Snakes in the grass

Spring equinox, so time to look for adders.  But it was a big surprise to find that the last time I was there was five years ago, just before lockdown.  The forecast was for a cold sunny morning which would have been ideal but it turned out misty and hazy and the sun barely showed.  Still, the adders did come out in the hope of soaking up some warmth.

They lay on the bank, facing where the sun should have been.  To start with I had trouble finding one - they are camouflaged after all - but once I got my eye in it was easier.

I think most I of those I saw were males but it isn't easy (for me) to tell males from females before they shed their skins after emerging from hibernation.  Females are larger and brown/dark brown while the males are smaller and will eventually be silver and black.  I think this is a male.

And this might be a female.

The snakes regularly adjust their position to try to absorb more warmth.

There are two snakes here, coiled together.

These are well arranged to maximise heat absorption although it can be difficult to tell which end is which.

If I get the chance I may go back next month after their first moult, although the vegetation grows up quickly so they can be even more difficult to see.

Adventures with OtterCam

This all started with my annual wild goose chase, looking for golden-ringed dragonflies.  On a tiny burn in Northumberland I thought I saw a small wake in the water ahead of me.  Hoping it was a water vole I returned a few days later with a trail camera and an apple.  The burn is less than 1m across in most places and is about 0.5m below the surface of the field so it was quite difficult to find somewhere to put the camera.

Over three days the camera showed no sign of a water vole but did show a larger mammal.  The video is very short so I have added a slow motion replay.  The two halves of apple are in the background - untouched.

It was only a glimpse but quite an exciting find.  I next moved about 5km downstream where the burn is a bit wider and there I found several rocks with the remains of white-clawed crayfish.

And on two rocks nearby I found spraint, confirmation that it was an otter that had been eating the crayfish.

The next step was to set up a camera to watch the rock 

and on two of the next three misty nights an otter appeared.  The first of these looks larger to me so I think these were two different animals.

I also had another camera about 100m upstream but unfortunately its batteries were about to fail.  When that happens it records for only about a second but it detected an otter 30 minutes before the first one above so I guess this was the same animal working its way down the burn.

This must be a marvellous place for an otter, far from people and with clean water and plenty of trout and crayfish.  I may try again at some point to see if there is better evidence of more than one.

Time to wake up

The rhythm of the adders' year is a bit surprising (to me at least).  They go into hibernation at the end of summer, when it is still quite warm, and the males emerge from hibernation in February when it is cold.  It seems odd but it obviously works for them.  I went to north Northumberland to see them this week on a bright sunny day but the air temperature was only 2℃ and there was snow on the nearby hills.  The adders come out an hour or so after sunrise and lie on the bank soaking up the rays.  Males are quite dark before their first moult and that helps absorb more heat.  They also flatten their bodies to increase the area exposed.  Next month the males will be silver and black after shedding their skins so they look at their best when the females emerge. The first one I found was in a typical posture.

They don't move much but when I walked by a bit later it had changed position slightly.

And another wriggle a bit later on.

This one was 200m or so farther along and was also quite large.

It had also adjusted when I came back.

Unfortunately there is new wire fencing along part of the bank.  The snakes don't mind but it makes it harder to get a decent photo.

It is a bit better zoomed in.  The snakes often lie with their heads partly hidden like this.

Being cold blooded means they have a fairly relaxed programme.  After emerging from hibernation adders don't feed before they mate in May.  Females breed only every other year and give birth to live young around August time.

This is the fifth year in a row I have been to see the adders and I have been successful on every visit.  I'll go again next month in the hope that they have shed their old skins by then.

Adders again

I went back to see the adders again last week.  The grass and vegetation is noticeably taller which doesn't make them easier to see.  To begin with I couldn't work out which end was which on this one.

When I went back to have another look some while later he had moved a bit and I could see his head.

This photo isn't good but it does give a clear view of his tongue.

The snake above is clearly male with a silver grey colour and black markings.  Females are  brown with dark brown markings but there is a lot of colour variation.  This is a pale snake which might mean it is male but the zigzag is brown which might mean it is female.  I am not sure.

This one is very dark but is probably male.

Some were quite shy so it was difficult to get much of a view at all.  The weather wasn't as sunny as forecast which may have been part of the reason.

Waking up early

The recent warm weather has had an effect on a lot of wildlife, including adders which emerged from hibernation a couple of weeks ago.  When I arrived to see them, about 30 minutes after sunrise, there was none about but a few minutes later I saw this one.

It was only when it moved that I realised the coils it was resting its head on belonged to another snake.  I had seen one front end and one tail end and assumed it was all the same (very long!) snake.

As I walked along I saw more and more, at least 12 in all but it gets difficult to keep count after a while.  Here are a few more photos.

And a few more portraits.  Adders have markings that are individually identifiable (to an expert).

This one, for instance, has a W behind its eye.

Once you look closely you can see they are all different.

It isn't always easy to tell males from females at this time of year, before they have sloughed off their old skins.  Males generally emerge up to a month before the females but I think this one might be a female, but then it might just be dusty.  Females are larger, browner and have shorter tails.

This one is smaller and is bright and shiny and is definitely a male.

Some were stretched out to take the sun.

Others stayed tightly coiled.

Some were very shy and all I could see was this.

By mid morning they had all warmed up nicely and slithered off to do whatever it is that adders do at this time of year, which isn't much.  I'll be back to see them in a month or so when they have changed into their new skins.