RAUK's a Herp a day!

Well done Gemma with the list! Soon we will be saying goodbye to our reptiles. Hopefully another four weeks at least to go.

yes Gemma, more songbirds but also especially dragonflies, which for the first time ever I have seen in swarms recently, rather than just the odd one. Also a bumper year for common lizards in good sites - I counted to 100 at Rainham Marshes last weekend, and although they were mostly this year's young, they were already half grown. Do you remember a few years ago we were concerned about a lack of common lizards - even in core habitats? I remember Howard Inns commenting about this, for example, in British Wildlife magazine. This now seems to be (thankfully) a premature concern (though of course they continue to be lost through development etc).

These photos taken just before 5.30pm.
The newt larva was in part of the pond's canal that is almost dry (the preform settled slightly skewed when the pond was initially filled, so the canals round the edge don't all contain the same depth of water). If it was a frog tadpole it might have been doomed but because it had little legs it was able to scuttle into deeper water. Good job the blackbirds are away moulting or it would likely have been pecked up.

Yes Ben I feel a bit guilty about a blank night recently as I'd taken all my photos and then forgot to upload them! How like a twig your slow worm looks!

I've noticed this years young in the garden are well grown on Will. My neighbour handed me back one of the garden lizards yesterday (which their dog had found!) and it was distinctly plump. I remember seeing the same lizard barrel sized ages ago. Did make me wonder if she had a second brood. Not sure if this has been recorded in viviparous lizards in the UK? The lizard was fine after the dog encounter, left her to warm up on a tyre and she made her way off apparently none the worse for the experience.