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Essex Adders 2011: |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090  View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 12 Mar 2011 Finally got out for a look today, overcast start, but soon the sun was out for a perfect morning. Things seem well behind here in Essex at the Backwarden reserve, 6 males, all pre-moult, all at the hibernation area, these are scenes I'm more use to in mid-Feb in recent years. Not all the regulars are showing yet either. 
 Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 12 Mar 2011 Jon, any idea who has tins out on Danbury Common? I'm expecting to be picking up my survey of the area this spring, would be good to pass on any data. We had one male visual on the Common side today. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 12 Mar 2011 Couple more shots from this morning: 
 Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717  View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 12 Mar 2011 Gemma, like the second and thrid shot down, great. Those tins on Danbury have been there since last autumn at least. I had a look and found several slow worms under some. ??? Rob RobV |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 13 Mar 2011 Cool, I've very few records for slow worm as we were told refugia survey was a no go. If you found the big depression in the ground at the centre of the tin spread, it's a massive hibernaculum for adder and Natrix. Just wondered if there is a change of heart as before it was a case that refugia were not allowed because the then manager feared people would steal animals from under them?? Must say the common is looking a lot better now than it did a few years ago when it looked like a building site. Just a shame so much management seems so heavy handed. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 15 Mar 2011 Went to Fingringhoe Wick today as planned, mist didn't clear at all, but the main point of the trip was to have a good look at the site. In the gloom I got lucky at 09:43 with a single male braving the conditions. He wasn't out long before deciding it was better to spend the day in bed: 
Worth while trip though, I spent about 4 hours wandering around and checking out the site, weather looks like it should improve for the weekend so now I know where to be looking should be good.  Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717 View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 15 Mar 2011
Might hook up with you saturday Gemma if the weather stays in the 13 region. R RobV |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 15 Mar 2011 That would be good Rob. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 19 Mar 2011 Second trip to Fingringhoe Wick today, same male as before located (he's a bit of a star with the locals, everyone seems to stop to look at him) and also a second male, looks like we already have dispersal at the site, single males at the bases of trees??? Oh well too early on for me to know what's happening for sure yet, but a simply lovely day in the sun
 Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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will Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 330 View other posts by will |
Posted: 20 Mar 2011 Hi Gemma not seen any evidence of dispersal as yet from E London/Essex sites; I reckon still some males left to emerge plus not a single female, in spite of 17 males at one site and 18 at another. I reckon frosty nights put them off leaving the winter dens, maybe? |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 20 Mar 2011 That was what I thinking at Backwarden Will, things seem set-back a bit compared to other years and males are still at the the main hibernation area. Don't know if it is dispersal or the Wick is one of these sites where some males have their own overwintering spot. There is so much good habitat at the site. Still, though Saturday was a nice sunny day, there had been a fairly hard frost the night before. I spent a lot of time looking and only two adder, there must be more to come as yet. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 21 Mar 2011 Was over at backwarden this afternoon, wow it was actually getting quite warm for half an hour at lunch time! We now have the start of dispersal there, only two males on the hibernation bank, 3 more in the surrounding heather ranging to about 15 meters out. Anybody else noticing that adder look in very good condition this year? Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 21 Mar 2011 One from the bank today, I'm getting back into habitat shots rather than close-ups of late: 
and a Zv habitat shot:  Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717 View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 21 Mar 2011 here is my only Adder so far of 2011, although i think I missed a couple with heavy footsteps. RobV |
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717 View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 21 Mar 2011 this sizing mallarkey is driving me nuts! Try again
RobV |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 22 Mar 2011 Where is he from Rob?
Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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JamesM Member Joined: 12 Mar 2011 No. of posts: 43 View other posts by JamesM |
Posted: 22 Mar 2011 Hi Gemma, Some great-looking specimens there! Glad you've been having luck, I've visited a local site a couple of times where I've been told Adders and Common Lizards are about, and had no luck, I found a potential hibernaculum on Sunday. I will start my own thread to avoid hijacking yours. Great images!
James. |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 22 Mar 2011 Cheers James, looking forward to your first adder sighting, just keep at it, sooner or later you'll be finding them. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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JamesM Member Joined: 12 Mar 2011 No. of posts: 43 View other posts by JamesM |
Posted: 23 Mar 2011 Hopefully! lol |
- Essex Adders 2011 |
