Thank you for your further comments. That's very informative, BlueBirder! There isn't anything else in the garden that will collect water, but I've found a spare plastic box, a bit larger than an ice-cream tub, that I've lined with some PVC sheeting and gaffer tape that I happened to have. I can put that by the bucket, but maybe better would be to bury it between the log-pile and the long grass.
The reason there is long grass is I haven't mowed the lawn since Autumn and I think the mower is broken . In previous years when I mowed it for the first time in Spring, I would sometimes see one of these toads hopping out of the way. This hopping ability makes me think, as Victoria Sponge says, that they are in fact frogs! A good idea will be for me to rake the grass before mowing it, to give them a chance to hop off.
Without my unfortunate involvement, would the tadpoles in the bucket have stood a chance of making it to fully grown frogs? I'm not sure if they could have found much food there, though there were some old leaves at the bottom (which is what made it hard to spot the toad/frog) and I gather that they sometimes just eat each other.....
I think you must have a nice environment for them to be hanging out in your garden anyway If you can provide some permanent water that would be great for them but not everyone is in a position to do this.
I think the reason there is so much spawn is not all will make it to being an adult frog/toad. I once had two tiny frogs drown (I assume) in my hedgehog's water bowl, sometimes you can't do right for doing wrong
I've just moved the bucket to the middle of the garden where I can better surround it with logs and there's more undergrowth.
I dropped in a few earthworms, woodlice and snails which I uncovered while I was setting this up. I didn't see the frog! But perhaps a few air bubbles so I hope he's still in there.
There are a lot of marauding cats so I think some kind of grill over the bucket may be necessary, though I'm not sure then how the frog could get in or out.
Found this critter too, not sure what it is but maybe the frog will enjoy...
It's highly unlikely that the spawn in the bucket would have led to successful adult toads. As for the current adult, just lay the bucket on its side and the toad will leave when it's good and ready.
It looks like a frog Alexander - pointy nose, shiny skin and big jumpy back legs - toads crawl and would have struggled to get into the bucket. Not that a spotters' guide's important - what's important is that you've obviously got a garden where amphibians are happy to make their home. If there are prowling cats around, main thing is that there are plenty of places to hide - wildlife likes "untidy" so some small areas left a bit wild or with old pots etc to hide under will suit him/them. If you got spawn this year, chances are you'll get it next year and the year after - the death rate for tadpoles is stratospheric which is why they lay so many eggs, so don't worry about the failed spawn this year!
I know it's being done with the best of intentions, but dropping food into the bucket is simply going to pollute any water in the bucket and potentially kill the frog/toad. It needs to be released and allowed to make its own way to somewhere safe. You are over thinking the problem.
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I think the reason there is so much spawn is not all will make it to being an adult frog/toad. I once had two tiny frogs drown (I assume) in my hedgehog's water bowl, sometimes you can't do right for doing wrong