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Good Adder Day: |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090  View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 12 Apr 2004 Some great shots from Tony,
Dark male adder from Whitely, Hants.
18yrs female from Norden, will breed this year
Immature on edge of cleared area - Hartland
Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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Caleb Forum Coordinator Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 448  View other posts by Caleb |
Posted: 20 Apr 2004 Lots of adders out in Co. Durham last weekend- here are some of my better pictures (though not up to Tony's standard!) We saw the first one again a couple of hours after the picture was taken, and it had shed it's skin in the mean time. I'm presuming these were all males... but I'm willing to be corrected! 
flattened basking: 
A dark one:  |
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416 View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 20 Apr 2004 A few of recent pics 
 O-> O+> |
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Lisa Member Joined: 19 Apr 2004 No. of posts: 23 View other posts by Lisa |
Posted: 21 Apr 2004 Wow Alan, they are fantastic pics. What camera and lens are you using for the close ups? Lisa |
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416 View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 21 Apr 2004 Hi Lisa, Thank you very much , you're most kind. My camera is the Olympus E20 . I used the macro lens that accompanys this camera , the mcon-35. Thanks again :¼) Alan O-> O+> |
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Wolfgang Wuster Senior Member Joined: 23 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 326 View other posts by Wolfgang Wuster |
Posted: 21 Apr 2004 Hey Alan, Where've ya been? Nice pics! 
The above is from last week-end - recently shed male emerging from undergrowth. There are still quite a few pre-slough males around, though. Cheers, Wolfgang Wolfgang Wüster School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor http://sbsweb.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/ |
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Lisa Member Joined: 19 Apr 2004 No. of posts: 23 View other posts by Lisa |
Posted: 21 Apr 2004 Hi Alan, Not kind, just exceedingly jealous. Don't know where I'm going wrong but can't seem to find 'em on my site. I have grass snakes and common lizards and plenty of anecdotal evidence of adders on site but they are stubbonly refusing to show themselves... And me Minolta is all ready to go too! Lisa
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416 View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 21 Apr 2004 Hiya Wolfgang , Lisa Wolfgang, thanks :¼) I've just been taking a break from internet life, how have you been keeping ? Been anywhere , done any herping abroad lately? I'm looking forward to Tobago this coming Christmas .There's alot more variety than St Lucia , but alas, no Venomous :¼( Hi Lisa, I see , what county are you looking in ? I look forward to when those thar adders reveal themselves to you . Cheers Alan O-> O+> |
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Lisa Member Joined: 19 Apr 2004 No. of posts: 23 View other posts by Lisa |
Posted: 21 Apr 2004 Hi Alan, Cambridgeshire so they should be about by now. Me thinks they're just shy. (and its chucking it down today which doesn't help). Will keep trying but any hints welcome as I need to prove presence a.s.a.p. Lisa
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416 View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 21 Apr 2004 Ah, Cambridgeshire. I'm afraid I do not know this area at all , Tony is the best guy for knowing where all the adders are. Yup, Chucking down here also (Ash Hants) :¼(, But i've heard that Saturday is supposed to be sunny 20c :¼)!!! Alan O-> O+> |
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Caleb Forum Coordinator Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 448 View other posts by Caleb |
Posted: 21 Apr 2004 Lisa- Adders seem to be very sparse in Cambs. I used to live there until about ten years ago, and never once saw an adder in the county. I have been told about one confirmed site on the Northants border, and there are plenty of sites just over the border in Norfolk and Suffolk. Much better for grass snakes than where I am now, though (Durham)! |
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Leigh Member Joined: 15 Jul 2003 No. of posts: 16 View other posts by Leigh |
Posted: 21 Apr 2004 Hi Everyone Thought I would join the bandwagon and post a few of todays pics from my site. Forestry Commission has, in their wisdom(??), decided to fell a large number of trees 'to promote heathland and encourage biodiversity'. Try telling the tree-fellers...came across three dead Adders. Didn't see the usual number at my location (suprise suprise). On a more positive note, I came across my first male of the year, recently sloughed, and also a female, who was coiled in front of her skin. Couple of pics below...
Very skittish and shot off just after this pic
The skin was still damp...tried getting it out in one piece, but it was tangled in the brambles.
From a couple of days ago.
