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

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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.

An apology to Marsh Frogs

In a earlier post i mentioned that marsh frogs were out competing our native frogs but after i had a walk along the royal military canal in kent found a healthy population of both common and marsh frogs there. it also seems that the local grass snakes have greatly benefited from the marsh frogs as a extra food source!

I'm not advocating the release of non native species at all but it seems these little frogs actually benefit a lot or our wildlife including some of the rarer species.

i took a trip to dungeness in Kent and its no coincidence that the bitterns breeding there, purple herons showing up and other amphibian loving birds all do very well at this site because of the marsh frogs for a food source.

even in romney marsh where rare species like medical leeches and great crested newts can be found are benefiting from the marsh frogs with the leeches sucking there blood and newts eating the tadpoles.

so from the bottom of my heart sorry marsh frogs!...

... but not to sorry they still have the potential to spread Chytrid a deadly amphibian fungus and at the end of day shouldn't be in Britain but if they are here may as well enjoy them!

Kent

Visiting Kent over the weekend i took the chance to do the odd shoot in a few places. i found kent a very strange place to take pictures in as its a very falt county but has enormous amounts of natural beauty.

on the first day i visited Dymchurch a large beach with a good population of black headed gulls

afterwards i went along romney marsh in search of a invasive the marsh frog. they were introduced from hungry in the 1930s and have since spread across large parts of the south east. they are twice the size of native frogs and as well as out competing them tend to eat them!

on the way back i came across this unusual dragonfly not sure on the species but lovely coloration

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