Pond Dipping

Pond Dipping is something i used to love as a child (not living anywhere near the sea it was the closet i got to rockpooling) and the sheer wealth of wildlife you can find is quite amazing all these species are from the same pond over two days.

This was the first Great Diving Beetle I've ever caught and is about the size of a 50p quite large for a British beetle, they are top predators in the ponds.

The Spined Loach is only found in five eastern rivers in England one of which the Trent floods into the pond i net so i would assume that's how this one got into there. the little fish often get over looked but without a doubt have the best markings.

This sinister looking creature is a Water Stick Insect which similar to a praying mantis grabs its prey and sucks the life out of it literally.

This is a male Smooth Newt not to be confused with a Great Crested Newt (see video below) they grow the crest in spring then loose it later in the year.

Great Crested Newts

Hints -

- Look for vegetation and over hanging plants as critters will often hide in there

- Be gentle when scooping as you can damage some species 

-  Using a tank to view the species without handling them is a good idea and provides good opportunities for photography.

www.jackperksphotography.com

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.