Speaking to a few people, there seems to be a general consensus that the Adder population seems to have dwindled. A number of snakes have been found dead (not by accident...skulls found crushed). Beginning to wonder whether a sign up warning people would be a good idea or would it backfire? By the way, Alan, great close-ups of the head. You have trained your snakes well!! Leigh Photo and Digital Imaging http://www.leightovey.com |
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Lisa Member Joined: 19 Apr 2004 No. of posts: 23 View other posts by Lisa |
Posted: 22 Apr 2004 Hi All, I'm beginning to agree with Caleb and wonder if the anecdotal sightings I've had were in fact grass snakes as I've had a couple of 'confirmed' sightings' in the last week which on prising out a description were definitely grass snakes. Apparently there used to be a sign up when the site was industrial saying beware of the adders so I'm still hopeful though I think there may be too much noise from nearby development now. Leigh, call me a cynic but I've found signs advertising/warning about adders invariably do more harm than good. Maybe if you all keep posting the great pics everyone will realise what a beautiful creature they really are. Sorry will get off my soapbox now and go look for them ther adders Lisa |
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Matt Wilson Member Joined: 25 May 2003 No. of posts: 38 View other posts by Matt Wilson |
Posted: 22 Apr 2004 Just thought i would post one of my slides from a few weeks back. There were 9 Vipera berus in this hibernaculum, and 23 were seen in less than an hour. Nearly all were pre-sloughed and most had blue eyes. Also saw quite a few Podarcis muralis at the Boscombe locality, along with few basking Anguis, and Natrix. Matt  Matthew Wilson |
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Matt Wilson Member Joined: 25 May 2003 No. of posts: 38 View other posts by Matt Wilson |
Posted: 22 Apr 2004 Another slide from the beginning of April. This male was very approachable due to the limited vision caused by the near sloughing, and only moved away slowly when touched. Probably the most tolerant berus i have seen yet. Once again the quality has been reduced.  Matthew Wilson |
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Geoff Simpson Member Joined: 11 Feb 2004 No. of posts: 12 View other posts by Geoff Simpson |
Posted: 23 Apr 2004 Female adder taken in Peak District NP, Derbyshire last week. www.geoffsimpson.co.uk |
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Tony Phelps Forum Specialist Joined: 09 Mar 2003 No. of posts: 575 View other posts by Tony Phelps |
Posted: 23 Apr 2004 My My haven't you all been busy - I have spent the last two best sunny days in London with Wolfgang et al at the Squamate evolution conference, but it was worth it. Will be out tomorrow though and will get some Coronella shots just to make a change! Well done all! I will also be checking on my mating pairs (berus) but I guess the mating period has peaked now, wuld like to hear from other areas though. Tony |
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Leigh Member Joined: 15 Jul 2003 No. of posts: 16 View other posts by Leigh |
Posted: 24 Apr 2004 Hi Geoff Excellent head shot. Curiousity has got the better of me...was it digital or film? What lens did you use? Regards Leigh Photo and Digital Imaging http://www.leightovey.com |
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Geoff Simpson Member Joined: 11 Feb 2004 No. of posts: 12 View other posts by Geoff Simpson |
Posted: 25 Apr 2004 Leigh Hi! This was film - a Canon EOS-1n, 180mm macro lens, Provia 100F @ f/16, beanbag and a Canon angle-finder-C. The only differences I see with digital and being fortunate to use a Canon 1Ds is firstly - you can see your results in the field and secondly - digital has a slightly wider latitude than slide film and this is noticeable in the shadow areas. That said sometimes shadows make an image so I guess it's swings and roundabouts. Given the choice I prefer to have a piece a film in front of me - it's at least tangible. Regards Geoff www.geoffsimpson.co.uk |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 30 Apr 2004 Hi Tony, Plenty of berus mating activity at Hindhead on the 27th, numerous matings observed total of 18 adder, 12 male, 6 female. Males were very prominent whilst mate searching in the bracken. I took your advice from last year and watched and waited when I found females lying out, this gave a high count for my 'difficult' bracken site, as males came in from all directions as I sat and watched. Certainly a 'good adder day' in my book! Also observed a male combat close in for the first time. Just a note, the male combat occured immediately after the larger male had mated with the female below. She moved off rapidly with the mating male in persuit, only for him to reappear from the bracken in combat with a smaller male. The picture is of the same pair mating an hour or so later. The smaller male approached the pair again during the mating process but quickly made his way off.
Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
- Good Adder Day |
