RSPB Arne, Dorset

Traveling to Dorset i was in search of britains rarest reptile the Smooth snake and Arne is about the best location in the country to see them. Going around with the wardens to try find one early in the morning but no success with the smooth snakes however...

... we did come across a adder something thats not all that common ar Arne (ironicall smooth snakes are more common there)

suffering from smooth snake blues i went off to the ponds that have a good number of raft spiders one of the largest species in the UK. They can actually catch small fish and frogs.

Walking in the woodland part to one of the hides i came across this common lizard up a tree which i though was rather strange.

One of the young marsh harriers from poole flew by while in the hide which was lovely to see.

On a bit of luck the wardens deceided to go out again on the off chance of finding a smooth snake for a educational show the next day and let me tag along also. The thrid tin we found a glouriuos smooth snake!

i should point out you need a licence to handle or photograph these snakes which i have from previous survey work

Kentish Newts

Thinking i wouldn't see any more herptiles this late in the year, i went to kent mainly for birds but was pleaslenty surprised by the amount of common lizards basking and newts in the wet grass.

i also happened upon my first ever great crested newt, underneath a carpet. Not as large as i thought it would of been but fantastic to see one.

as the days a getting colder the common lizards are making full use of any warm surface like these black tyres.

the great crested newts smaller cousin, the smooth newt was also present in the moss.

i didn't completely forget about the birds though as i shot this (very shaky sorry!) footage of a great white egret at RSPB Dungeness

Jacks Website

Hints -

- its illegal to handle great crested newts without a licence so i couldn't get any other angles when i found this one poking its head out. a fine of £5000 can be issued you are caught disturbing them! 

- october despite the cold weather closing in is a great month to photograph herps as they take longer to bask and are more sluggish allowing you to get closer for a shot!

- Be prepared! i didn't have a tripod with me when i saw the great white egret so my footage is shocking! but it shows a unusual species in the UK.

Castle beach dive & Sand lizards

Castle beach

I did a shallow dive along castle beach on monday not really knowing what to expect, having done numerous rockpool studies there is was interesting to find what lied just that little bit further

a few days later my other great love in photography, reptiles came to my attention as i went looking at my sand lizard site to see how many i could find. it was incredible with over 12 different sitings showing a healthy population.

Male sand Lizard

Male Common Lizard

Hints -

- When doing a shallow dive buoyancy is key so you dont stir up the bottom (i'll be the first to admit mine isn't perfect!) the 'backscatter' can really hinder a otherwise great image

- Try to visualise what your going to find, in this case a fisheye lens wasn't the best choice as most of the subjects were quite small but i made do with what i had.

- Timing is key! the lizards are super charged with energy by midday however in the morning they are slow and more accommodating the photograph!

www.jackperksphotography.co.uk