Blades of glass rustle as hundreds — if not thousands — of toads spring forth from hibernation, each one a bloated, wart-ridden, writhing mass of arms of legs.
Then, wide-eyed and kamikaze-like, they fall from the high kerb before making a desperate dash across the road, determined to reach their hereditary breeding ground.
But one grave danger awaits them: the motor car. And it’s rush-hour.
“The majority of them would simply never make it without our help,” says Bob Baker, a volunteer who runs three toad crossing patrols near Overseal.
“Last year we saved 1,200 — we count each one — even the ones that get squashed,” adds the 70-year-old, a retired butcher.
“We can’t stop the traffic so we have to hope they slow down when they see our toad crossing signs and high-vis jackets.
“They cross anywhere along this 300- yard section of road. We can’t spot them all and even with our help about 10 per cent don’t make it.
“But if we weren’t here I think nearly all of them would be killed.”
Mr Baker says the amphibian roulette started early this year due to the unseasonal warm spell. He is expecting a busy few weeks.
“The toads have probably been returning to this pond for hundreds of years, but nearby building work forced them to change to this most dangerous route about four years ago,” Mr Baker says.
“We need people to be more aware and take notice of our signs.
“Most drivers do slow down but some shout abuse at us. I’ve even been deliberately driven into before.”
Mary Lento, a bookkeeper, is one of a dozen volunteers patrolling the crossings.
“Some nights you can get up to 200 toads in your bucket,” the 65-year-old tells the Mail.
“Your arms can really ache before you get a chance to empty them on the other side of the road.
“It can become really confusing when some of them start to come back after spawning because you don’t know which way they are trying to cross the road.
“I think it’s very important work. It’s a commitment to nature. It really feels worthwhile.”
More volunteers are needed to prevent an annual British road toad toll which now stands at 20 tons.
Conservation co-ordinator D Silviu Petrovan, from British wildlife charity Froglife, says more needs to be done to protect toads where new roads are planned and to monitor existing measures.
“With road infrastructure constantly being developed, the issue is a pressing one,” he says, delivering a chilling pun.
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