.. "The sound of hoof beats 'cross the glade, Good folk, lock up your son and daughter. Beware the deadly flashing blade, unless you want to end up shorter."

Lyrics above ^^ from BBC Blackadder S1 eps 1-5 .. 'nuff said.

Reptiles on the West Sussex chalk

Returning to a favorite chalk grassland site in West Sussex to survey the local reptile population, I was rewarded with the finding of an adder (Vipera berus) slough - just a few inches away from the spanking bright and shiny male adder from which it had recently sloughed. I was later able to collect the skin, to add to my cabinet of curiosities.

adder

slow worm (Anguis fragilis)

common lizard (Zootoca vivipara)

common lizard

adder

adder - recently sloughed

adder slough

adder slough - collected

Hazleton Common

Vipera berus and Anguis fragilis

Vipera berus

Vipera berus

Anguis fragilis

Lissotriton helveticus

Andrena (Adrena) clarkella

Polygonia c-album

Hazleton Common, Horndean - a cracking site for reptiles!

I have visited Hazleton Common (LNR) three times between the 18th and 24th Sept - primarily on the lookout for reptiles and in particular the notable population of "black adder" (Vipera Berus) which are recorded here.

The site is just shy of 16 hectares, containing large areas of open "acid grassland", three ponds, waterlogged grassland and a couple of small areas of ancient woodland. Described as a "habitat in transition" the acid grassland has been managed to promote gorse and heather (Horndean Biodiversity Action Plan). These two plants can be found in particular towards the southern end of the site, as you walk towards the ponds.

The site contains four of the six native species of reptile, and the largest pond has records for great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) (Horndean Biodiversity Action Plan).

I found all four reptile species, but did not look for the GCN. Only a single black adder was seen on the 24th. By the end of the three visits I encountered a minimum of 8 slow worm (Anguis fragilis), 2 grass snake (Natrix natrix), 5 adder and a couple of common lizard (Lacerta vivipara). A good haul, although I have to be content with a single record shot of the black adder, as it disappears into bramble scrub.

slow worm

common lizard

Adder

heather (Calluna vulgaris)

black adder (record shot)

the three ponds

small copper (Lycaena phlaeas)

speckled wood (Pararge aegeria)

Other mobile species noted over the course of the visits included: small copper and speckled wood butterfly; ruddy darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) and southern hawker (Aeshna cyanea).

Bibliography

Horndean Biodiversity Action Plan can be found at: Horndean Biodiversity Action Plan

Horndean Biodiversity Group can be found at: Horndean Biodiversity Group

Garden catch up - end of Summer 2015

As the weather has turned and the summer feels lost to this wind and heavy rain, I just wanted to take the opportunity to capture the garden highlights for the summer. All records new for garden [NFG].

A single male slow worm (Anguis fragilis) was present from May 12th to May 23rd. The month also produced moth records for light green apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana), and Esperia sulphurella.

June produced migrant moth sightings of Hummingbird hawk moth (Macroglossum stellatarum), and yellow shell (Camptogramma bilineata). Whilst 14 spot ladybird (Propylea 14-punctata), made a welcome change from the usual Harlequin (Harmonia axyridis) numbers seen.

In July, small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) was observed nectaring on red campion (Silene dioica) on the 17th, and a gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) arrived on the 31st.

The gatekeeper brought the garden total to 12 spp of butterfly, although an attempt to review the 2013 record of Essex skipper (in light of current learning, was inadvertently sabotaged when the original photo files were deleted by mistake!). A dodgy 12 but a solid 11 nevertheless!

August brought a confirmed record of common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) when two were observed foraging along the hedge-line.

Portsdown Hill - ramblings from the usual compartments

An afternoon wander around the old transect route in Portsdown Hill compartments 1 & 2 this afternoon produced, Comp 1: orange tip (4), peacock (3), holly blue (2), brimstone (5) and a single green-veined white; Comp 2: small white (1), brimstone (6), orange tip (2), peacock (2), comma (1), speckled wood (3).

In Comp 2 I also found a lesser treble bar moth and a fox moth caterpillar. I based my ID of the lesser treble bar -as opposed to the treble bar - on the noticeable kink in the bar on the forewing towards the edge of the wing (as per: Newland, Still & Swash 2013). I have since been advised that this feature is highly subjective in the field, and that in males at least the shape of the abdomen is the key ID feat (Mike Wall, Hants BC pers comm.).

The pond in the chalk pit had at least 14 newts, which I presume were all smooth newts, based on the couple I managed to ID from the photos. I also found a single juvenile slow worm on the path up the western slope, sadly the specimen was dead when I found it.

♂ Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis), Sparsholt College "shelterbelt"

Goswell Brook (Study Centre) incidental highlights

A days volunteering activity with Hampshire Conservation Volunteers at Goswell Brooks (New Forest Tree Study Centre) constructing pathworks also gave some opportunity for exploring the local wildlife.

Highlights on the day:

♂ small red damselfly (Ceriagrion tenellum) which alighted on the picnic table during the morning's first squash break.

A mid day sojourn to check the tins for reptiles in which three out of seven tins were productive: one tin producing singles of common lizard (Lacerta vivipara), a large ♀ slow worm (Anguis fragilis) and a grass snake (Natrix natrix). The second tin produced a single common lizard - disturbed from basking on top, the third another grass snake.

Birding wise a 3J robin (Erithacus rubecula) was very confiding taking the opportunity to feed around the aggregate stash  as we filled wheelbarrows, disturbing the ground and revealing tasty morsels for it. An ad. robin had done similar recently at Minstead Study Centre - picking its way through the disturbed soil beside us as we dug 4.5 ft holes to sink deer fence straining posts.

Singles of grey heron (Ardea cinerea) and ♀ mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) on the pond, and up to three buzzard (Buteo buteo) provided the rest of the interest.

Not a Bird ? Sparsholt College reptile sp.

Anguis fragilis

Anguis fragilis

Taking a short (and much needed?) break from blogging recent avifauna spp. sightings, it is time to include the photo record of a slow worm Anguis fragilis found under felt in the shelter-belt at Sparsholt College on 22nd September 2009 Given the size and colouration of the slow worm (iridescent gold, with black / brown sides and a central dorsal stripe), I would identify it as a juvenile. This slow worm was not the only specimen to be found. However, the first was to swift (!) to be caught when the tin was lifted. The juv. reptile showed its contempt for disturbance by defecating in the hand.

ARKive provides a brief guide to the biology of this reptile, along with some stunning video footage of the sp. http://www.arkive.org/slow-worm/anguis-fragilis/biology.html Although any information the website provides regarding the slow worms legal status needs to be double-checked against both Natural England and UK Biodiversity Action Plan websites.

The slow worm is protected under Schedule 9 Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981).