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Wirral Adders: |
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Dava Member Joined: 29 Apr 2010 No. of posts: 10  View other posts by Dava |
Posted: 30 Apr 2010 Hello there. I just stumbled accross this forum whilst doing some research. I was hoping that I may be able to call upon your knowledge to help me track down some Adders. I live on the Wirral peninsula and until recently I was under the impression that the Wirral did not contain any snakes. This was until I was informed that there is a resident population living in an area of heathland called Caldy hill. I was hoping that I might be able to get out there and take some photographs of the little fellas. I've been up there a number of times now without success and tbh I don't really know where to start when it comes to tracking down Adders. Is it simply pot luck or is there method to the madness. I am aware that they often come out to 'bask' in the sunshine to warm themselves up and that they are usually seen sat by pathways in a sunny spot. What is the best time of day/year to see them? Is anyone on here aware of this population on Caldy hill? Or am chasing shadows. |
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Davew Senior Member Joined: 12 Jan 2004 No. of posts: 99 View other posts by Davew |
Posted: 30 Apr 2010 Hi - I live in Northwich and "herp" in Cheshire and I may be wrong but I've never heard of a population of Adders at Caldy. |
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Dava Member Joined: 29 Apr 2010 No. of posts: 10 View other posts by Dava |
Posted: 30 Apr 2010 Hi Dave, On the public information sign at the entrance to Caldy hill it actually specifically mentions Adders and Common Lizard as being resident. |
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Davew Senior Member Joined: 12 Jan 2004 No. of posts: 99 View other posts by Davew |
Posted: 30 Apr 2010 Blimey - you live and learn, that said it gives similar on interpretational boards around Beeston Castle but I don't think they're actually found there. Keep us informed though as Caldy would be nearer than my usual Adder spot in North Wales. |
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tim hamlett Senior Member Joined: 17 Dec 2006 No. of posts: 572  View other posts by tim hamlett |
Posted: 30 Apr 2010 hi i was born and raised on the wirral and thought the various heaths/commons around caldy, thurstaton etc only supported common lizards. hope i'm wrong. will be very interested in your findings though. if you don't have any luck you might have to travel to north wales or there is a small population near market drayton thats about an hour away. happy herping tim |
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dave fixx Senior Member Joined: 13 Mar 2007 No. of posts: 319  View other posts by dave fixx |
Posted: 30 Apr 2010 I must admit I have always been told there were no adders on the wirral in fact the only snakes close to there I have heard of are grass snakes in the canals around Ellesmere Port. Dave W would be interested to know if your North Wales spots are the same as mine ,perhaps you could pm me,if they arent I could possibly point you in the right direction. Dave  Dave Williams davewilliamsphotography.co.uk |
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Dava Member Joined: 29 Apr 2010 No. of posts: 10 View other posts by Dava |
Posted: 04 May 2010 thank you all for your responses. I shall keep you updated on anything I find. The only reason I am searching there is due to the fact that it specifically mentions adders on the sign at the entrance to the hill. It seems like a perfect habitat for them. Just on a different note, there is a mixture of gorse bushes and bracken - where are they more likely to be found? PS - I know I am new on here but you wouldn't be able to let me know a rough location near Market Drayton where I can go and look for Adders. I would love to see one in the wild. I understand though if you would prefer to keep it a secret. Regards Dave |
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dave fixx Senior Member Joined: 13 Mar 2007 No. of posts: 319 View other posts by dave fixx |
Posted: 04 May 2010 Dave,I can show you a site in North Wales where you would be almost guaranteed an adder if you want to meet up.Its a bit out in the wilds but I am up there again in the next couple of weeks if you are interested.We may even have a reptile ramble there in a month or two. best wishes Dave Dave Williams davewilliamsphotography.co.uk |
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tim hamlett Senior Member Joined: 17 Dec 2006 No. of posts: 572 View other posts by tim hamlett |
Posted: 04 May 2010 hi again i did a quick google for adders on caldy hill after your post. there are a few statements to the tune of "adders can be found on the heath" but no specific references or sightings that i could find, so i'm still a bit skeptical but hope i'm wrong. keep us posted. adders can be very difficult to find when you are looking somewhere new and on your own. i'm not the most experienced adder spotter myself but my advice would be that both gorse and bracken are good but more importantly, try to find areas that are slightly raised, well drained, face southish and are sheltered from cooling breezes by, for example, a line of trees. these areas create there own little micro climates and tend to feel a couple of degrees warmer than surounding areas which is especially beneficial to reptiles emerging in late feb and early march. however, you may have already missed the best time as many adders may already be dispersing to where they could start turning up anywhere where there are surface dens and food. it took me a long time to find my first adder at my local site and eventually i took the decision to go looking for lizards, which i love anyway and could see easily, then see what else turned up. i found a few random adders that way before stumbling across a hibernation area last spring which was in a place i had walked past hundreds of times over the previous year or so! i've also started seeing gras snakes there too. i will pm you with info re market drayton. tim |
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Iowarth Admin Group Joined: 12 Apr 2004 No. of posts: 222 View other posts by Iowarth |
Posted: 05 May 2010 Hi everyone If you go to www.adder.org.uk and follow the "Results so far" link you will see quite a few adder sightings recorded on the Wirral - particularly around the coast. I can't give you specific locations at the moment and these sightings are mostly by ordinary members of the public so some, at least, may not be reliable. All the best Chris Chris Davis, Site Administrator Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme |
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tim hamlett Senior Member Joined: 17 Dec 2006 No. of posts: 572 View other posts by tim hamlett |
Posted: 05 May 2010 hi chris couldn't see any on the map with the red and green squares. am i being thick or are we talking about different places? tim |
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Iowarth Admin Group Joined: 12 Apr 2004 No. of posts: 222 View other posts by Iowarth |
Posted: 05 May 2010 Hi Tim No, you're not being thick! Summat strange happened with my monitor and the map moved and some red and green squares didn't!! Once I refreshed the screen they all disappeared! Many apologies - it seems I accidentally lied! All the best Chris Chris Davis, Site Administrator Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme |
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tim hamlett Senior Member Joined: 17 Dec 2006 No. of posts: 572 View other posts by tim hamlett |
Posted: 05 May 2010 [QUOTE=Iowarth]No, you're not being thick![/QUOTE] cheers chris...makes a nice change tim |
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Iowarth Admin Group Joined: 12 Apr 2004 No. of posts: 222 View other posts by Iowarth |
Posted: 05 May 2010 Rubbish Tim - you do yourself an injustice! Chris Chris Davis, Site Administrator Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme |
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arataon Member Joined: 30 Sep 2010 No. of posts: 10  View other posts by arataon |
Posted: 01 Oct 2010 Hi, Just seen this. I live in Birkenhead and take my dog for walks in Royden Park. There are loads of common lizards there and if you are lucky, you might find some snakes. Great place for toads too! There is a big open heather field, mainly where I find the snakes and lizards, look there on a nice sunny day, you could be in luck! Cobain |
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Dava Member Joined: 29 Apr 2010 No. of posts: 10 View other posts by Dava |
Posted: 22 Mar 2011 Hello arataon - Have you actually seen Adders in Royden park or are you assuming that they are there? |
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Scale Senior Member Joined: 05 Dec 2010 No. of posts: 83  View other posts by Scale |
Posted: 24 Mar 2011 Hi Tim, I noticed you mentioned a population near Market Drayton earlier. Would this be Whixall then? I'm from the area so would be interested to know if otherwise (pm), so i can go nosy. Cheers Rob |
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