# A days herping



## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

Thought I'd share some pics from today.

Came across a few male Slow Worms under some refugia:


















Also saw my first Adder for this year, a male, but he was too quick for me and gone before I had the camera ready.

And this evening in the pond the frogs are still out in force doing their thing:




































And of course at this time of year there's allways the Smooth Newts waiting to get their fill of frog spawn:


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Awesome finds and some really nice pics too!

Should've got out today, but failed. Will try tomorrow if the weather allows!


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

Thanks mate.
I've just been watching a couple of Smooth Newts munching on the frog spawn:


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## MP reptiles (Dec 30, 2010)

awesome to see something a bit different and native( i have never seen a slow worm)


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

tremendous photographs!:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:


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## ophidianman (Sep 5, 2008)

HABU said:


> tremendous photographs!:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:



Seconded...:2thumb:


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

Glad you all like, here's one more from last night a Common Toad:


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## exoticsandtropics (Mar 11, 2007)

what camera are you using there andrew?


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

Hi Mark, It's a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi - the US version of the 400D.

I went out to see the frogs spawning today, to start off here's a few single males:


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

Pair spawning:









A couple of nice red males:


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

Mating ball:









The same mating ball a couple of minutes later, as you can see from these following shots the female at the centre of it all is unfortunatly dead:


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## Testudo Man (Aug 3, 2005)

Some excellent photos here, especially the Slow worms.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Awesome photos! Love those slow worms, specially the close up


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## exoticsandtropics (Mar 11, 2007)

that frog has great markings too. don't often see them that vivid. ( i'm on about the tiger one)


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## manda88 (Nov 27, 2009)

Wicked photos Andrew  Shame the poor female frog died, hopefully she will have spawned already. My favourite pic is the one of the toad!


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## tomwilson (Feb 27, 2010)

great pics there,

i keep meaning to go out and take a look myself but i'm a bit scared tbh, the only place near to me is out near a council estate, it's out the way and frequented by :censor:heads in large numbers, last time i was up there i had to run from two lads on quad bikes


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

Glad you all like. These frog pics all came out dark despite being taken in broad daylight, I think it's to do with the polarising filter, I need to play with it some more.

Yes Mark he was very nicely patterned, I was quite taken by him. There were several reder coloured frogs, the ponds are in red clay so this may have something to do with it. Here's another of that guy:









Thanks Manda, yes it is a shame but a regular occurance, there were other dead frogs visible on the bottom of the pond too - likely other females. It was my first visit to this location so I don't know if it's usually such a male heavy population but as males stick around to breed with multiple females and the females just arrive spawn and run it's quite usual. There was lots of spawn though. I'm sure there will be plenty more Toad pics to come in a few weeks time but here's one more of that little dude for now:









I've been out looking at more local ponds these last couple of days and apart from my garden pond and one other locally there's a distinct lack of frog spawn around at the moment, usually my pond is a week or so behind everywhere else but this year we've had a bumper crop of spawn and a week or so earlier than usual :hmm:hopefully the other ponds will start to fill up soon.


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## vogelport (Feb 4, 2008)

WOW!! The slow worm's are huge, i'v always wanted to see some but never have  Well done, gorgeous picture's


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## KJ Exotics (Jun 16, 2007)

Alright andrew, nice photo's.
Have you got a shot of the lake/pond full on ?


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

Still another week or so before the frogs in our area arrive!

I'll just need to satisfy myself with GCN's and adders!


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

Brilliant pics Andrew.

Went to my local reserve today, as its approaching spawn time, but there was nothing to see. (Prev yrs 7/3/9 & 13/3/10) Still yet to see any frogs mating tho, just see the aftermath :lol2: but what im desperate to see is ANY newt!! The reserve has all 3 and yet i've never seen any, ever!!


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## xvickyx (Jul 21, 2009)

Beautiful photos  I need to get out and investigate in our park nearby


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## Janine00 (Sep 20, 2008)

That last pic of the toad is great.... Am due to go out counting later in month so may be able to get a pic or two, but as my camera is a simple point and click i doubt there will be much worthy of uploading....

Never seen such a bright frog as that tiger lad.... absolutely stunning! :notworthy:


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

KJ Exotics said:


> Alright andrew, nice photo's.
> Have you got a shot of the lake/pond full on ?


No mate, I've got some slightly wider shots but nothing showing the full pond.



REDDEV1L said:


> Brilliant pics Andrew.
> 
> Went to my local reserve today, as its approaching spawn time, but there was nothing to see. (Prev yrs 7/3/9 & 13/3/10) Still yet to see any frogs mating tho, just see the aftermath :lol2: but what im desperate to see is ANY newt!! The reserve has all 3 and yet i've never seen any, ever!!


I would say go out with a torch in the evening if you want to see the newts but if you know they have GCN then that's not a good idea. Do they do pond dipping days you could go to?



Janine00 said:


> That last pic of the toad is great.... Am due to go out counting later in month so may be able to get a pic or two, but as my camera is a simple point and click i doubt there will be much worthy of uploading....
> 
> Never seen such a bright frog as that tiger lad.... absolutely stunning! :notworthy:


Are you doing Toads on Roads? I didn't know there were any other groups doing it around Worcestershire. 




I managed to get out and about again this afternoon, it was a beautiful day perfect weather for herping but the good weather doesn't just bring out the herps does it! I had to contend with a swarm of these things:








I counted about 15 of them, to a Reptile they must look like large birds circling around over head. Plus if those weren't enough to contend with there was also a numpty on a moped.

Anyway, I saw the same male adder as the other week but once again he scarpered before I had the camera ready, just as a big paraglider shaped shadow came across :2wallbang:.

I did however manage to get a few close up pics of some Slow Worms:




































And my last find of the day; a Common Lizard, my focus was off on this photo but again a blinkin paraglider spooked it before I could get in any closer:


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## manda88 (Nov 27, 2009)

pollywog said:


> Thanks Manda, yes it is a shame but a regular occurance, there were other dead frogs visible on the bottom of the pond too - likely other females. It was my first visit to this location so I don't know if it's usually such a male heavy population but as males stick around to breed with multiple females and the females just arrive spawn and run it's quite usual. There was lots of spawn though. I'm sure there will be plenty more Toad pics to come in a few weeks time but here's one more of that little dude for now:
> image


That really is a cracking pic, did you use a flashgun? I hope you don't mind but I've nicked the pic so I can have it as my background!


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

manda88 said:


> That really is a cracking pic, did you use a flashgun? I hope you don't mind but I've nicked the pic so I can have it as my background!


Thanks, I normally use the on board flash but I knock the flash exposure compensation down a bit.


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

The nights are still cold and we've not had much rain yet but the Toads have already started to move. I visited 2 sites this afternoon one over the border in Herefordshire and one here in Malvern. I did a rough count at the one pond and estimated I saw roughly 250-300 in the water but only about 5 amplectant pairs.

First up some males in the water:




































A pair in amplexus:









A male sat by the side of the pond waiting to pounce on a passing female:


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