@AngelaR - ask and ye shall receive - toadpole pictures, one from this year (the blurry dark and spotted one), and one from just after we put the liner in (light brown in bright sunlight).
You are soooo lucky! I am hoping (finally) to get at least a small pond in shortly as it’s what I miss most from my UK house about being here. I don’t miss anything else as far as I can think
Can I refer you back to my friendly toad in the swimming pond?
He was there again yesterday when I went for my swim, in the water midway between the 2 corners and paddling away as if to climb out, but it is steep, even overhanging, there.
So I climbed in carefully, did another couple of lengths checking on him every time, I didn’t want to hurt him as I touched the end each time. Then I stopped to talk to him, right up close, he wasn’t a bit afraid, so I ventured a gentle stroke down his back. Still no fear so I put my finger in front of him and he took hold, very lightly. Emboldened and thinking that maybe he wanted to climb out I put my upturned palm underneath and gently lifted him from the water.
Then I noticed something I had missed before, where his left rear leg should be there was just a stump. ! It was not recent though, it was all healed over, so was he born like that, or has a snake taken it just as one I pictured some years ago tried unsuccessfully with a frog? I looked again at the close up photo, couldn’t see a leg or foot at all, just assumed before that it was tucked underneath him.
Anyway, he was happily sitting there on my hand, so I took him to the corner where I had first seen him and held it there and he slowly crawled off and settled into the crevice. I determined to check again on him later
He was still there last night, un-moving, he could get back in the water easily if he wanted to. He was so still that I feared the worst and gently stroked his back, he moved a little. Will check again this morning.
Gone today, hopefully safely, but I am being careful where I walk knowing his penchant for hiding in liner folds.