Photographing Adder Again

Adders to me are beautiful creatures, especially so when you get up close and observe the colour and detail of their scales. They are well adapted to the moorland environment and blend in among the heather and bracken completely. So much so that even close up their scales take on the shape and texture of leaves. It is almost as if they were formed from the very earth itself. Even on the lighter males the black zigzag pattern along their back from some angles appears as a sun cast shadow from a bracken frond.

These are a few images from the day.

Adder Vipera berus. © David Forster

Even the black markings on their backs appear as shadows cast by the bracken. © David Forster

Close up of the head of a male Adder (Vipera Berus). © David Forster

An image from a previous visit which shows how their markings help them blend into their environment, even in the open. © David Forster

Video - A Winter Walk in Upper Teesdale

This is a video short of a larger project I am working on which is supported in part by the North Pennines AONB Partnership about trekking in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). If you are looking for a landscape in England that has more than just the essence of wilderness about it, then the North Pennines and Upper Teesdale in particular will certainly go a long way in meeting your needs. Such is the geological and climatic diversity of this part of the Pennines the area has actually been scientifically classified as a sub arctic region and is recognised as a European and Global Geopark. Without a doubt to walk here is to step back in time, this really does feel like England's last wilderness.

 

A Frogs Eye View

As I wandered over the moors with the warm sun on my face accompanied by the forlorn calls of Golden Plover it certainly felt as if spring was just around the corner. My main goal today was to see if I could get a few more images of the adders I have been photographing over the last few years. Unfortunately I was spotted before I got close enough and only managed a few record shots before the only one basking silently disappeared back underground. Still a sighting is better than nothing.

Only a record shot today of the Adder (Vipera Berus) but it is nice to see it has survived the winter


Moving on I heard the chorus of croaking frogs well before I saw them. Again I was spotted and the closer I got the quieter they became until all I could hear were the plops of each one as they hopped into the water. There is one thing you need to have if you like photographing wildlife and that is patience. I knew they would resurface if I stayed still and ten minutes later a few smug looking individuals began to push up through the thick soup of weed and jelly-like frogspawn - the pupil black centres of which stared back at me like some watery eyed creature.

Frogspawn - © David Forster


Resisting the temptation to start shooting straight away I waited a little longer allowing them to get used to my presence as I inched slowly forward. Soon we were all eye-to-eye only inches away from each other. At this level with my nose almost touching the water I could see the world from a frogs eye view. Coated in a viscous layer and with coal back pupils set in aged gold leaf they stared unblinkingly back at me with an air of contented smugness. Such happy contentment is hardly surprising, especially when you look at the fun they were having as they wriggled and writhed together among their spawn.

© David Forster

Despite disappearing when they saw me they soon reappeared - © David Forster

My reflection - © David Forster


Spring is definitely well on the way even on the high moors of Teesdale and judging by the activities of this little group there will be tadpoles aplenty in the coming months.


What is the difference between a Frog and a Toad?

Common Frog (Rana Temporaria)
· Green/brown in appearance with a smooth skin.
· Jumps rather than walks
· Mostly lives in an aquatic environment
· Lays eggs as a ball of Frogspawn

Common Frog (Rana Temporaria) - © David Forster



Common Toad (Bufo bufo)
· Brown in appearance with a warty skin
· Walks rather than jumps
· Does not live in an aquatic environment.
· Lays its eggs in a string rather than a ball.

Male and Female Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in Amplexus - © David Forster