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

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first herp sightings of 2011??:

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ben rigsby
Senior Member
Joined: 27 Apr 2010
No. of posts: 337


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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
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Joined: 19 Feb 2008
No. of posts: 412


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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


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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
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Joined: 03 Jun 2003
No. of posts: 196


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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


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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


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Posted: 11 Jan 2011
Toad on road on rainy Gower this evening!
ben rigsby
Senior Member
Joined: 27 Apr 2010
No. of posts: 337


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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


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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


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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


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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


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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


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Posted: 18 Jan 2011

My earliest frogging trip was February 20th one year and I thought that was real early, itÆs so weird that thereÆs 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


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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


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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


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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


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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


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Posted: 02 Feb 2011

Do you mean one like this?


Scale
Senior Member
Joined: 05 Dec 2010
No. of posts: 83


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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


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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


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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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