NEWTS IN GRAVE DANGER

I got back from Manchester today to find a plastic bottle and a note on my doorstep. A friend of mine, who's a part time Grave Digger , had been digging a grave at a Church and had actually dug up, unintentionally, 3 Smooth Newts from about 2 feet underground. He was concerned that they would be trampled by a nearby funeral that would take place the same day, and couldn't really put them back in the area he was digging, so knowing I've got a wild life orientated pond he left them on my doorstep.
So still wearing my City Clothes I checked that they were okay, and they were, went down to the pond, dug a small hole in a sheltered area and put them in. Then I covered them with a mixture of damp soil and compost and left them to it.
So it looks like I've got some more none rent paying residents by the pond I'll be keeping an eye out for them when Spring comes and see what happens.
How my friend managed not to injure or kill the Newts with his spade when digging is a lucky event. I didn't realise that they would hibernate so deep in the ground. He is a Conservationist anyway and loves Nature so he was very worried about them surviving with a lot of people tramping around so I can understand why he left the Newts on my doorstep.

 

Well, that was my first thought, Strongy, when I read the note. But although my friend had identified them, I checked again just to make sure. The question is, what could I have done if they were Great Crested?, as my first concern would be their survival not creating a conservation upset.
The pond is there for their use anyway, so hopefully they will be okay and use it in the coming months. As I said I'll be keeping an eye out for them.

 

Ziggy, you know full well we take turns in the digging and that there is a corner where a lot of members who gone quiet are put after you hit them on the head with the spade.

 

Thanks Kindred Spirit, it was the last thing I thought I would find on my door step. My friend left me a long note about how he'd found them and was amazed that he not injured them when digging in the ground. Hopefully, they'll survive the event and be there in the Spring.

 

All I'm allowed to say, Mum, is don't turn your back on Ziggy if he's carrying a spade.

 

Too late Joolz, he's started to write you name on the Spade handle.

I'm keeping an eye on the Newts as they have a reputation for getting drunk , and "murdering" members??, Ziggy calls it "retiring" them.

 

That's what Popeye used to say, "I cain't stands no more!!"