First day out after the Olympics...

[Paul Lambourne]

As today looked to be the last prospect of decent weather in Blighty for some time, and the fact that I had finally gotten my camera back from its post Israel/Montenegro service, I took the opertunity to get out and about for probably the last time this season..
Firstly I headed to Elmly, on the Isle of Sheppy, my goal was to see if I could photograph an alleged, long established population of Pelophylax perezi .. the weather was not as warm as expected.. and few frogs were evident.. those that were seemed to be Pelophylax ridibundus, a rarity for most of England, but not what I was looking for..

After an hour or so stalking frogs I gave up and headed 50k to one of only a handful of sites for the newly UK established damselfly, lestes viridis, like the ridibundus,common in Europe, rare as hens teeth in the UK.
The site was a beautiful stretch of sunlit dyke, bordered by Alder. The temperature had risen considerably by now, and I soon spotted my first viridis, soon after a second, and within about twenty minutes I had seen twelve.. a new UK tick for me

Also at the site were many juvenile, very skittish zootoca and a number of Aeshna mixta. Happy with my tick, I had just enough time to drive around 70k home and check on my local berus site, in the hope of seeing some of this years juveniles..

The site did not disappoint and within minutes of arriving I found this chubby little stunner,

Two, still gravid females flushed as I walked through the undergrowth, and shortly before I left, I flipped a tin to reveal this lovely individual.

A good few hours out, sadly probably the last of the season for me, but baby berus is always good way to end

Cheers
Paul

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Very cool my Friend!

Congrats on the Neonate!!

[Daniel Kane]

Two, still gravid females flushed as I walked through the undergrowth

Not doubting your expertise Paul, but were you sure that they were gravid? I had a female up here the other day who seemed rather on the 'chunky' side but I though that this late into the year they would've all dropped. I'd imagine that they would all birth around the same time as they would all have been exposed to the same climate (granted some will have been more exposed to the sun, and thus warmer so develop offspring more quickly, than others because of less disturbance or fewer predator scares etc... but I wouldn't imagine that would be significantly so). What do you think?

[Will Atkins]

I wouldn't be too surprised given the very poor season in the UK that there could be still gravid adders etc about. I found a gravid slowworm yesterday in Dorset, as well as a smooth snake which appeared to be gravid. I am currently studying whether adders and smooth snakes regularly overwinter when gravid (as part of their reproductive biology rather than enforced by unusually cool conditions) and would be grateful to hear of any more accounts of this - thanks ! (PS I did post on this a year or so ago, in case you have a sense of deja vu!) cheers, Will. (You can contact me at lehartrust@hotmail.com)

[Paul Lambourne]

Daniel,

I completely agree with you that most berus should have dropped by now..all I can say is both females looked particularly chunky and were elevated about a foot off the ground, basking on grass tussocks.

The site, as far as emergence from hibernation, seems to be around three weeks behind my other local sites..no real reason I can see for this,the geology and vegetation is largely the same, the only real difference is that this site is located approximately 100 ft from the sea, and receives strong wind.. it is also a little shadier than the other sites. Whether the later emergence makes a difference I dont know..

It is entirely possible I mistook a recently fed snake for gravid in the short time I saw it.. but they were both very chunky..

There was a lot of small mammals present under refugia at this time of year, and the zootoca were very abundant.

If it ever stops raining I will revisit and try and get some telephoto pics.

Jurgen,

After Isreal I have had to have a new sensor in my camera.. the Negev might be herp paradise, but its not kind to optics Surly its time we went back..

Will,

I too had two gravid slow worms yesterday. Sadly for me to see a smooth snake its a two hour drive

Kind regards

Paul

[Daniel Kane]

That's interesting, I'd like to see the result of that study when it is finished Will. I based my assumption on the female (F3) being gravid on the time of year and that others snakes in the area have dropped. I did think that she looked a bit too well-fed but I would not be able to say for certain either way. I remember either last year or the year before I found a very large Slow worm gravid around this time in September - from memory it was a wet and cloudy year.

Sadly for me to see a Smooth snake it is a six hour drive

[Sandra Panienka]

Great pics, especially the little berus, and a very interesting discussion. I didn't know that there are R. perezi in the UK.