Sounds like a good idea, especially if someone will help me finally connect with a black Adder!
John
Some sun today, and out of the wind almost bearable. I'm planning on looking for adders tomorrow. If I see a black one I'll ring you John!
Not just John please, Steve ! Particularly as your writhing black adder shot wil have pride of place in '52 wildlife weekends'!
and I seem to have posted a similar request (for black adders) on your FB status earlier today, James. I guess reptiles won over Bluewater if your pic's anything to go by!
Indeed. But it was so frosty that I only had four adder at *location removed* and all bar the *location removed* animal were the same individuals I had on Tues. (on Tues, someone had seven.) I think the total number of individuals known for these well-studied (adjacent) sites is c160!! And there's still no black 'un.
All - I have been alerted that naming specific sites raises their profile among the illicit bunch who collect herps. I wouldn't forgive myself if I inadvertently led to adders being pilfered from the wild - and I'm sure the same is true of other posters.
I have asked the moderators to delete the specific sites I have mentioned (it appears I cannot do it myself if 24 hrs have elapsed since posting).
Perhaps our approach should be to mention general areas (eg S Suffolk) and then be receptive to PM requests from those we know and trust if they want specific site details?
All - I have been alerted that naming specific sites raises their profile among the illicit bunch who collect herps. I wouldn't forgive myself if I inadvertently led to adders being pilfered from the wild - and I'm sure the same is true of other posters.
I have asked the moderators to delete the specific sites I have mentioned (it appears I cannot do it myself if 24 hrs have elapsed since posting).
Perhaps our approach should be to mention general areas (eg S Suffolk) and then be receptive to PM requests from those we know and trust if they want specific site details?
I know this is a bit off topic - I wasn’t really sure where else to put it - but while wandering around, failing to see adders (again!), this morning I was pondering this thread, and other similar ones such as the orchid and dragonfly one. I was wondering if there could be one site where all such gen could go. A sort of general wildlife Birdguides –although obviously with a lot less news– that we could check while out in the field and people could be encouraged to post their news asap.
It could have first sightings of butterflies, orchids, dragonflies etc. as well as migrant insects news – especially if they’re twitchable – good showings of rarer species e.g. showy purple emperors etc. as well as records of sea mammals etc. I know there may be some objections about confidentiality but most the site gen is out in the public domain anyway, and posters could use common sense.
I did ponder setting up a website, but the problem would be then is someone would have to put all the news on, when it would be a lot better if anyone could put their own gen on – preferably while out it the field, as most people have smart phones now.
So after all that meandering I was thinking maybe a thread on here would be the best place.
So what do others think?
I agree that if you want to put it on the internet then a thread on BF is as good a place as any, but I would like to point out that RBA put out wildlife news - one of my pager channels is always the wildlife one - which of course doesn't depend on me checking it but actually alerts me. May be we need to check that RBA's pick-up suits what we want from the service, but they are already there, they are well acquainted with the scene (reducing somewhat the hoax risk) and they have at least some vested interest in making a success of it.
John