More of my Adders at Hindhead: |
Author | Message |
Gemma Fairchild Krag Committee Joined: 14 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 193 View other posts by Gemma Fairchild |
Posted: 08 Jul 2003 Hi All,
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Tony Phelps Forum Specialist Joined: 09 Mar 2003 No. of posts: 575 View other posts by Tony Phelps |
Posted: 10 Jul 2003 Nice one Gemma; why oh why do EN think that Bracken is rubbish, its wonderful stuff ain't it?, jus hard work in summer. I have been monitoring areas wher Enhave totally eradicated bracken and all is still, nothing moves, no reptiles, no nightjars, roll on South Africa have really had it up to the eyes and beyond. Its not just me is it, just a miserable grumbling old fool, I think EN would just like me to go away. But keep at it Gemma, never mind the bites and scratches and those hidden brambles that put you flat on your face now and then. Am doing two TV programmes on British snakes, bits with Michaela Strachan and another with Nick Baker, wonder what I can say about EN without being too Libeleous. Cheers Tony |
-LAF Senior Member Joined: 03 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 317 View other posts by -LAF |
Posted: 10 Jul 2003 I thought it wasn't Libel if it's true. Maybe you could propose a Really Wild Show special on environmental politics Then again... Cheers, Lee. Lee Fairclough |
Mike Senior Member Joined: 15 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 74 View other posts by Mike |
Posted: 11 Jul 2003 That view of bracken looks familiar Gemma, can't remember the name of the area, at the top of the slope is there a wide mown path ?, no, not the same place then but must be close. When are the progs airing ?, at least we should watch this "Libeleous" action , and I'll get to see what Tony looks like . "Environmental politics", planning depts, EN - dispair, 'em I say. Mike. Brickfields Park FREE 25th Anniversary Funday, 4th July 2010. Wildlife, Farm Animals, games, quizzes, refreshments and more. Fun for all. See - http://www.brickfieldspark.org/dates.htm |
Wolfgang Wuster Senior Member Joined: 23 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 326 View other posts by Wolfgang Wuster |
Posted: 11 Jul 2003 Now there's a nice emoticon I hadn't seen before! Cheers, Wolfgang Wolfgang Wüster School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor http://sbsweb.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/ |
Tony Phelps Forum Specialist Joined: 09 Mar 2003 No. of posts: 575 View other posts by Tony Phelps |
Posted: 11 Jul 2003 For Mike Tony Phelps ID Body - stout/robust noticeable thickening at mid-body Max length 1.80m Habits - mainly diurnal but known to lie up for long periods during extremely hot weather. Diet - variable, avoids fatty food. Reproduction - All done with Temperament - normally placid but can easily be provoked by EN. Distribution - Dorset, Hants, Surrey, and known to migrate further afield i.e. Africa, Italy, etc. |
GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 11 Jul 2003 Tony, you forgot falling up to your waist in dried bracken when you stray off the paths , and the hidden rabbit holes... all in all though I found it can be worked to advantage, so long as a map is kept earlier in the year of where the solid ground is, the bracken provides good cover for observation. I remember you said earlier in the year about why do EN bother removing bracken to encourage heather - and trying to put it back 150 years, I couldn't agree more, heaths then were much much larger and wildlife had a chance to recover from grazing and clearance, now it's the undisturbed bracken forests that harbour the largest numbers of the more common species of reptiles. I can think of a few areas of Hindhead now grazed for management that are totally desolate, where snakes were common 20 years ago (now I have your ID I'll watch out for you on Hindhead ) Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
Tony Phelps Forum Specialist Joined: 09 Mar 2003 No. of posts: 575 View other posts by Tony Phelps |
Posted: 11 Jul 2003 Hi Gemma, Please get in touch with EN at Slepe and express the virtues of bracken areas. I am just doing that yet again using a Chobham site as an example. Cheers Tony |
Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416 View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 11 Jul 2003 O-> O+> |
David Bird Forum Specialist Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 515 View other posts by David Bird |
Posted: 11 Jul 2003 I am putting a post on Bracken in the Conservation methods plus a few pictures if I can find them and scan them in. I am a Bracken Sprayer determined to keep this menace down to small amount on the heathland. British Herpetological Society Librarian and member of B.H.S Conservation Committee. Self employed Herpetological Consultant and Field Worker. |
Gemma Fairchild Krag Committee Joined: 14 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 193 View other posts by Gemma Fairchild |
Posted: 11 Jul 2003 Tony, I will contact them with a collection of photographs and sightings from the Hindhead bracken site and my observations of its effectiveness as outlined in my reply to David in the Method thread. ----RAUK e-Forum---- |
GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 13 Jul 2003 Sightings today, 1 grass snake and common lizard between 9:00 and 10:00 am, not much moving due to the heat but the female adder I was watching the other day put in an appearance at 11.45, presumably back from a foraging trip, she entered her bracken pile but wasn't seen out basking till 4:15 pm when she and a grass snake were both out in the open, but in shaded areas. 1 female adder fatality found on road on way home, see thread on body bits. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
Gemma Fairchild Krag Committee Joined: 14 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 193 View other posts by Gemma Fairchild |
Posted: 19 Jul 2003 Back again today, found the gravid female I've been watching recently out at 1355, one other known female adder at 1550 and a common lizard. ----RAUK e-Forum---- |
- More of my Adders at Hindhead |