That Adder Again!

When we lived on Ardnamurchan we saw this unusual black adder in a broken-down stone wall several times within a couple of weeks, and concluded that it had made a home there so, when, today....

....I walked up the track where I saw an adder on June 25th - see blog post here - I checked to see if it was 'at home' - and it was, in exactly the same spot as I'd last seen it. It's just visible as a dark patch in the rough grass to the right of the track, less than a metre off it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't in a good position for a picture....

....even when I'd manoeuvred myself rather gingerly round it, so I left it and continued my walk. The sun came out for a few minutes and that may be why, when I returned along the track, the snake....

....had raised the energy to change position giving me a chance to get some....

....rather better pictures of it.

I have very mixed feelings when I encounter a snake like this. I'm scared of it, so I'm wary about how close to approach it, and very careful not to do anything to provoke it. On the other hand, I am thrilled to think that this beautiful creature is one of the few in this country which is a genuine threat to us. In a way, our relationship is comparable to that of the African in his hut in Tanzania with the lions which come to visit him at night.

I'm also very conscious of the fact that any dog out for a walk along this track will almost certainly blunder into it, with what could be fatal results. Fortunately, the track is little used.

I plan now to visit 'my' snake and admire it regularly as it's less than a half-hour walk from the house.