The grass snake mating season has begun
27/03-2012 - Hov Vig, Odsherred.
At times we forget; “that good things often come to those who wait”. I know most of us seek the perfect photo, but many times the camera is an obstacle and the eager to find interesting species can sometimes destroy the ability to actually find them in the field.
Today I was tired from yesterday’s work, so I did not feel like hiking through kilometers of habitat. Instead I chose to go into stealth mode in the reed beds at Hov Vig, Odsherred. Being quiet is always a good tactic and it was very nice to sit down the same place without having any particular goals for my twitching that day. Instead of searching I just shot whatever animals that came by. I saw (approx. 20-30+) Pelophylax kl. Esculentus specimens, various birds and I found plenty Natrix natrix, (approx. 15) - and what a sight! The mating season had started, way earlier than expected. At first, I only sat down at the location because I saw a snake fleeing at my arrival, but otherwise the place was very negligible. I did not expect to find anything special at the precise location so reptile/amphibian photos were not a thing I had hoped for. But after sitting down for approx. 40 minutes I discovered a black "chunk" about 5-10 meters from me, it was a cluster of mating Natrix natrix! Way to go grass snakes!
I have been told, by someone who knows the administration at the place, that the number of Natrix natrix has been decreasing at Hov Vig. Six years ago the population was small and fragile. This is certainly not the chase anymore; I see many grass snakes on my walks through the area, plenty more than I encounter in “similar” areas. I haven’t encountered any other mating episodes of this kind during 2012, only this one so far. But I have heard of others, (01/04 I saw N. natrix mating documentation on facebook from another hobby herpetologist). No matter what; it’s early to find grass snakes mating in March.
PS: Today I used my 55–200mm zoom lens. Normally I feel constricted when I use it, (I can’t get any nearer than 1.5 - 2.5 meters), but today I had no need for close-up shots. I did not want to disturb the snakes, so a distance of approx. 3 meters was appropriate. The weather was calm; almost no wind with temperatures about 9° Celsius, the clock was almost 12:00am.
27/03-2012 - Hov Vig, Odsherred.
At times we forget; “that good things often come to those who wait”. I know most of us seek the perfect photo, but many times the camera is an obstacle and the eager to find interesting species can sometimes destroy the ability to actually find them in the field.
Today I was tired from yesterday’s work, so I did not feel like hiking through kilometers of habitat. Instead I chose to go into stealth mode in the reed beds at Hov Vig, Odsherred. Being quiet is always a good tactic and it was very nice to sit down the same place without having any particular goals for my twitching that day. Instead of searching I just shot whatever animals that came by. I saw (approx. 20-30+) Pelophylax kl. Esculentus specimens, various birds and I found plenty Natrix natrix, (approx. 15) - and what a sight! The mating season had started, way earlier than expected. At first, I only sat down at the location because I saw a snake fleeing at my arrival, but otherwise the place was very negligible. I did not expect to find anything special at the precise location so reptile/amphibian photos were not a thing I had hoped for. But after sitting down for approx. 40 minutes I discovered a black "chunk" about 5-10 meters from me, it was a cluster of mating Natrix natrix! Way to go grass snakes!
I have been told, by someone who knows the administration at the place, that the number of Natrix natrix has been decreasing at Hov Vig. Six years ago the population was small and fragile. This is certainly not the chase anymore; I see many grass snakes on my walks through the area, plenty more than I encounter in “similar” areas. I haven’t encountered any other mating episodes of this kind during 2012, only this one so far. But I have heard of others, (01/04 I saw N. natrix mating documentation on facebook from another hobby herpetologist). No matter what; it’s early to find grass snakes mating in March.
PS: Today I used my 55–200mm zoom lens. Normally I feel constricted when I use it, (I can’t get any nearer than 1.5 - 2.5 meters), but today I had no need for close-up shots. I did not want to disturb the snakes, so a distance of approx. 3 meters was appropriate. The weather was calm; almost no wind with temperatures about 9° Celsius, the clock was almost 12:00am.
Natrix natrix, lying in the reed beds | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Natrix natrix, fleeing | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Natrix natrix, mating | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Natrix natrix, mating | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Natrix natrix, mating | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Natrix natrix, mating | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Natrix natrix, mating | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Natrix natrix, mating | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Natrix natrix, mating | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Natrix natrix, mating | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Natrix natrix, mating | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Natrix natrix, mating | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012