and put them in our pond. Millions of baby frogs later , we got newts in our pond and they are still there.  No frogs though. 
I've just cleaned it out and found 3 adults and 4 babies ..so didnt clean too much .

Crazyfroglady...and.now.newts.

I totally share your excitement! We did our pond last year too and only last week I put a post on here asking “who’s egg is this”? And the lovely forum didn’t disappoint, and informed me that it was in fact a newt egg, and like you I was giddy with excitement. I just love our pond it’s a hive of activity and a welcome distraction in this crazy time we are all currently going through.

dappledshade

@Bunny ... do you clean out your pond every year?
I just fish a bit of blanketweed out of mine and let the rest get on with it, but maybe I should be doing more?

dappledshade

@Crazyfroglady...and.now.newts. That’s amazing!
Ive never seen eggs as such, just a couple of what looked like adult sized newts. They were gorgeous things. I wonder if they’re still there or have already left the pond? Not seen them for a few days, but I do have quite a lot of lemna floating on top of my pond, mind you.
I remain amazed at the hive of activity, as you say.
Cat drinks from it, as do all the birds who visit. I’ve seen damsel flies after just one month that we’d set it up, wasps drinking, water fleas, butterflies resting, small birds washing on the beach area. It’s fascinating to watch, isn’t it!?

Spudface33

Congratulations, newts are a wonderful addition to a pond. Our pond is 16 years old now and since relocating our fish a few years back we have masses of newts as well as tadpoles. They are so entertaining to watch and as GemmaJF says they are often to be found under rocks, stones or bricks just waiting for someone to build them a pond, so well done.

dappledshade

Thanks @Spudface33 that’s amazing that they came to your pond, after so many years of fish residents. They must be always around and waiting, as you say.
I didn’t think newts and tadpoles could coexist, but I suppose they must find their own balance eventually.
Cant wait to get some tadpoles too! Though I still wonder how on earth frogs would get into our garden, never mind know there was a pond there...

Spudface33

It is astonishing how they find ponds but we got a little help because our next door neighbour had a pond long before us.  Once they find you they'll spawn and any surviving tadpoles that make it to adulthood will return to your pond next year and do the same themselves, its very special.