The Weeks Ahead

Over the coming weeks I have a few meetings, which will definitely keep me busy!

I am soon to meet with the Forestry Commission to work out the best plan of action regarding the wild boar. I'm not expecting them to implement my suggestions, but I do hope they will listen. The wild boar require management, but only when absolutely necessary and this is something I am hoping to help them with, to get a better understanding of boar numbers throughout the area, so that a more accurate guess can be made when a cull is imminent.

I will also be attending a talk on ash die back, to hopefully better understand what is going on within our forests. Huge amounts of larch has been felled and is still being felled throughout the UK and the sooner we get on top of these issues the better.

Then a meeting with Forest of Dean District Council regarding Northern United (Northern Area Action Plan).

As I have been surveying and monitoring this area for wildlife for many years, I have been invited to a meeting to discuss the area and the wildlife. I welcome this invitation as it is local people with local knowledge who can really help, not people pulled in from far and wide that do not know the area and the wildlife present.
I have never approved of the development of this area, but if Northern is to get the green light, I am not going to sit on my hands, or bury my head in the sand as a defeatist. I will work with them to make sure the wildlife comes first and that sensitive and unique areas are maintained, preserved and protected.

Then... It's off to one of my favourite areas in the Forest of Dean to work with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust on a project to manage reptile habitat.
Really looking forward to this as it is where I excel and the excitement of knowing that you will one day find an adder basking in an area that you have helped create is amazing!

Spring is around the corner and I am looking forward to warmer days and lighter evenings, so I can get out with the camera more often.

I leave you with some photographs of wildlife 

All photographed in the magnificent Forest of Dean

Roe Buck

Wild Boar Sow and her Piglet 2012

Red Fox

Baby Grey Squirrel

Wood Mouse Nicking the Bird Food!

Me, Photographing Wild Boar

Portrait of a Wild Boar Sow; From Encounter Above

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker Searching for Bugs

Cinnabar Larvae on Ragwort and Cinnabar Moths on Thistle

Male Adder Basking in Bracken

Wild Boar Sow, Checking Me Out!

Female Adder Photographed From a Distance of a Few Inches

And Finally, a Guard Hornet Guarding the Nest

Rob

Badger Cull; Poaching and Lots More

Sorry I have not posted for a while; been busy with house renovations and work. 

Lots going on in the Forest of Dean to take up my spare time though and I have listed everything (with photographs) below. It has taken me a few hours to put this post together, so please take the time to read through as there is some very important stuff below.

Please do not forget to click on the links and support whatever you can as our wildlife depends on people like us. Thanks, Rob.

GlosARG

As most of you are aware, along with a friend (Scott Passmore) I recently founded GlosARG and we are delighted to inform you that we have our first patrons.

Patron 1 - Zara Boland (better known as Zara the Vet) http://www.zarathevet.com/.

Zara is known for her media vet work and is a regular feature on Channel 5, the BBC and Sky TV. She is also the founder and Director of Vet Voice.  

Patron 2 - Sean McCormack

Sean is a veterinary surgeon and has worked with domestic and exotic animals after finishing University. During vet school Sean completed Canine Behaviour and Zoo Medicine elective modules. Over the years he has kept and bred a huge variety of reptiles and amphibians. 

We welcome both patrons and thank them for their support.

Talking of reptiles lets look at some adders, which I photographed this year while surveying. 

This female gained me my first ever "explore" on Flickr and in case you are wondering, yes I was really that close.

She was not very old, probably around 2 or 3 years and like many snakes of this age, she was extremely inquisitive. She was basking on a log and I managed to get my camera on the end so I was shooting straight up the log at her. She watched me for a while before deciding to come down and check me out.

When this happens it is truly amazing as they show no aggression at all, they just come down, taste the air and stare straight into the lens. Photographed using the Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens.

Juvenile Adder (Vipera berus)

Here is mum in the same area, except basking on a different log. The mature snakes are not easy to get close to as they are more wary, so I never try and get up close with them.

