Spoonbills at last

The last two weekends I have spent a bit of time at a nearby spot called Abberton Reservoir. The main reason being two spoonbills showed up and have been most accommodating with where they decided to hang out I.e. not miles away from a hide but right in front of a road going over a…

Adder Love

I love reptiles in general but the adder holds a special place. Yes, they’re incredibly beautiful with their zig zag patterns and the male’s silver appearance post-shed. Their red eyes contrasting against the browns and greys of their skin. Maybe it’s the danger element too, the fact that you’re so close to Britain’s only venomous…

Weald Amphibian Survey

A few weeks back I joined the Essex Amphibian and Reptile Group on a survey of ponds in the Weald Country Park near Brentwood. Led again by the awesome Graham Hart we met at 19:00 to lay down transects of traps at one location before making our way to another to survey the sides of…

Dormouse Survey Essex

Just before Easter 2019 I was able to join a dormouse survey in a local wood. To say I was excited… I had never seen a dormouse in the wild, let alone to prospect of getting close to one. Graham and the team were on hand to train up volunteers and get them comfortable enough…