Snakes and Nadders

Spent a couple of chilly and windy days at Minsmere this week, opening the car door in the car park to the deafening sound of 1000's? of Black Headed Gulls being their usual sociable selves. And drowning out the 100+ Mediterranean Gulls being equally sociable.

Not good weather for decent pictures being so cloudy and grey on Wed and not much better on Thurs but the subjects of interest were nearer and still, mostly.

Sill have very milky eyes so I guess the cake has not been decided yet,

First time we have seen Adders in decades so really pleased to have spotted them as no sightings of Otter or Bittern but heard one booming (5 booms). 

  • Glad you got the Adders. Like you, I've not seen one for a while - they don't have (m)any in Lancashire. I think the last was actually sunbathing on a rock on the top of an Alp, which wasn't where I was expecting one either!
  • Good to see them, Tony. I'll bet they didn't like the windy weather any more than you did.
    I'm not at all knowledgeable about Adders so I was wondering if the dark looking ones in your last two photos were females or am I way off the mark.
  • The last two pictures are of a Male too, No-name if I'm not mistaken :-)
    Females generally have a brown zigzag, brown edges to the pale scales around nose & mouth. The lateral spots are also blurred & indistinct. Males are black, black edges and distinct spots respectively. This time of year, before they slough (shed skin), it isn't always easy to tell as they're all a bit yug, but hopefully it won't be long now before we see him in all his finery and the cake bet gets resolved!