Birding and other distractions

A cold northerly breeze today though pleasantly warm sunshine in sheltered areas. Seven Adders seen today though none had yet sloughed. Two were in the usual spot near the pond, plus one at RDE, probably the same individual seen on the 15th. The other four Adders were in AP, one of which was a small juvenile. Also seven Slow-worms in AP, including a very small, thread-like golden juvenile, seemingly recently born. Was this perhaps from a female that over-wintered before birth, carrying wel developed embryos inside her during hibernation? One male Greenfinch in AP. Ground Ivy Adder at RDE Adder and Slow-worm in AP  Female Slow-worm  Avocet

After completing today's WeBS count I had a quick look for Adders near the pond. Even though it was late in the afternoon (3:45) and the sun had gone in I managed to find four, probably individuals seen before. A couple were showing indications of the upcoming slough, the eyes starting to look milky. Three were fairly well hidden, but one not at all, and easy to see. All were males. The first one found, lying out in the open  As above  Two Adders lying together  Adder with milky eyes 

Virtually a year to the day since I last went to Orlestone, the main objective being the same, to hopefully find Large Tortoiseshell. It was a lovely sunny day. The butterfly took some finding but eventually two were seen. One was high up on an oak tree, the other nearby though at head height. Unfortunately the latter individual had a chunk missing from one wing. Other butterflies seen were most commonly Brimstone, also Peacock and a Comma. Shortly after my arrival I heard a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, the kee-kee-kee song. However, I couldn't see the bird despite scanning the tree tops. Large Tortoiseshell  Faggs Wood, the butterflies being seen in this ride, on the right hand side.

My third visit to RCP this month. A sunny morning though quite windy. Seven Adders and six Slow-worms were found during the visit. Two male Adders at RDE showed well, one seen with a Peacock butterfly close by. Surprisingly, no Adders were found in AP, though there were four Slow-worms. Still a fair number of Brent Geese and Pintail feeding just offshore near BW. Adder and friend at RDE Second Adder at RDE Slow-worm Brent Geese  Pintail   

WhatsApp news that George heard a Woodlark in SB had me heading there at midday, as it happened just after the sun came out. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the bird though two Ravens were very active giving grief to the local Buzzards. Two Bullfinch were heard in the NW corner of the site, though typically did not show themselves. Whilst there it was an opportunity to look for Adders, and I found two, in the same spots as in previous years. One of them was a particularly large male. Moving on to DV there were another three Adders, and then six in TF, two of which were females. The grand total of 11 was close to my all time highest count of 13 for the area. There were also three Slow-worms in TF. Buzzard in SB Ravens in SB Large male Adder in SB Male in DV  Male in DV Male in DV Male in TF Out of focus female in TF  Pair of Adders in TF, female mostly hidden on the left.

Another lovely day with cloudless skies and temperature up to 16-17 C in the afternoon. Despite my sore hip I couldn't resist another visit to RCP. Walking from Bloors Wharf I checked out AP first of all. I was pleased to see it had been well managed, removing old foliage of nettles and the like in order to open up the paths. As a consequence the habitat looks good for reptiles and other wildlife, and it was perhaps no surprise that I found two Adders and three Slow-worms there. After that I headed towards the ponds. One Adder was in scrub by the tall trees, and there were two more about 100 yards further on. The field nearest Motney Road was rather quiet for reptiles with just one Adder briefly seen. I bumped into Den and we walked back the way I'd come. Near the ponds we found three Adders on this occasion, all seen well. Prior to that there was a Grass Snake in the open field, which rapidly shot off towards the bushes and out of sight. The sound of Med Gulls was often heard,...

A lovely day with warm sunshine. It certainly felt like Spring with birds singing, butterflies on the wing and reptiles laying out. I found no less than nine Adders today, all males as expected at this early stage. There was also a Grass Snake though typically it shot off before I saw it well. I've been seeing more Greenfinches of late, with singing males at various locations. Today was no exception, and one gave prolonged views as it gave its wheezy song from up high. Hopefully populations of these favourite birds are starting to recover after the recent problems that have beset the species. Butterflies seen were Brimstone, Comma and Peacock, the latter the most numerous. Male Adder This half hidden individual was the only Adder at RDE Greenfinch  Peacock