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A great days herping

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herpetologic2 View Drop Down
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    Posted: 07 Mar 2007 at 5:47pm

 

Well today I had a great afternoon/evening in Essex. Met up with Lin Wenlock (Froglife) Simon Irvine (Writtle College) and Alan Roscoe (Writtle College) - went to the Backwarden in Danbury found 8 adult adders basking along the main hibernation bank - and we also found newt egg folds in the main pond - we are not allowed to disturb the animals without permission from the WT (managers of the reserve) so we left the eggs in the water but spotted them under the water.

Then we moved onto Simon's gaff where we found more crested newt eggs this time we were able to get the egg folds out of the old moat at the bottom of Simon's garden in Pleshey.

After that I went onto a mitigation site in Cutlers Green, near Thaxted. in 2002 we had counts of 15 crested newts (total). I had a new pond constructed as part of the mitigation project. I found newt eggs very quickly quite a few in fact and we saw an adult male crested newt during the day! a very nice large newt

So after dark I went round with my torch - I found 22 adult crested newts - now dont you just love it when mitigation works!

Here are some photos

The new pond

Male & female courting

 

Brillant stuff - and this was at the beginning of March!

Jon

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herpetologic2 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote herpetologic2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Mar 2007 at 6:00pm

Some more photos

Spotting adders today (7th March - n = 8 adult Vb)

Male snakes

Egg fold found at the Backwarden, Danbury

Jon

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Mar 2007 at 6:28pm

Jon any female Vb out today or all males? I should have come over, well actually I did but it wasn't possible to stop off and join you! (A cryptic message that Al will understand)

Did you clock the brash piles? I would like an update if there is any progress there.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote herpetologic2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Mar 2007 at 6:40pm

Hi Gemma

All males -

We will have to wait and see what happens about the brash piles - the EARG have offered volunteer time and also if need be funds to hire a wood chipper to create new habitats

Can I send your photo of the adder on the brash pile to Lin?

 

Regards

 

Jon

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Mar 2007 at 6:47pm

Sure Jon, any pictures can be used if it will help. I would be a lot happier generally at the site if we could get some input regarding management of the most sensitive Vb areas.

You don't need a wood chipper onsite. Straight brash would be ideal. All they really need to do is stop bashing the bracken in a few areas and use stuff that is available instead of burning it.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote John Newton Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 2007 at 2:08am

Really good news about the cresties, Gemma, and that Vb hibernation bank looks 'classic' - good mix of scrub & open areas for a decent habitat mosaic - clearly the best bit of the Danbury complex for the Vb, and your pic looks pretty familiar from visits I made there back in the mid 80's

 

John Newton

South Yorkshire ARG
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 2007 at 5:59am
Hi John, that's Jon's piccs LOL, I wasn't there yesterday. It is a classic bank though with ideal aspect.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Chris Monk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 2007 at 6:15pm

Some days can apparently start off bad but turn into good herping days.

This morning I went out to look along some gritstone edges where we get several casual adder records (and a rambler was bitten last year when he sat down and put his hand on one) to see if I could find where they are hibernating. When I arrived there it was more like the seafront at Blackpool or Brighton with a constant procession of ramblers, dog walkers, school parties and a large group of students - lots of noise and disturbance.

So I went in the opposite direction and spent some time combing a large area of bracken banks, mollinia grass and wetland. For the Make the Adder Count Surveys I had a maximum count of 1 adder in 2005, 5 in 2006 and today I found 14 (all males). Also managed to find a streamside pool with frog spawn, that according to my GPS is just inside a NARRS 1km survey square, and saw a common lizard so I've made a start on both the reptile and amphibian surveys for NARRS at the same time.

When I got back to my car found a note under the windscreen wiper from the Group's chair to say she had been out surveying today and found adders basking on the highest point on the moor at an elevation of 365 metres.

Chris

Derbyshire Amphibian & Reptile Group

www.derbyshirearg.co.uk

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