Other sites have also reported good numbers of Adder - At Hadleigh Castle Country
Park 11 Adders were recorded by Andrew Woodhouse on the 16th March. In Epping
Forest 18 adult Adders were spotted by Roy Gordon while on a visit with Imogen Wilde
(Forest Ecologist). Epping Forest has the highest count of Adders so far this year. The
survey results over 2004 put the Forest as the top place for reptiles in Essex.
Back at Hadleigh Castle Country Park, Andrew's sightings included two Adders basking
a short distance from a purpose built hibernacula constructed by the South Essex
Conservation volunteers, Essex ranger Service and Essex Amphibian & reptile Group
in 2002. The scrub coppice management within the Country Park seems to be providing
an ideal habitat for reptiles and other wildlife (Cranfield 2003). The management has
been planned, by undertaking regular surveys, during the spring months to identify
important habitat features - hibernation sites, laying out areas etc. The aim of the
management is to make sure compensation habitat (log, brash and grass piles) are provided
when the cover (scrub) is removed by hand (chainsaw). As the different compartments
grow Adders tend to move around into areas which were cleared around 2 years previous.
Adders are normally found around foci such as banks, brash, log piles and tree stumps
(Cranfield 2003).
On the 3rd of April I found 13 Adders including the two male Adders near the hibernacula
and one female Adder near log pile 3.1 had also found several Viviparous Lizards and
Slow-worms amongst the many brash piles, log piles and under felt refugia carefully
placed during the clearance works in previous years. In 2003 I also found a Glow-worm
larva under a piece of felt in the Adder study area (Cranfield 2003).
As part of the ongoing study into the adder population at Hadleigh I am attempting to
record the migration from the higher ground (hibernation area) to the lower ground
(summer feeding areas). Once I complete the transect survey at the hibernation area I
carried on down to the grazing marsh where I walked along the scrub/grassland edges
looking for Adders.
This year I also plan to monitor the arrival of Grass Snakes Natrix natrix along the
ditch system of the Country Park. I didn't find any snakes on the last visit (18th March
2005) but to my surprise I found young marsh frogs. These little frogs were sunning
themselves along the edge of the ditches (1 to 5) and are easy to count as they jump into
the water when you approach you just count the 'plops'.
I counted 26 animals alongside the 5 ditches I surveyed in the North Marsh. A monitoring
survey of this large European Frog is planned by the Herpetofauna group on the 21st
May 2005 all members are welcome please meet at Benfleet Station car park 9.00am
please give me a call to confirm any interest 07769 644354 - we will be surveying for
reptiles, newts and frogs plus any other wildlife we encounter so I would like have other
members expertise please.
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 47, May 2005
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