Just at the rear of our house, behind the vegetable garden, a path runs up to the back of the croft land and the meadow where I'm spending more and more of my time. On my way back in this evening's warm sunshine, the black adder - see earlier post
here - was lying, sunning himself, on the path where it crosses an old stone wall.
He disappeared too quickly for me to get a photograph, so I stood back, crouched and waited - and was rewarded when he stuck his head out of a moss-covered part of the wall.
I took a couple of pictures and then we sat and looked at each other. He obviously wanted to come out and enjoy some more sunshine so, after a while....
....he slid out, coiled himself up so he could take full advantage of the sunlight and, at the same time, watch me. Look again at the top picture and, if you haven't already spotted him, he's in the centre.
He obviously wasn't going anywhere, and seemed quite happy with my presence - until I moved, very slowly, to pass him and make my way home, at which point he, equally unhurriedly, slid back into his wall.
The photos are really good.
ReplyDeleteWe saw more adders this summer that I think in any previous year. At least 4 different ones on the Old Golf Course (multiple times) and a couple by the side of the road on the way to Sanna. They were all pretty approachable. I almost strimmed one in the garden but it shot away, only to be back in the sun again a few minutes later (with a friend).
It's quite hard to know how dangerous they really are. I saw the comment elsewhere that the last death from adder bite was 1975 but the adder bite medical advice sheet you provided a link to suggested that the effects of a bite could in some cases be pretty unpleasant and long lasting.
I wonder how serious problem they for livestock?
A Black adder and not a baldrick in sight, what great pictures especially the third one definately publishable Jon.
ReplyDeleteThe Raptor
I don't get the impression that adders are very dangerous except to those few people who may be severely allergic to the toxin, or to anyone who goes into anaphylactic shock. It helps that our local Emergency Responders are now well aware of the problem.
ReplyDelete