Mature Female Adder (Vipera berus)

GlosARG on Facebook

GlosARG on Twitter

GlosARG Official Website

BADGER CULL

Now onto a very important and distressing situation. The proposed badger cull!

I understand that bTB (Bovine Tuberculosis) is a debilitating disease and that it must be tackled, however, I strongly disagree that by eradicating the badger it will stop this disease. Yes it will reduce the numbers of infected cattle, but as this is not a cure I believe that an alternative must be considered.

Over the years DEFRA has spent millions on a vaccine, yet they have chosen to shelve it and go ahead with the culling of 70% of badgers in the Westcountry.

The startling realisation is that if they go ahead and kill 70% of badgers in the proposed areas, it is fact that this will reduce bTB by just 16%! Hundreds, if not thousands of badgers will be slaughtered and yet we will still be left with this disease, why? because other animals (mammals) can also carry and transmit this disease. Mice, rats, deer, fox and wild boar; they can all carry bTB and they are all capable of entering farmland.

I wrote to MP Jim Paice in 2010 expressing my concerns and I asked him to clarify numerous questions regarding farming practices, testing and the movement of cattle in known bTB hot spots. I received a 6 page reply in 2011 where he answered all of my questions, although indirectly.

Badgers will be targeted illegally and it has already started! - Story Here

If you would like to help, please visit the following links

Brain May's Save Me (Yes, that Brian May)  

Save Me on Facebook

Save Me on Twitter

Save Me Official Website

Brian is due to visit the Forest of Dean very soon to talk and express his concerns.

Please also support GABS (Gloucestershire Against Badger Shooting)

GABS on Facebook

GABS on Twitter

GABS Official Website

Playful Badger in the Forest of Dean

                                           

POACHING

If you admit to having a problem, you then have no option but to deal with it and sadly the seriousness of poaching in the Forest of Dean is being played down by the people who are supposed to be managing and caring for our forest "and the wildlife!"

Evidence of poaching can be found all over the forest, yet it is still not being taken seriously. Yes, the Police have asked for information regarding a recent incident, but who is going to grass on a poacher with a shotgun, or high powered rifle?

To see the aftermath, left behind after these butchers have been to work is gut wrenching and it has to stop. The most recent incident involved a 18 month old male wild boar, which had been shot in the jaw and then slowly bled to death in the forest. This is inhumane animal cruelty and the people responsible must be stopped.

The Police are asking for information regarding a 4x4 seen at Forest Hills Golf Club in the Forest of Dean last week. Apparently the occupants were shooting at wild boar from the vehicle. 

Open your eyes people, this is public land, used by dog walkers and golfers. If this carries on someone is going to die!!!

Story Here

Below are some photographs taken deep in the forest where no public access is allowed. The Forestry Commission have said that they do not use this track, so whoever made these tracks were in the forest without permission.

It goes without saying that we obviously reported the location to the FC, yet so far nothing has been done to try and stop them, whoever they are. They are here regularly as the mess is getting worse on a weekly basis.

If you would like to help, please visit Friends of the Boar.

Friends of the Boar on Facebook

Friends of the Boar Official Website

                                              

                                                     

Moving on from the sorry state our country has become under the new so called Government, here are a few photographs from recent months.

Red Fox 

This young fox knew something was there, but as he couldn't see me it made him inquisitive. He walked to within a few metres before he smelt me and legged it. He did come back though, so I obviously don't smell that bad?

Curious Fox

Red Kite
A portrait of a red kite. The key is to position yourself with the sun hitting just one side of the face. Through the naked eye you will still see the entire face, but by dropping the exposure it will highlight just the areas where the sun is hitting.

Thoughts of a Kite!

Three years ago I photographed this chap and ever since I have wondered if I would ever see him again. As the years passed I resigned myself to the thought that he must have been either culled or poached. However, after more than three hours in one location on Tuesday and with a very sore bum he walked out in front of me.
Moments like these are truly magical and will stay with me forever.

