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RAUK - Archived Forum - first herp sightings of 2011??

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first herp sightings of 2011??:

Author	Message
ben rigsby Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 No. of posts: 337 View other posts by ben rigsby	Posted: 04 Jan 2011 mon jan 3rd. 6pm. New Moon. conds; intermittent light drizzle, relatively warm. SO, i had my usual scan of the garden pond with my 6 cell mega Maglite. only the 3rd night id been able to see anything much. owing to the thick ice since before xmas. saw zilch on the first 2 nights. despite multiple visits and much scanning. however last night i spotted 3 adult Palmate Newts (2 males/1 fem) near the bank. the female had found something in the mud and was snapping at it. couldnt see what though. do i win a prize for 1st RAUK 2011 sighting report? thought not. anyone else seen herps yet? or even looked? ben Diversity.

Baby Sue Senior Member Joined: 19 Feb 2008 No. of posts: 412 View other posts by Baby Sue	Posted: 10 Jan 2011 Saw a dead toad on the road a month back but that's it. Dunno why it was there. I wanted presents from lots of you. Snot fair that Ben Rigsby was the only one to send me Xmas & birthday presents.

dave fixx Senior Member Joined: 13 Mar 2007 No. of posts: 319 View other posts by dave fixx	Posted: 10 Jan 2011 I heared a report of a pink snake seen locally over christmas and the new year ,sounds like an escaped albino to me but I m happy for you to claim the title Ben,well done Dave Williams davewilliamsphotography.co.uk

Matt Harris Senior Member Joined: 03 Jun 2003 No. of posts: 196 View other posts by Matt Harris	Posted: 11 Jan 2011 Couple of toads on the road during heavy rain as I was driving along last Saturday night. Gwent Amphibian and Reptile Group (GARG)

AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694 View other posts by AGILIS	Posted: 11 Jan 2011 The only lizards spotted this year have been lounge lizards LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID

Mark_b Senior Member Joined: 26 Jun 2008 No. of posts: 79 View other posts by Mark_b	Posted: 11 Jan 2011 Toad on road on rainy Gower this evening!

ben rigsby Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 No. of posts: 337 View other posts by ben rigsby	Posted: 13 Jan 2011 thanks people. im excited to hear of and see amphibians afoot so soon. i love encountering toads on the move dont you? thanks matt and mark for reporting. i seem to see amphibians increasingly often midwinter in recent years. is this a thought to be a cause for concern? hi KEITH , i had some lounge lizard RELATIVES over for xmas and they kept shedding their tales. but i wasnt really interested in hearing them! cheers DAVE you can have half of the prize for your kind words. dont say i never give you nothing. all these reports are from the west. apart from the stiff and the alien. whats happening in kent and northumbria i wonder? RAUK calling herpers...... regards to all, benben rigsby40556.7859722222 Diversity.

dave fixx Senior Member Joined: 13 Mar 2007 No. of posts: 319 View other posts by dave fixx	Posted: 13 Jan 2011 13 degrees in North Wales today,could be an early start for the adders this year. Dave Williams davewilliamsphotography.co.uk

sussexecology Member Joined: 30 Sep 2010 No. of posts: 37 View other posts by sussexecology	Posted: 15 Jan 2011 Congratulations Ben on your first sighting of the year. I havent' seen any amphibians or reptiles yet but then I haven't started looking yet. Think it might be an early start this year and I'm not even ready for the survey season yet! Hetty

Mark_b Senior Member Joined: 26 Jun 2008 No. of posts: 79 View other posts by Mark_b	Posted: 15 Jan 2011 Frogspawn on Gower, South Wales - 13th Jan Picture by Siriol Jones http://goweros.blogspot.com/2011/01/first-frog-spawn.html

ben rigsby Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 No. of posts: 337 View other posts by ben rigsby	Posted: 17 Jan 2011 frogspawn! tks for interesting link. very wet, warm night here. 11pm. there were too many to accurately count esp with all the activity but i saw at least 50 newts tonight. there will have been many more out of sight no doubt. some males were displaying a bit. also watched as a fem helv or vulg entered the water from the bank. which was nice. few frogs about too. Diversity.

Baby Sue Senior Member Joined: 19 Feb 2008 No. of posts: 412 View other posts by Baby Sue	Posted: 18 Jan 2011 My earliest frogging trip was February 20^th one year and I thought that was real early, it�s so weird that there�s spawn already and newt activity where you are. I wanted presents from lots of you. Snot fair that Ben Rigsby was the only one to send me Xmas & birthday presents.

frogworlduk Senior Member Joined: 19 Aug 2003 No. of posts: 72 View other posts by frogworlduk	Posted: 23 Jan 2011 yeah but the question is how much of this spawn/ tadpoles will survive? if we get another frost / snow there's got to be a very low hatch rate?

Scale Senior Member Joined: 05 Dec 2010 No. of posts: 83 View other posts by Scale	Posted: 01 Feb 2011 I went out scouting for possible hibernation quarters yesterday, in Shropshire. It felt warm enough for reptiles and i'm sure i heard a saurian rustle at the base of a stone wall, although i saw nothing on a later pass. Probably startled a field vole. It won't be long now!

Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi	Posted: 01 Feb 2011 I was just thinking my pond might see a bit of activity after the big freeze but we have another cold snap. -7C the other night and so there is thick ice. It is supposed to be coming warmer any day now. There was a dead newt floating in there the other day. East Devon. Suz

ben rigsby Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 No. of posts: 337 View other posts by ben rigsby	Posted: 01 Feb 2011 wonder if kevinb has checked the legendary "still in bed" viv stone from thepic lately? Diversity.

kevinb Senior Member Joined: 18 Mar 2009 No. of posts: 61 View other posts by kevinb	Posted: 02 Feb 2011 Do you mean one like this?

Scale Senior Member Joined: 05 Dec 2010 No. of posts: 83 View other posts by Scale	Posted: 02 Feb 2011 That's bloody fantastic kevin. I take it from Ben's prior comments that this is a yearly occurrence?

Ray999 Senior Member Joined: 07 Mar 2006 No. of posts: 101 View other posts by Ray999	Posted: 02 Feb 2011 Go on then how many? I reckon 26. Ray ray999

ben rigsby Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 No. of posts: 337 View other posts by ben rigsby	Posted: 03 Feb 2011 the pics another stunner i think slightly more m'self Ray. Diversity.

- first herp sightings of 2011??

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