RAUK - Archived Forum - Early emergence

My first 2007 record of male adder for the Derbyshire Peak yesterday (3rd Feb) at 2-30pm, air temperature 12.5degC.

This was in a sheltered valley where many more are normally visible, but after checking a couple of sites, this was the only one showing.

Interesting to note that it was not out and about on the previous afternoon, even though conditions were virtually identical.

I intend to return there today, this time with camera !!

Went back out to try and obtain piccie of the adder observed yesterday.

Weather was very sunny and almost as warm as yesterday, but there was a slight breeze to add just a hint of cooler days to come.

I arrived at the site to discover that another member of the Derbyshire ARG was aleardy there, observing the same adder, so it looks like were all having the same ideas of potential early emergence!

The adder was not as fully 'exposed' as yesterday, but the piccie shown here was the best available, without causing disturbance.

I guess we're now on countdown for others to start to show, but it looks like the week ahead might be just a bit inclement

[QUOTE=armata]If you gottem in Derby Dorset must be 'crawling' by now
Alex??[/QUOTE]

Hi Tony,

I'm ashamed to say I've only been out a couple of times so far this year with no joy!, the only herpetofauna spotted so far being Bufo Bufo in the garden!. However, was last week talking to a chap in Poole who says he saw a VB in Upton, that 'spotting' would of been 2 weeks ago now so Dorset hasn't been quite forgotten. I will get out soon Tony, perhaps tomorrow if the weather is favourable 

Cheers, Alex

Remember to send in your MATC counts for this year and also send in previous years if you havent already (Gem ?)

JC

Following 4"-5" of snow which fell in Derbyshire this week, I went out this afternoon to check on local adder sites.

So far, I have still only come across this one male, which was out today at 6degC, sunny with breeze. Much of the snow melted yesterday, but there's still a lot about, albeit not on the bracken mounds!

I've posted a piccie of the well hidden animal seen again today, although its a bit of a challenge to see where it is, but I did'nt want to disturb it just for the chance of a better shot.

I saw my first adder this year today (18/02/2007) at Allerthorpe Common (nr. York). I went there last weekend and saw none. When I arrived there were a group of people there that had been looking but had not found any... lucky me! and I even got a pic:

Plenty of Derbyshire adders around today - a total of 8 animals spread over three sites, in a couple of hours.

Weather was quite chilly, at 7.5degC with breeze, but the sunshine obviously created favourable micro-climates in some of the more sheltered areas.

Hi John

I was also out on at one of the sites in Derbyshire, I managed 11 individuals, with 4 on one bank. It was early afternoon in the bright sunshine, need to get myself a thermometer. Got a GPS after seeing Chris (Monk) with his last year, so I've got accurate locations to feedback to him, but thermometer would be useful! I also saw a Black Common Lizard, which i haven't seen before, are they common? I thought it was a slug at first, it was in thick vegetation but got very close view, couldn't manage a photo beacause of its position, my 180mm macro is great but not good for poking in thick vegetation!

Graham

Hi Graham

Think I know where you mean, but didnt have time to get down there this morning - spoke to Chris at lunchtime, cos the site with 4 animals is one where a large number seem to have vanished in the past couple of years.

I must admit, I havent seen any melanistic Zv on the sites you were at today, although they do turn up in other places on occasions.

If you managed to get on sites on the opposite side of the road, then PM me, since I'm running a training course over there in a couple of weeks.

Interesting thought there Tony - do you have much data for %RH data in your adder travels ??

I monitor it fairly closely 'cos of hibernating tortoises, and a few lizards, and within this environment dont usually find much variation around the 65% figure typical for Britain at this time of year especially in the early to mid mornings. It can drop down to 50-55% by mid afternoon, if there are 'dry' cold conditions - thats not happened much this year, probably 'cos of incessantly wet muggy, foggy conditions which are so prevalent !

Adder hibernation sites in Derbyshire are typically in the 950 - 1050ft asl range, and are not often much above locally boggy areas with close-at-hand juncus. The sites themselves are nevertheless 'dry' although local humidity changes may or may not be significant.

I'm sure you may have hit upon a useful point for recording here, so will start taking measurements and see what turns up !

There seems to be definite number of individuals that always come out early in the year even in poor weather, whilst others wait until much later. Several of the Derbyshire sites always have some early male emergence, whereas others in close proximity don't show any male adders for up to a month later. Where John saw his first animal in early February it is high up at the top of a valley and lower down in a much more sheltered location at a group hibernation site nothing appears until mid to late March and the females come out in April.

Some good news is that the adders have returned to one of the best emergence sites from 2005 where up to 11 were seen at any one time. Last year John & I didn't see a single animal there and only found  3 within about 100 metres all spring despite loads of visits. I saw 3 today on the original site and another couple about 30 metres away. Don't know where they were hibernating and emerging last spring though.

A good day out today - the 5 seen by Chris at one of our better emergence sites were visible again today, plus another 3 within 100m. 

Nearby a side valley was also showing 5 animals, which included a block of 3 communally basking.

Another 6 hours searching on the main moorland complex turned up another 10 animals, all emerging from bracken mounds adjacent to wet juncus/mollinia dominated areas. Within the moorland habitat, this is typical for nearly all emergence sites, although the last animal of the day was basking on 'bowling green' turf with scattered rocks, adjacent to a swift streamlet. Hibernation had been accomplished by using holes underneath the rocks, extending into the bank.

Taking these counts, along with possibly more than 12 seen by Chris on a nearby site, this totals up to 35 animals seen today within a fairly localised area - as Chris mentioned previously, there are some other emergence sites where the animals will not be in evidence for another couple of weeks, so this season promises to be quite productive for records.

Tony, humidity readings this morning were in the range 69-72%, dropping to 62% by mid afternoon. There was also a noticable SW breeze during most of the day, although at ground level with shelter this was not always in evidence.