Ghost of the Forest

And Finally - Lightning

Nature is all around us, all the time, but on occasions it unleashes something quite spectacular. Lightning is awesome to watch and photograph as you capture details, which can never be seen through the naked eye.
The shots below have been taken over a few years.

It doesn't have to be big, to be impressive!

The lightning in this shot has illuminated to mist forming over the forest

Over in an instance, yet the intensity of the light is overwhelming 

Rob

GlosARG

We are off and running with our new group; GlosARG!

Gloucestershire Amphibian and Reptile Group has been set up for the conservation of all our native reptiles and amphibians throughout Gloucestershire.
We are an affiliated group of ARG UK.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

If you would like to get involved, please contact us through one of the links below. We have a website, Facebook and Twitter pages, so you can easily get hold of us.
The feeling you get from knowing you have done something to conserve wildlife can not be beaten, so please get involved. It is fun, interesting and educational.
Get the kids involved and give them a passion, which will carry them well through life. What a feeling it would be to see your own children pass this gift onto your grandchildren!

We have only been running for a few weeks and in this time we have already discovered a "new" Great Crested Newt colony in the Forest of Dean.
These newts are endangered and protected by European law, so we couldn't have hoped for a better start!

You can reach us through the following links below.

GlosARG Website
Facebook
Twitter

ARG UK

Thank you in advance.

Rob

"New" Gloucestershire ARG

With a friend I have started a new amphibian and reptile conservation group in the Forest of dean, Gloucestershire.
This group is called GlosARG and we are an affiliated group of ARG UK.

Our aim is to.....

Raise awareness
Recruit volunteers
Survey Gloucestershire
Manage existing habitats
Create new habitats
Achieve protection status on existing and new habitats
See Gloucestershire recognised as a special place for Herptile Conservation

This isn't going to happen overnight and it isn't going to be easy, but with our passion, focus and some much needed help, I am sure we can achieve our goals.
Until now Gloucestershire did not have a ARG group, so Scott and I decided to change this and show the world the wonders of this special place.
Please contact me if you would like to help. We will be organising walks, talks as well as teaching volunteers how to survey all the magnificent amphibians and reptiles we have in Gloucestershire.

ARG Website

Follow us on...
Twitter
Facebook


As well as many other species, these are just some of the amphibians and reptiles we will be surveying and looking after throughout Gloucestershire.

Great Crested Newt

Adder

Grass Snake

Common Lizard

Toads

Frogs

Rob

Adder Kiss!

Do you like snakes? If yes then this video is a must see for you.

I have included information throughout, but here is a brief description of events.

I always take my Canon SLR and video camera while surveying as I like to record my sightings in this way as well as by notes. On this occasion I decided to film this male adder as he was preparing to slough (shed his skin) and when they are in this state, it is easier to get close up footage. However, what I didn't anticipate is that he would actually approach me and as I was lying on the ground, supporting my camera with my elbows on the ground, I had to make a hasty retreat!

Basically his vision was impaired and he probably picked up on the heat coming from my camera and my hands.

Anyway, watch the video  and let me know what you think.

Rob

Snake found in Bedroom!

A Cheltenham resident has found a snake in his bedroom! A releaaed or escaped pet? No, an adder, Britain's only venomous snake.

Think I'm joking? Click here for the article

Rob

NEW BLOG....!

I have started a new blog, dedicated to one species that is and always will be close to my heart. The snake.
We have two snakes in the Forest of Dean and both are native. They are the grass snake (Natrix natrix) and the adder (Vipera berus).

The adder is Britain's only venomous snake and this, accompanied by all the scare stories that have been around since time began, has given the snake a bad reputation.
Some people fear them, some people even kill them on sight, but this is down to ignorance and a lack of education because no animal deserves to die just because the TV has told us that they can be dangerous!

I love the snake for its shy secret life, its stealth and above all its beauty!



I hope you like my blog and please recommend it to your friends. Thanks.

