A dank, misty start of the week but some new activity in the garden pond. The newts have emerged from their winter hibernation and a good number of them are now preparing for the breeding season. They seem to thrive in our little pond, despite the mess of weed and rotting leaves. I'll get round to clearing some of the mess away soon, if only to provide some clear space in the water for photos.
The males develop a small wavy crest along the length of their body, as well as pronounced dark spots, during the breeding season. 
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens.
derWandersmann
30 Jan 2013That's good newts, indeed!
SittingFox
2 Feb 2013Excellent shots. I guess they're one species that hasn't suffered from the constant rain of the last six months! You certainly seem to have a good population in your pond :up:
derWandersmann
3 Feb 2013Speaking of Thaw, I caught John Thaw in the Jeremy Brett production of The Sign of Four last week.
I know; it's really completely irrelevant, isn't it?
Words
3 Feb 2013dW, just have to wait for the frogs to lay spawn and then the feeding frenzy will really get under way. 🙂
Words
3 Feb 2013dW, irrelevant. I'll think about that :sherlock:
Words
3 Feb 2013Adele, they do cope well with rain but they also have to cope with a frozen pond at times which isn't quite so pleasant for them. The newts do seem to dominate the pond. I must clear out some of the weed in the next week or so before we get any spawn.