Garden Visitor of the Toad Kind

 

This magnificent toad gave us quite a surprise yesterday when we squeezed round the side of our house, looking for butterflies on the Buddleia. 

I suspect he or she possibly had an even greater surprise when we appeared, but s/he simply stayed still and looked up at us through those mysterious copper eyes. 

The photo below was taken by David as soon as he realised there was a toad by the step. This shot from above shows off the pale speckled skin on the legs, which I suppose adds to the creature's camouflage. 

I gather toads like to eat ants; only two days before, we had noticed a lot of large winged ants springing up from an anthill in our long grass. Toads also like beetles; I don't know if 4cm-long stag beetles would see these amphibians biting off more than they can chew!