It is a pleasant change to report that Robin Page has written something in the Daily Telegraph with which I can whole-heartedly agree.
He writes in praise of Natural England's (and the Zoological Society's of London and Oxford University's) work on adders - our only venomous snake. Robin discloses a personal nervousness about snakes which is touchingly open of him.
Adders, or vipers, are apparently declining in numbers with only 100,000 estimated to be left. Habitat fragmentation and intensive agriculture are leading to the isolation of some populations and that may lead, in turn, to inbreeding. Their problems, though different in detail, exemplify the needs of many species which were summarised in the Lawton report published last year. That report called for more, bigger, better managed and more joined up protected areas and if we had more, bigger, better managed and more joined up heathland habitat pockets then the population level of the adder would add up to a bigger number. Let's see what the long-awaited, much-heralded and vitally important Natural Environment White Paper says on the subject of habitat re-creation and restoration at a landscape scale.
A former RSPB boss, the late Ian Prestt, studied adders in his youth. I remember talking to him about his work, which he spoke about with relish.
Robin Page points out that the presence of adders indicates a healthy countryside because this predator relies on the presence of a variety of prey such as young birds, voles, frogs and lizards to survive. If the adder is in trouble then it indicates that the rest of nature is too. How true. I look forward to further articles from Robin in praise of the sparrowhawk and the white-tailed eagle.
I went to see the goshawk in the Forest of Dean last week and managed to photograph 2 adders on the way to the viewing point. First time I have managed to get a picture and walked away not sure which was the better sight, the adders or the goshawk.
Nyati - mass killing of birds of prey in Slovakia, Germany and Czech Republic as well as UK just so some one can shoot game birds! Do you wonder why educated people get sick to death of those who want to kill Birds of Prey!!
"Notes from Will Watson
I have had two recent reports of buzzards eating adders - both from Forestry workers. John Speed who is the Forestry Commission Wildlife Ranger for the Mortimer Forest has seen buzzards take adders on his patch. Forest Enterprise employees, to their astonishment, saw a pair of buzzards remove six adders in early spring from a hibernation site at woodland in Shobdon Parish in Herefordshire. Buzzards may have a serious impact on local adder populations."
You pays y'money ................ and what with the increased fox and badger populations - hibernation from Oct - Feb - and not breeding until their 5 years old - it's a wonder there are any still around!
Our youngest lad picked one up on Sunday. A lovely female! He was inspired by the late Steve Irwin. Rather than being placed in the reptile house our lad has moved on to enjoy all wildlife. Other problems with adders include burning heather and bracken. The time for burning co inside with the right weather for basking. This limits the areas that the adder can cover and recolonise. Crows, Buzzards and Kestrels also prey on this species and I know the old keeper of this area used to kill them on sight. Like many country people he was scared of them [Robin Page!] and thought he was doing some one else a favour so they would not bump into them!!
Well well well - [the story of three holes in the ground] - your praise for Robin Page's article on adders is fullsome and then you ruin it by reverting to type?
You make a swift strike in the last sentence, highlighting an area where neither of you agree.
Was it necessary or even wise to spoil the moment?
Do you wonder why there are those who take your praise with a pinch of salt?