SNAKES IN THE FOREST OF DEAN

Rob

A Few Birds and a Snake!

Click Images for Larger Size

Juvenile Robin




Female Adder




Great Spotted Woodpecker (Juvenile Female)




Nuthatch




Raven



Rob

BBC Radio Glos Interview

Below is a slide show accompanying a BBC Radio Gloucestershire interview I gave recently. I would like to stress that the adder is relatively harmless unless you have an allergic reaction. However, I would suggest that all adder bites are taken seriously and medical advice should be sought asap.



Rob

Adders and a Nice Walk

Here are a couple of pics of a male and female adder, plus a nice winding path, which I was wanderin' up on one of my days in the forest!

The brown adder is the female and the light coloured one with the dark zig-zag is the male. Sorry his head is not showing, but it was quite thick undergrowth and I didn't want to disturb him by trying to get a better angle.
His head was at the bottom and he was watching me closely!






Rob

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Here is a link to BBC Hereford and Worcester web-site. They have used some of my reptile pics to accompany an article detailing a new project, which is close to my heart.
The conservation and protection of our native reptiles.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Rob

Juvenile Adders

Below us a pic of a juvenile adder that I found and photographed earlier today.
She is one of last years offspring and very tiny. I nearly missed her and had to really stare before focussing on her.
Also a couple of lizards and a slow worm, plus a male adder with a female sneaking up on him!

Juvenile Adders!

I found two juvenile female adders the other day while surveying. They look like they are last years offspring, very cute and very small.
As well as these two, I also found another 9 adders of mixed sex and size.
I will endeavour to photograph them on Thursday or Friday and upload some pics for you. The weather is supposed to be hot and dry on these two days, so ideal conditions are on the cards!

Rob

Slow-worms and a High Adder!

Footage from yesterday. A male melanistic adder basking on top of a hedge, plus some natural slow-worm footage.

Newspaper Article - Snakes

BLACK ADDER GOES FORTH

Below is a link to a newspaper article I supplied to the local press, it has been slightly changed and edited.
My main purpose was to try and dismiss the fears that some have regarding our native snakes as just rumours and folklore. I hope it helps to save a few!
I usually find between 2 and 5 dead snakes within my reptile sites throughout the Forest of Dean. This figure may not seem high, but it is when both the adder and grass snake are in decline and are both protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Schedule 5 from Trade, Injury and Killing!


http://www.forest-and-wye-today.co.uk/tn/news.cfm?id=10365&headline=Black adder goes forth



Rob

Filming Reptiles

A short film below from 21st March 2010. Reptiles in the Forest of Dean. This clip has been edited down from over 35min of footage. So not to disturb the reptiles, I focus my camera on them and move away, this way I capture their natural behaviour!

Hope you like?

Rob

Reptiles in the Forest of Dean

Today "terrible", but what a day yesterday? The sun was blazing and the reptiles were out dancing!

I counted 8 adders, at least 12 common lizards and a slow-worm in just one of my survey spots! Naturally I had the camera(s) with me and glad I did as I captured some of my best snake and lizard footage to date!

Safety in numbers! I think these adders are taking advantage of each others body heat?

I see you! This male was on the look out!

A melanistic male adder. How do I know he was a male? He was out of hibernation very early and one of the first adders I saw this year. The females emerge slightly later.

Notice that he has flattened his body. They do this to create a larger area so that they can absorb more heat from the sun.

A common lizard. Wherever you find the predators, you will find their prey not too far away!

Rob

Juvenile Male Adder (Vipera berus)

They were out basking for approx 2 hours on Friday, before the rain started falling, forcing them the retreat back into hiding. I will wait eagerly for the next dry sunny day!

The two pics are of the same snake, just different angles. He was only a nipper (excuse the pun!), about the thickness of a pencil, but slightly longer.

Photographed with my 100mm macro lens.

Canon 7d - Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro

Canon 7d - Canon 100mm f/7.1 macro

Rob