Adders

A cold clear night followed by a sunny morning made for excellent Adder spotting conditions.

Adders have red eyes! Who knew?

This female Adder had warmed up enough to be quite active. She moved along the edge of some scrub for about ten minutes, going in and out of view, before coiling up and settling down again.

This paler individual is a male Adder. He was much more tucked away in the foliage.

In this photo you can just about see a male and female Adder. The browner female remained still, while the male moved around and over her repeatedly with a juddering motion. This is part of courtship behaviour.

Later I saw this young Slowworm in my back garden. As exciting as Adders are, I am quite glad I do not share my garden with them.