2012 herp trips, plans so far..

Whereas last winter I had two herp trips to see me through the dark, dreary season, this time I have had none, therefore more so than usual I am very excited about spring 2012. My plans are starting to take shape now:

April: A Dodecanese voyage to the islands of Symi and Rhodes to see some old friends (human and reptilian) together with my favourite Greek Ilias Strachnis, and hopefully also Carl Corbidge. Symi is an island I know well, and one of many reasons for a return visit is the presence of Ottoman vipers (Montivipera xanthina), as well as some other ‘Asian’ snake species not found elsewhere in Europe. Depending on weather conditions we may also try to get a boat to Kastellorizo in search of it’s beautiful Luschan’s salamanders (Lyciasalamandra luschani).

May/June: First, Corfu (again!) but only for the second time with the Durrell School of Corfu for the ‘Gerald Durrell’s Corfu’ week. And almost immediately after this, a trip to the beautiful island of Corsica as a group of 4 to be sure we find all of the island’s endemic species.

Summer: Either an Iberian trip, or I may go crazy and have a ‘normal’ holiday.

Gerald Durrell’s Corfu 2012!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Just a quick post to wish the followers of my blog a Merry Xmas and a Happy 2012. My plans for next year have already started to take shape, Corsica is now booked, and I can’t wait to get the 2012 herping season under way. I spent Boxing day on the East coast on an RSPB reserve watching Marsh harriers (Circus aeruginosus), once a very rare sight in the UK, these impressive raptors are now making a remarkable come back. Other nice sightings today included Hen harrier, and a Barn owl. In around two months birds will take a back seat once more when the amphibians and reptiles begin to surface

Some Marsh harrier photos from today, all taken at quite a distance away:

Marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

Marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

Marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

Marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

Marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

Winter update

Firstly I must offer a small apology for not being able to upload a field report on my trip to Spain in October, but due to slow server problems the blog could not handle all of my photos. Thankfully this has now been resolved, but the report will probably never happen anyway, simply because I become a lot lazier during the winter. Sorry. But please see Carl’s report from our trip on his blog.

No herping since that trip to Spain and I am ever so slightly losing my mind (as I do during most Winters), some birding does help ease the pain, but not when trying to photograph the Peregrines, Kestrels and Sparrowhawks on the moorland around my village which has proved so far to be very frustrating since they are extremely shy and do not allow a close approach like reptiles do. Very poor weather conditions recently have not helped photography either. Anyway on a brighter note I have been invited back to Corfu next May for the Gerald Durrell’s week by the Durrell School of Corfu. I had a great time this year and I am eager to get back into the field with the three Daves: Dave Ashcroft, David Bellamy, and David Shimwell.  Another trip on the cards is Corsica, an island I have wanted to visit for years for its beauty and of course endemic species, but I’ve never quite made it. I should have been there last year and this year! But it looks like it may finally happen in 2012 with fellow herping maniacs Carl Corbidge (as always!), Liam Russell and hopefully Dave Hardaker from the North Merseyside Amphibian and Reptile group. A summer trip to Northern Spain/Portugal or the Pyrenées is a distinct possibility.

Whilst going through some of my photos, I came across a video I had forgotten I had even made! So here it is, an adult Four-lined snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata) filmed after its release in it’s olive grove habitat in Corfu this year:

Hula Painted frog re-discovered!

Last recorded Hula painted frog from 1955 (C) Professor Heinrich Mendelssohn, Tel- Aviv University

Today I was thrilled to learn that the Hula Painted frog (Discoglossus nigriventer) from Israel has been found after it was thought to be extinct since the 1950s. Even before this frog was declared extinct its biology and ecology were very poorly known, as only two adults and two tadpoles were collected in 1940, and and a third specimen was found in 1955.  This was the last report of this frog until 16th November 2011! The frog was believed to have gone extinct because of the draining of the wetland areas in which it breeds as a means of eradicating malaria. Painted frogs (Discoglossus sp) are among my favourite species, and I have great memories of finding lots of Discoglossus pictus (pictured) in S-W France when I was there studying at university in Perpignan. Most species are nocturnal, and occasionally diurnal and reproduce in quite large temporary breeding ponds when it rains, but one species, Discoglossus montalentii from Corsica breedings in rock pools formed by mountain streams.

