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MERSEA ISLAND ESSEX ADDERS |
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administrator
Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10 |
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Hi Keith, I find life is generally better away from
internet forums "The first clearance which was some distance away from the ponds and main adder area has developed into very nice habitat - we can only hope that the reptiles have recolonised." It's nothing to do with hope, it's to do with proper survey, the answer is no the area is not recolonised by adder, slowworms or grass snakes, a few common lizard occasionally. I wouldn't expect the area to be recolonised by adder for years to come, the soil structure is destroyed so not really very nice habitat if you are an adder. It use to be mature gorse and adder of all lifestages could be found at the bases it was an extremely important area for congregations of gravid females.. not anymore. So Jon when are you going to put my name forward for consideration as county recorder to the field club like you said you would? Then I can send my extensive Essex records to myself. You never know I might even be able to mend a few of the bridges that got burnt, I do seem to have rather a lot of time on my hands these days.... The record of you saying it was a 'good thing'that the numbers were increasing at the main hibernacula at Backwarden is BTW still on this forum, I'm not about to dig out the thread but it was your own words. Of course my data is not based on a spring head count alone which could lead to sweeping conclusions, rather 6 years now of careful recording throughout the active season across the entire site. Edited by GemmaJF |
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herpetologic2
Forum Coordinator Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1511 |
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Gemma
If you want to be the Essex Herpetofauna Recorder then I can send this email to Peter Harvey and they will approve this appointment and so you can take on the data searches, and the role of county recorder for Essex. I would assume that you are a member of the field club? I would like to use your data to compare the Backwarden with other Essex adder sites - I have lots of spring count data which is just a record of the spring emergence which is when most adders are seen (mostly males) and the simplest method to monitor numbers. I have never said that the clearance as it stands was a good thing at the Backwarden - we have tried to influence what the EWT were doing - we even had face to face meetings about the issue and they were hiding behind the local Natural England Team - who were funding the habitat clearance. The small initial clearance nearest the road is the bit where I thought if I could survey I would find reptiles - the rest of the area which has been cleared has been a disaster for the reptile population along with the Dormice that were found there. I have also tried to stop the works around the gcn pond - in fact Paul Cantwell from NE investigated the matter and actually found that they had the wrong license - a clear case of destroying newt terrestrial habitat - no significant action was taken - in fact I was not even invited to the site meeting - it was Paul, Local NE, and EWT - so of course they were found out - Mark Iley was given a general license to clear vegetation by hand tools yet they were using heavy machinery. So all I would like to know Gemma is how many snakes were seen during the spring through your field surveys - you will be fully credited and I will only use the data for conservation purposes - Once you have become the county recorder I will forward all the county data to you -0 I think that would be possible through the Essex field Club website and their species database. Jon |
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Report your sightings to the Record Pool http://arguk.org/recording
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administrator
Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10 |
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Yes Jon I am a member of the Essex field club.
I guess I've heard a different story regarding Backwarden on the ground. It was very much a case of being told that after your meeting with EWT they seemed to think you supported the works. Shame as if I had also attended the meeting I could have provided a further two years of records which indicated the amount of damage being done to the adder populations by habitat clearance work at Backwarden and the adjacent Danbury Common. I know all about the various parties hiding behind each other, very frustrating it is too. |
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AGILIS
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1689 |
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hi Gemma I think the main problem of Herp conservation in my areas in Suffolk still lies with the people running organisations like Nat england and the likes , are all mainly twitchers,whose ony interest in our area is to rip out all the hibennacular on various local heaths to promote the stone curlew with new habitat at the expense of other animals ,because the stone curlews original habitat has been ruined by past farming practices .Also had a report of the odd adder seen on the golf course near west Bergholt??I also viewed Layer Breton heath at Birch yesterday but bit to warm, but had been told by a local naturalist, that grass snakes and lizards and sloworms were -present but you cant rule out adders because they havent been spotted as its a large area still plenty of gatekeepers about , keith
Edited by AGILIS |
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LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
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herpetologic2
Forum Coordinator Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1511 |
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Great news - the grave created at Mersea Island aka the hibernacula has been used by 4 adders this spring!
Dougal had seen an adder right on top of the hibernacula which featured on a radio broadcast this spring to highlight the plight of the adder. Sadly Dougal did not have a camera!! D'oh! I will be out there next spring to record the animal locations for sure |
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AGILIS
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1689 |
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Hi you did you did not mention what date they were spotted.keith
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LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
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herpetologic2
Forum Coordinator Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1511 |
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The warden swears it was in the spring - I will get hold of the dates - he did not have a camera with him mind lol
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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I started reading this thread and thought lucky old Keith seeing so much on 14th January. Then I saw it was 6th July 2010! Ye gods!
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Suz
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