My first sighting of Vipera berus 2012
29/02-2012 - Odsherred Denmark
This is not an actual field report, it is just a short story for documentation:
Today I got a call from my friend, asking if I wanted to go herping? It was a sunny winter day, the clock was approx. 14:00 pm. The temperatures was measured to 15,1°C. that day, it was the highest temperature in February during the last 22 years. But, I had been looking the days before with no result, so my expectations where low even though the weather was perfect. When we arrived to the spot we got our gear and headed for a steep hill known for it's dense population of V. berus. And we where lucky, because the weather god was with us that day; we found an adder within minutes. Success!! There was snow lying arround in the area, and the grass was still covered in frost. We only found that single dirty speciment, but the adder where very alert taken the date into consideration. There was no lacerta agilis, natrix natrix or anguis fragilis to be found at the location this day, (there aren’t no amphibians native to the location). The wind was kinda harsh, but the sun was shining and the sky was cloudless.
More about the weather that day: http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/onsdag_endnu_varmere_end_tirsdag
Bad pictures
The trip was a sudden decision without any preparations. Therefore the images became very poor. I would not stress the "weary" snakes at all, so the pictures did not became very good. Nb: My lens is broken. So i was forced to shoot with an 55-200mm zoom, the wrong equipment for shooting reptiles.
It was the first sighting of V. berus in entire Denmark.
29/02-2012 - Odsherred Denmark
This is not an actual field report, it is just a short story for documentation:
Today I got a call from my friend, asking if I wanted to go herping? It was a sunny winter day, the clock was approx. 14:00 pm. The temperatures was measured to 15,1°C. that day, it was the highest temperature in February during the last 22 years. But, I had been looking the days before with no result, so my expectations where low even though the weather was perfect. When we arrived to the spot we got our gear and headed for a steep hill known for it's dense population of V. berus. And we where lucky, because the weather god was with us that day; we found an adder within minutes. Success!! There was snow lying arround in the area, and the grass was still covered in frost. We only found that single dirty speciment, but the adder where very alert taken the date into consideration. There was no lacerta agilis, natrix natrix or anguis fragilis to be found at the location this day, (there aren’t no amphibians native to the location). The wind was kinda harsh, but the sun was shining and the sky was cloudless.
More about the weather that day: http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/onsdag_endnu_varmere_end_tirsdag
Bad pictures
The trip was a sudden decision without any preparations. Therefore the images became very poor. I would not stress the "weary" snakes at all, so the pictures did not became very good. Nb: My lens is broken. So i was forced to shoot with an 55-200mm zoom, the wrong equipment for shooting reptiles.
It was the first sighting of V. berus in entire Denmark.
Vipera berus | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Update: 01-03-2012 - later in the beginning of next week.
Today it was 8,6 degrees hot when I left my apartment for a short field trip. There were no other species to find on the trip, which was slightly depressing. Fortunately I saw a lot of Vipera berus - at least 8-10. Nb: My lens is broken. So i was forced to shoot with an 55-200mm zoom, the wrong equipment for shooting reptiles. And the worst is yet to come, my camera shutter relase got jammed, i did not have eny tools to fix it on the spot; so i only got a few shots.
Camera status update: 01-03-2012
When I got home I realized the problem was worse than expected, I have to send my Camara in for repair.
Unfortunatly that meens that i might not get it back this season? But I cincerelly hope so!
The winter this year was amazing, I would hate to miss this particular season.
Today it was 8,6 degrees hot when I left my apartment for a short field trip. There were no other species to find on the trip, which was slightly depressing. Fortunately I saw a lot of Vipera berus - at least 8-10. Nb: My lens is broken. So i was forced to shoot with an 55-200mm zoom, the wrong equipment for shooting reptiles. And the worst is yet to come, my camera shutter relase got jammed, i did not have eny tools to fix it on the spot; so i only got a few shots.
Camera status update: 01-03-2012
When I got home I realized the problem was worse than expected, I have to send my Camara in for repair.
Unfortunatly that meens that i might not get it back this season? But I cincerelly hope so!
The winter this year was amazing, I would hate to miss this particular season.
Vipera berus | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Five Vipera berus speciments | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Responces:
Feltherpforum: http://feltherpforum.dk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=229
NHF: http://www.nhf.dk/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=48216
Slangeforum: http://www.designer-reptiles.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10221
Star-reptiles: http://www.star-reptiles.dk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=82486
Responces to the update:
Feltherpforum: http://feltherpforum.dk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=233
Slangeforum: http://www.designer-reptiles.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10259
Thanks for reading this report.
Greetings, Mikkel Frederiksen
Email: [email protected]
Feltherpforum: http://feltherpforum.dk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=229
NHF: http://www.nhf.dk/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=48216
Slangeforum: http://www.designer-reptiles.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10221
Star-reptiles: http://www.star-reptiles.dk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=82486
Responces to the update:
Feltherpforum: http://feltherpforum.dk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=233
Slangeforum: http://www.designer-reptiles.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10259
Thanks for reading this report.
Greetings, Mikkel Frederiksen
Email: [email protected]