Painted frog (Discoglossus pictus) (C) Matt Wilson

I’d imagine that this discovery will now spark an international investigation from Herpetologists, some of which I am sure will try to find tadpoles and adults for their private collections merely because it is an extremely rare species. Therefore, it is vital that the area in which this frog was re-discovered is protected, as International collectors may soon arrive on the doorstep of this beautiful, and now critically endangered species.

To read more please click here.

Back home from sun-baked Murcia!

After one of the longest droughts in Spain in decades we had a rather difficult trip, but we still managed to find our number one target: Betic midwife toad (Alytes dickhilleni), many nice reptiles, birds and even some rare mammals! Report will be on the way soon, but for now I have uploaded photos to my web album.

Betic midwife toad (Alytes dickhilleni) (C) Matt Wilson

The gravid female that still hasn’t dropped!

I had a brief hike up on the moors today, but with ridiculously strong winds, I held little hope of finding any reptiles. First, I spotted three Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) hovering and swooping down into the fields, they didn’t seem to mind the wind too much. Then a Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) flew overhead and landed in the wooded area in front of me. Minutes later I spotted a female Adder (Vipera berus), usually most females should have given birth by now, but this one hadn’t and was clearly trying to get as many rays of sunshine as possible, despite the gale-force conditions.

Female adder (Vipera berus) (C) Matt Wilson

Female adder (Vipera berus) (C) Matt Wilson

Autumn trip

Me with a Horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) (March 2008)

Well, although I said I wouldn’t be doing another trip abroad this year I guess I knew that would be impossible. Together with Carl Corbidge (UK), Bobby Bok (NL), Sander Schagen (NL) and possibly others I will spend a week in arid S-E Spain (Murcia) in October. I spent some time studying at university in Murcia in 2008 and I became very interested in the region’s amphibians and reptiles. Some species targets for us on this trip will include Betic midwife toad (Alytes dickhilleni), Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra ssp morenica), Spanish algyroides (Algyroides marchi) and with some luck, may be even Lataste’s viper (Vipera latastei). In addition I hope some of my old herping friends from Murcia will be able to join us some days. I have some very pleasant memories from Murcia, chasing lizards and snakes, and especially capturing a wonderful Montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) of over two metres (pictured below).

La sierra de la Pila, Murcia (C) Matt Wilson

Montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) (C) Matt Wilson

Summer weekend in the field

On Saturday I visited a site in the Yorkshire Dales where a pair of Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) have been nesting, although the chicks had fledged the adults were both still present and from a great height I was able to watch them perched, and flying from a steep cliff. Also of interest on the day was the sighting of a Stoat (Mustela erminea), as it ran across the path in front of me and into a drystone wall, as well as a Buzzard (Buteo buteo) passing high above. On Sunday, Carl came over for a bit of herping, and we set off early to the coast. In quite sunny weather we could find only two Sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) which weren’t photographed, and beneath some rubbish, a Smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) and a Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita). Later in the afternoon in more cloudy weather we saw three female Adders (Vipera berus) at my regular spot.

Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita)

Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita)

Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita)

Smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris)

Female Adder (Vipera berus)

August update

Well, the typical August washout has set in with rainy weather pretty much everyday since the start of the month. However, I have spent a few days out in the field, the female Adders (Vipera berus) are still gravid as are some Viviparous lizards (Zootoca vivipara) although I have seen several newborn lizards.

Also at present, myself, Carl as well as others are considering an Iberian trip in the late Autumn/early Winter. Lets see….

Female Adder (Vipera berus)

Female Adder (Vipera berus)

Female Adder (Vipera berus)

Female Adder (Vipera berus)

Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) on the hunt

Gravid female Viviparous lizard (Zootoca vivipara)