Key Jinglers

Went on a search for Corn Buntings this morning on local Saxby Wold. Soaked up the lovely key-jingerly song. Not really somewhere that I watch very often, but was surprised to find attendant tree sparrow, yellow wagtail (nesting in rapeseed?), wheatear, linnet and buzzard.


corn bunting





tree sparrow tree - not many places where you will now find a dead tree that has not been chopped to satisy the health and safety mantra. About 3 years ago the local council and electricity distributors had a blitz on the trees around Barton. The once-abundant noctule bat totally disappeared at about the same time. The two events are probably not unrelated.

I really dislike driving down the wold single track roads, stopping the car, listening, starting the car, finding somewhere to pull off, etc, etc. I now however, have a cunning plan - throw bike in back of car, park somewhere near wold central and bike it around the area for a good few hours on a warm day among the jinglers. Bliss.

Vole Activity

The local water voles have been quite active, but not particularly willing photographic participants (to me at least). These are my best shots to date.











Noticed a pike in the drain and a stoat along the bank, so keep your heads down.

Heathland Shrike

A great grey shrike where it should be - on the local Risby Warren heathland. It was busy feeding mainly on bumblebees - maybe this is because they are mostly large queens ready for egg laying at this time of the year - must be quite nutritious.



as promised - no frame-filling bird shots here

After viewing the shrike for a good hour, I went in search for reptiles. I've never managed to find any and this time was no exception. There are not many spots suitable for snake hibernaculums, but the long dry stone wall on the eastern side should surely hold common lizards. Have come to the conclusion that the many decades of shooting on the warren equals gamekeepers + masses of pheasant, equals zero reptile population.

The western side looks more wooded with birch and I have not checked this yet, so there is hope yet.


The inland wind-blown sand dune here is quite impressive.





inland dune


Really must return at night this summer - it looks ideal for glow worm with many snails and large open areas for displaying. However, there is not much in the way of water here, which seems to be a feature of many glow worm sites.

Grass Snakes

Five separate grass snakes found today. Not confident about sexing them yet though.

Single snake found at site2 (ditchside), close to where I found a single snake last year sharing a hibernaculum with some adders. Comparing pictures indicates they are probably the same snake.

Snake1

Snake1

Snake1

Site3 (roadside) had 5 separate snakes with quite a variation in markings. In one place there were at least 3 snakes and there was a slight bad smell in the area, which may have been from the grass snakes themselves - they are well known to be able to excrete foul smells in defence.

Snake 2

Snake3

Snake4 - quite a large snake, less yellow and few markings

Snake4 - close up

Snake4 - close up

Adder Combat

With a warm day forecast I headed to the local forest for some reptile study.

The male adders have now all sloughed, so now is the time for mating. I managed to find a female basking early in the morning. Further away were several males also basking.


male with flattened body to maximise warming


another male searching for female

The prize - a large and beautiful female basking under a birch. Note the female characteristics of brown central stripe and lack of black rostral (nose) scale outline. Tail is also less tapered than a male.

Returning later, a male was courting her and defending his prize against all interlopers. Over the next hour he fought off 4 or 5 other males. They appeared to try to rush him almost at once, but he was up to the task, mostly a lunge and fast chase would be enough. Only one male of similar size gave him any trouble and this produced several bouts of the famous 'dance of the adders' where the two males raise half their bodies off the ground in an attempt to push the rival down.

The challenger appears, probably drawn by the females scent

Stand-off. These two males were quite evenly matched. Current top snake on the right

Combat commences.

The victor returns to the female and moves over her in a stange, jerky fashion

The males are so preoccupied that I sat amongst them without disturbance. One male slithered under my legs. It was one of those magical times when, just for a moment, you are accepted into another world.

Common lizards were also about, including what I think was a male judging by the broken vertibral stripe (below). He basked then departed on a short hunting trip.


male? common lizard

Sloughing Adders

The first post-slough adders were around today, infact one male was still getting rid of the tail-end of his skin. The new skin looked truely spectacular and shiny in the sunlight.


Spectacular male with female just visible



The same large and well marked male checking for interloping males

He had found a female, who was well hidden, with only her rear few coils in the sun and head hidden, but peering out of a grass tussock. The male spent some time patrolling and returning to check on the female.

Also two grass snakes here, one basking on the top of some heather.


Grass snake


At another site, the male adders had not yet sloughed, but were quite close to doing so. Several had quite opaque eyes.


Male adder ready for sloughing



Opaque eye scale. The eye scales are included when sloughing occurs.

Most hibernacula found seem to occur at the base of gorse bushes which are quite bushy down to the base. I would guess that this may be due to the warm microclimate and lack of wind, as much as protection from predators.

First Garden Butterflies

A nice male comma in the garden on Monday. He seems to be holding a territory in the rough grassland as he launched himself to intercept another male flying overhead.

There is a wild hop growing in the old hedge here. I must remember to check it for eggs this year, as it is a favoured, but rare food plant.

Also a few Peacocks about...........a Brimstone would be nice.


comma male ready for take off


comma male basking

Over 30 clumps of spawn is now in the pond with a few more added every few days. Major emergence of some kind of mayfly, with one emerging and instantly taking to the wing every 30 seconds.

over 30 clumps of spawn now in the pond