Reptiles

This large male adder was seen basking in the sun beside the boardwalks on the Windmill Farm Nature Reserve on the Lizard peninsular in Cornwall.

Compared with April last year, when we seemed to be tripping over them wherever we went, we have seen relatively few so far. No doubt their scarcity is down to the cooler northerly wind direction. Certainly, it is several degrees warmer in sheltered spots out of the wind and early in the year these reptiles are often found curled up in sunny spots between clumps of gorse and grassy tussocks which act as wind breaks.