LOCAL OBSERVATIONS 2009 - April
Friday 24th April 2009
Conditions: clear, light wind.
Temperature : around 20 C
Time of observations: 13h00 to 14h30A very nice day, one of the few days lately that was suitable for reptiles, I still hadn't tested my new lens on any snakes, so I headed out in search of some, I found 3 Ocellated lizards (Timon lepidus), no photos of these. I did come across one male Montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus), which I did manage to capture for photos.
Focus on the large eye of this species, F 2.8 - © Daniel Phillips
Malpolon monspessulanus - © Daniel Phillips
Malpolon monspessulanus - © Daniel Phillips
Malpolon monspessulanus - © Daniel Phillips
Saturday 18th April 2009
Conditions: cloudy, no wind.
Temperature : around 12 C
Time of observations: 21h30 to 23h30Mathieu Badets phoned me during the evening and he was at Opoul, I decided to drive there and test out my new camera on some Western Spadefoot toads (Pelobates cultripes). When I arrived, we saw many Stripeless Tree frogs (Hyla meridionalis) and it wasn't long before I heard a Western Spadefoot calling, I rushed over to the area where it was calling and started to search, I eventually located it, afterwards I found a red Painted frog (Discoglossus pictus), and many more Western Spadefoots. There was also many Marbled newts (Triturus marmoratus).
Stripeless Tree frog (Hyla meridionalis) - © Daniel Phillips
Western Spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes) - © Daniel Phillips
Painted frog (Discoglossus pictus) - © Daniel Phillips
Western Spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes) - © Daniel Phillips
Western Spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes) - © Daniel Phillips
Western Spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes) - © Daniel Phillips
Western Spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes) - © Daniel Phillips
Western Spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes) - © Daniel Phillips
Marbled newt (Triturus marmoratus) amongst Western Spadefoot toad eggs - © Daniel Phillips
Western Spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes) - © Daniel Phillips
Western Spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes) - © Daniel Phillips
Friday 17th April 2009
Conditions: slight wind.
Temperature : around 16 C
Time of observations: 10h00 to 13h00French herper Stéphane Vitzthum was in the area and we took the chance to herp with each other, another test day for my new lens, we found a Spanish Psammodromus (Psammodromus hispanicus) on a new site and this proved a worthy subject for macro photography. We found many Large Psammodromus and I missed a juvenile Montpellier snake (around 60cm long).
Spanish Psammodromus (Psammodromus hispanicus) - © Daniel Phillips
Spanish Psammodromus (Psammodromus hispanicus) - © Daniel Phillips
Thursday 16th April 2009
Conditions: no wind.
Temperature : around 15 C
Time of observations: 22h30 to 23h00I have just got my new lens, a Sigma 105mm Macro F2.8 with Canon 10D camera, quite an upgrade from a Canon PowerShot A95 ! And I really wanted to test out the new gear, go I simply went to a pond, and snapped away, here are the better photos:
Stripeless Tree frog - © Daniel Phillips
Parsley frog - © Daniel Phillips
Parsley frog - © Daniel Phillips
Parsley frog - © Daniel Phillips
Wednesday 11th April 2009
Conditions: light winds, no cloud.
Temperature : around 8 C
Time of observations: 20h30 to 00h30Another trip up to the Opoul pond tonight, and seemingly favourable conditions proved wrong as we failed to find anything of interest during the first hour, but soon, despite the wind, one after another Western Spadefoot toads (Pelobates cultripes) appeared, we also came across a mass grave of multiple species, what could have killed them ?
Male Western Spadefoot toad - © Daniel Phillips
Female Western Spadefoot toad - © Daniel Phillips
Male Western Spadefoot toad - © Daniel Phillips
Same - © Daniel Phillips
Male Western Spadefoot toad - © Daniel Phillips
Amplexus of Natterjack toad - © Daniel Phillips
Natterjack toad - © Daniel Phillips
Natterjack toad - © Daniel Phillips
Painted frog - © Daniel Phillips
Monday 4th April 2009
Conditions: slight breeze.
Temperature : around 15 C
Time of observations: 15h00 to 18h00One of the finest days of the year today and having recently got my car on the road, it was time to put it to use, so I drove west to Bugarach, here I hoped to find Asp vipers and Aesculapian snakes, a species I have yet to see.
To access an area good for these species that I was tipped off about, I had to take a very traitorous path up to near the top of the mountain, the car could only take me so far, and I ended up walking over 5 km until I arrived at the spot, to my disappointment, the temperature had dropped a tad, but worse of all the wind picked up and I only managed to see a few Western Green lizards (Lacerta bilineata), snakes were not to be seen at all, not even on the walk up which was very disappointing, I will have to return on another day.
Asp viper habitat - © Daniel Phillips
Asp viper habitat - © Daniel Phillips
Lacerta bilineata - © Daniel Phillips
Bugarach habitat
Text & images © Daniel Phillips