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Posts by saratoga: |
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saratoga Member Joined: 08 Jun 2005 No. of posts: 5  View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 08 Jun 2005
Topic: Looking for my first adder sighting
I too have been looking for my first adder. I arrived in the uk on monday night and by tuesday afternoon had seen 2 grass snakes and an adder.......i was pretty happy. Did some research on the net into adder habitat and where i might find them in the greater london area. Checked an area for some likely habitat that was only 1/2 hour from hackney and found what i thought were a few suitable places. Asking locals along the way...very few people had seen adders.....or hadnt seen one for years. Walking along a busy road i found my first adder not even 3m off the road....it caught my eye as it basked in a small patch of sunlight in a blackberry bush...........coouldnt believe i had seen one here when i wasnt looking at this time......this was just 70m up the road from a guy picking up rubbish who had never seen one!!! The area looked too disturbed for my liking but found a nearby area that looked ideal.......with some food in the way of lizards running around!! Found an adder skin in some bracken so the area looked promising. Returned this morning.......too late i think...around 10am.....and was lucy to see 2 baby adders no thicker than a pencil.....but very alert and moved off very quickly. Also found a skin off another large? adder. So i have been incredably lucky. What i would really like is to find one that i could get a good photo of......wass thnking if i went very early in the morning while it was still cool that maybe they would be basking more in the open.....does this sound reasonable.......how early does their activity commence.....does anyone know! And beffore they warm up i am sure they would bew alot less wary. Also im not too sure how big they get.....all this time i was looking for a bigger stockier snake. i know the lenght they grow to but about how thick.....as thick as a mans thumb or thicker? Where do they go when it gets too hot.....do they just curl up in a bush or go underground........i read that you dont see them when its hotter than 16degrees but what ive seen the last 2 days seems to differ. The 3 adders ive seen so far have all been brown in colour.......ive read that this is the female colouration......but is it also the colouration for juveniles? Any help with the questions would be greatly appreciated. greg wallis |
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saratoga Member Joined: 08 Jun 2005 No. of posts: 5 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 12 Jun 2005
Topic: Looking for my first adder sighting
I was lucky enough to return to this site 2 days later...this time early morning and with some patchy sunlight........and 5 beautiful adult adders.....and a variety of colours...will post some photographs later. It had definately been too late in the day on my previous visits and too hot. Most of them were very wary.....the first 3 i saw were basking on top of logs amongst bracken and blackberry and slipped away very quietly. I also saw both a male and female(based on colour) basking within a metre of each other at different times. Was also surprised to revisit the basking sites after 20 mins and find the snakes out again. None of the snakes were out in the open and all could have very easily been missed. Like what everyone says....little patches of sunlight in areas which afford them protection. Unfortunately ive had to leave the uk now but am exstatic about my 4 day visit. I only dreamed of seeing an adder.....never really expecting to see one and to leave having seen 8 is fantastic.....though never got to see a slow worm apart from a squashed one on a track. Am very envious of you all having your little adder sites that you can go to year after year and watch the same adders and all their behaviours.....it would be a wonderful pastime. It is great to see many of you doing some great field observations. Is anyone working on captive breeding of adders with the idea of introducing offspring back into areas which have now lost their adders. would be nice to hear of some research in this area. cheers greg greg wallis |
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saratoga Member Joined: 08 Jun 2005 No. of posts: 5 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 15 May 2006
Topic: Adder Identification and Sightings
I have posted some adder photos at www.pbase.com/saratoga/adders if anyone is interested in checking them out. greg wallis |
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saratoga Member Joined: 08 Jun 2005 No. of posts: 5 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 15 May 2006
Topic: Hints and Tips
I have just posted some adder shots on my website at www.pbase.com/ saratoga/adders if anyone is interested in viewing some adders from the greater london area. greg wallis |
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saratoga Member Joined: 08 Jun 2005 No. of posts: 5 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 16 May 2006
Topic: Any advise guys on what GPS to go for
I would also recommend a garmin.....mine is now 6 or 7 years old but does everything needed of it. The interface is very easy to learn and use. Friends have had magellans which I found often had trouble picking up satellites and the interface seemed much more difficult.......but that is here in australia and several years ago. Whilst doing remote area wildlife surveys for several mining companies it was reassuring to see that they all were using Garmins. greg wallis |
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