Frog Pond Webcam – Watch Frogs, Toads and Newts in Spain

The Frog Pond Webcam looks across the edge of a small amphibian pond in Las Merindades, in the far north of Burgos province in Spain. The camera sits almost at ground level, so stones, grass and water fill the frame at about the height of a frog. A ring of rounded stones holds a shallow pool on the left, a pale boulder sits in the middle, and open water dotted with tiny floating leaves reaches away to the right. Directo Natura, which runs the stream, lists frogs, toads and newts as the pond’s residents. They keep their own hours, so quiet spells are normal, and amphibians are often most active after dark, when the picture switches to infrared black and white.

About the Frog Pond in Las Merindades

Directo Natura is a Spanish project that sets remote-controlled cameras in natural areas and broadcasts them live with no script, editing or post-production, on the stated rule that the cameras must not disturb the animals. This pond is Camera 65 in its network and went live on October 5, 2026. It is one of three cameras the project streams from Las Merindades, alongside a bird feeder with its own pond and a hedgehog feeding station. The operator gives the location only as Las Merindades, so the map pin marks Villarcayo, the district capital, rather than the pond itself.

Las Merindades covers 2,821 square kilometers (1,089 square miles) of northern Burgos, with more than 360 villages and hamlets grouped into 26 municipalities. It borders Cantabria to the northwest, Biscay to the northeast and Alava to the east, and it is known as the birthplace of the name Castile. Villarcayo stands on the Nela river, Medina de Pomar is the largest town, and the valley floor around Villarcayo lies at about 600 meters (1,970 feet).

Small ponds matter to amphibians in this part of Spain. Records from Burgos show that the palmate newt has disappeared from or declined sharply in several parts of the province in recent decades, including La Bureba and the Sedano valley, while the marbled newt ranges across the north, center and west of the Iberian Peninsula. Directo Natura does not name the species at this pond, so which frogs, toads and newts turn up is something to watch for rather than a promise.

Weather and Climate in Las Merindades

Winters are cool and damp. Averages for the valley around Villarcayo over the last ten years put afternoons from December to February at 9 to 12 C (48 to 53 F) and nights at 2 to 4 C (36 to 39 F), and from November to April rain totals 72 to 90 millimeters (2.8 to 3.5 inches) a month. Spring warms slowly, from about 13 C (55 F) in March to 19 C (66 F) in May. That is the season when frogs, toads and newts typically return to ponds to breed, so it is the likeliest time to catch them in the water.

Summer brings highs of 26 to 27 C (78 to 80 F) in July and August, with nights near 14 C (57 F), and those two months are the driest of the year at about 28 millimeters (1.1 inches) of rain each. Autumn cools from 19 C (67 F) in October to 13 C (55 F) in November, the wettest month at about 90 millimeters (3.5 inches). In early October the margins of the pond are still thick with green leaves and the water is dotted with floating plants. After dark, in any season, the infrared light turns the near bank pale and the open water almost black.

Things to Do in Las Merindades

Ojo Guarena, in the Merindad de Sotoscueva, is the district’s best-known natural site and the largest cave complex in the Iberian Peninsula. More than 90 kilometers (56 miles) of galleries link fourteen caves on six levels, and the regional government declared it a natural monument in 1996. Cueva Palomera is the main entrance for visits, the visitor center is in Quintanilla del Rebollar, and the site also has hermitages carved into the limestone. Puentedey, a hamlet in the Merindad de Valdeporres, has a natural bridge carved through the rock.

Frias, with 258 residents in 2025, was granted its city title in 1435 and is the smallest settlement in Spain to hold it. Its castle dates from the late 12th and early 13th centuries, and the town’s medieval bridge runs 143 meters (469 feet) on nine arches. A marked trail leads from Frias to the Tobera waterfalls. Elsewhere in the district, the 12th-century monastery of Santa Maria de Rioseco was home to Cistercian monks for centuries, and the Romanesque church of San Pantaleon de Losa stands among forests.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more wildlife cameras and more of Spain, try these next.

• Urdaibai Bird Center Webcam
• Peak District Barn Owl Webcam
• Villapadierna Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Frog Pond Webcam located?

The pond is in Las Merindades, a district of 26 municipalities in the far north of Burgos province, in the Castile and Leon region of northern Spain. Directo Natura does not publish the exact site.

What can you see on the Frog Pond Webcam?

A low view across the edge of a small pond: rounded stones around a shallow pool on the left, a pale boulder in the center, open water dotted with floating plants on the right. Frogs, toads and newts appear when they choose to, so long spells can pass with only the water and the plants moving.

What is the weather like in Las Merindades?

Cool and damp in winter, with afternoons of 9 to 12 C (48 to 53 F), and warm and fairly dry in summer, when July and August reach 26 to 27 C (78 to 80 F). November is the wettest month, with about 90 millimeters (3.5 inches) of rain.

Can you see the frog pond at night?

Yes. After dark the camera switches to infrared, so the picture turns black and white, with the near bank lit and the water dark. Night is often a good time to watch, because many amphibians move about mainly after dark.

When is the best time to see frogs and newts on the camera?

Spring is the main breeding season, when amphibians return to ponds, and mild, damp nights at any time of year tend to bring them out. Cold winter spells and dry summer weeks are usually quieter.

What is Directo Natura?

A Spanish project that streams live wildlife cameras from natural areas around the country. This pond is its Camera 65, broadcast on the Directo Natura 4 YouTube channel, which also carries the project’s bird feeder and hedgehog cameras in Las Merindades.

What is there to do in Las Merindades?

Tour the Ojo Guarena caves, see the castle and medieval bridge at Frias, walk from Frias to the Tobera waterfalls, and visit the natural rock bridge at Puentedey.

Source: Directo Natura